September 3, 2019
By:
A 20th anniversary celebration of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church will be Sunday, September 8.
Sunday School is at 10 a.m. followed by the worship service at 11 a.m. A cookout on the grounds will follow the morning services. The anniversary program will get underway after the cookout featuring The Heritage Singers from Smithville and testimonials from congregational volunteers.
The church is located at Miller Road and Forrest Avenue and the Pastor is Larry Steffee.
The following is a history of the church provided by Pastor Steffee:
“The Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church came into existence January 3, 1999, after a small group of believers met on December 31, 1998, and decided to start a brand new congregation in Smithville. In just three days the first services were held, and by the third Sunday the current building was found. The building was remodeled to be made more suitable for church services, and was rented four years before it was purchased in 2003. The 20-year mortgage will be paid off in fewer than four years”.
“When church membership reached 12, the congregation officially became a part of the Brethren In Christ denomination, which originated in 1778. Members brought vinyl chairs to be used for seating for about four months, until permanent chairs, an organ, songbooks, and other equipment could be delivered by two members of a Brethren In Christ Church near Tampa, Florida, which had closed. Smithville First Methodist Church loaned hymnbooks to the congregation until the delivery from Florida. More hymnbooks were purchased from another Brethren In Christ Church in Orlando, Florida. A church from McMinnville, donated a piano, and a pulpit was donated by the Brethren In Christ Church from DeRossett, Tennessee”.
“Eventually, used pews with removable cushions were purchased from the Smithville Nazarene Church. These were used until 2006, at which time padded pews were donated by the Brethren In Christ Church in Sarasota, Florida. Smithport Cabinet Shop of Smithville, which sold cabinets in Florida, transported the pews at no charge, and also sent five men to unload them into the building. There are countless other marvelous ways that the Lord provided for the needs of the congregation over the past twenty years”.
“The building was fully insured after it was purchased, which turned out to be a good thing because the water lines froze and broke the next day, flooding the building. Insurance paid for all new floor coverings and drop ceilings, greatly improving the interior of the building. The original dome roof was eventually replaced by a gable roof”.
“The pastor of the congregation since its beginning has been Larry R. Steffee, who has been a pastor in the Brethren In Christ Church since 1967, following graduation from Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. The college is affiliated with the Brethren In Christ Church, and will become a university in 2020”.
“Of the original individuals who were part of the congregation in 1999, approximately seven are still members. Some who were part of the original group have graduated to their home in heaven. The congregation has a board of directors to advise the pastor, and its members are an important part of the life of the congregation”.
“The main goal of the congregation from the very beginning has been to reach out to the unchurched of the Smithville community and surrounding areas. Three individuals from Cannon County currently attend on a regular basis. The congregation is a very close-knit group which welcomes newcomers readily. Numerous people have been converted and baptized, and have become members”.
Everyone is invited to the 20th anniversary celebration of Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Sunday, September 8.