ORLAND — Members of the Orland United Methodist Church will gather at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, to to give thanks for and celebrate the church’s 200th anniversary. Guest speaker at the event will be Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. The Rev. Pat McHugh, district superintendent, also will participate.
After the worship service a potluck luncheon will be served in the fellowship hall.
Church pastor Ron Chaffee said, “ I take this opportunity to invite any and all who have made this church a sanctuary theirs for any occasion to join us as we rejoice and remember.”
Chaffee said that many memories of the church have been shared during this year of marking the church’s anniversary particularly from those who attended Sunday school at the church as children. Some of those young people became teachers at the Sunday school years later.
“My wife and I remember well the flock of young people who invaded the parsonage after church each Sunday when we served here in the 1980s,” Chaffee said. “And let us not forget the great choirs we had over the years. Sometimes we would combine with other choirs in a choir festival and this place would be filled with wonderful and melodious words and notes of life and love. I can hear it now.”
He also recalled a long succession of baked bean suppers, and the many civic organizations that used the church’s facilities for meetings and activities.
“What tremendous time we had sitting at table with friends and strangers who became new friends,” Chaffee said.
“And we must not leave out the sights and smells of the annual Christmas fairs — another opportunity to share friendship and fellowship in preparation for those events,” he said. “Who could forget the beautiful Christmas Eve candlelight services at our church. Oh, what a holy night. The doors were open to all the people — and once in a while a dog — of our communities. We filled the sanctuary with lovely hymns and anthems — just the tip of the iceberg of memories people have of this sacred place.”