At Steeples and Stacks, Butler’s long church history on display
When Westminster Church’s congregation moved into its current house of worship at 420 N. Main Street, it actually bought the building in 1976 from another church group in Butler at the time, according to Jay McCaslin, a former staff member.
McCaslin said that at the time, the steering committee of the church believed it was led by God to buy the property, eventually adding the “fellowship hall” to the existing structure and building two more stories.
With histories that last decades and can be intertwined with one another, churches near Butler’s Main Street have maintained a strong presence. At the Steeples and Stacks festival Saturday, July 11, the community was given the opportunity to celebrate their past, present and future.
“We’ve ebbed and flowed in the past, but we’re growing now,” McCaslin said. “We are growing.”
With the churches’ music, architecture and worship on full display at Steeples and Stacks, Butler residents could learn more about the institutions that have helped shape Butler over time.
While choirs and church music groups shared their songs of worship by mouth, bells, piano, trumpets and flutes, curious Butler residents could also learn about the churches’ past.
“We’ve been here since 1843. And I would say where my heart is, is for the living community,” said Rev. Kimberly Van Driel of First English Lutheran Church. “Our history is important, and we treasure that. Our role as a congregation, we are rooted in Butler, and right here right now, we are a living community of faith. And with a future. We definitely love to be part of the community.”
Van Driel said her congregation has roughly 150 parishioners that “have a heart for service.” Others around Butler have said that they have seen their size change over time while remaining tight-knit and committed to their faith.
Numerous churches in Butler date their origins back well into the 1800s, and have significantly changed over the years.
Rev. Merry Meloy, pastor at Saint Andrews United Presbyterian Church, said her congregation dates back to the early 1800s. But in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, the congregation undertook a massive renovation project. This included creating additional classroom spaces underneath the sanctuary, moving the pulpit across the room and installing the organ.
“Our congregation is intergenerational,” Meloy said. “Our music groups are a good example of that. Through the years, our men’s quartet as always included a range in ages, from younger singers in high school and college to older singes who are seasoned retirees.”
While the churches have maintained over generations, some have seen drops in overall attendance. However, some say they have seen an increase in younger people coming back to the church and exploring their faith.
Various congregations are described as “inter-generational.”
“I’ve seen sings that say ‘Butler is a church-going community.’ Maybe not always, but it’s coming back,” McCaslin said. “It’s coming back. This church has a nice mix of generations. 20-somethings, 30- and 40-somethings, and then some gray beards like myself.”
