Emlenton church marks 25 years at site
EMLENTON, Venango County — The past met the future recently at Emlenton United Methodist Church, 1303 Kerr Ave.
On Nov. 25, as the church celebrated the 25th anniversary of worshipping in its current building, former pastors the Rev. Jim Kimmel and the Rev. Gene Lenk were guest speakers.
The church is currently between pastors. The Rev. Paula Grucza will take the pulpit in January. Grucza also will preach at the Big Bend and Old Zion churches.
The Rev. Jodie Smith, superintendent of the Franklin District, will be guest pastor in December.
Jackie Campbell, a spokeswoman for the Western Pa. Conference of the United Methodist Church which governs 800 churches from the New York border to the West Virginia border and as far east as Altoona, said the Emlenton United Methodist Church has a congregation of just over 100 with an average worship service attendance of 40.
The first worship service at the Kerr Avenue location took place the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 1993. A service of consecration was on Jan. 16, 1994.
However, the congregation can trace its beginnings to 1860 as a Methodist Episcopal Class that met in a schoolhouse. This location was a preaching point, first on the Shippenville Circuit and then on the Rockland Circuit.
The church's first building was erected on Hill Street in 1872, which was also the year the first resident pastor, the Rev. Nathaniel Fry was appointed and the Emlenton Circuit was formed.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was an “itinerant” preacher, traveling from town to town in England, setting up Methodist societies.
In the early days of Methodism in America, a pastor — most often a circuit rider — might be appointed to half of a state or more. His appointment might be for only three months, after which he moved to another circuit. Thousands of the oldest United Methodist congregations today trace their history to a circuit rider.
Eventually, especially after the establishment of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1784, most of these societies became congregations. This practice continued and became the basis for the itinerant system The United Methodist Church uses today.United Methodist pastors are sent, not called or hired. “Itinerancy” refers specifically to the commitment by pastors to go and serve wherever their bishops send them. “Appointment” is the action taken by bishops. These are different, yet related.Clergy in The United Methodist Church commit to serve where their bishop appoints them. Appointments are typically for one year.Parishioner Bett Klingler remembers well the church's present site.“I was born and raised in the house next door,” she said, adding her parents, Ray and Genevieve Levier, owned the house in Richland Township, as well as the adjoining property in Emlenton.Eventually, Klinger and her husband, Art, inherited the house and land. For a time their daughter occupied a mobile home on the lot.With her passing, a friend bought the mobile home and lot and later sold them to the church.The new building was designed by a church architect who incorporated stained glass windows from the original church. Volunteers cut down on construction expenses.Bob Eckelbarger was the chairman of the building committee, while Dan White handled the building's electrical needs. A number of men worked evenings clearing the land, while others painted and completed additional construction jobs.
