The 100 Mile House Evangelical Free Church celebrates 60 years in the community this month and the congregation wants everyone to join in on the party.
From their humble beginnings in Forest Grove, where the tiny church had shavings for flooring, to their present spacious house of worship in 100 Mile House, they have a story to tell and plenty to be proud of.
The church has seen somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10 pastors come and go over the years and currently, Rev. Pat Stich and associate Pastor John Marshall, tend the flock. The current congregation boasts about 80 members and Sunday services can see up to 100 people fill the pews.
“This is an exciting time for us. We have a deep heritage here,” says Pastor Marshall.
Roots of the church go back to 1951 when the first services were held in the Forest Grove Community Hall with Pastor Garth Johnson. At the time, Forest Grove was an area hub, and larger than 100 Mile House.
Rev. Peter Wiebe arrived in 1955 to take over and contributed to the expanding church. He spearheaded building a parsonage and a garage on the church site in Forest Grove, and he also discovered a need for a separate church in the growing village of 100 Mile House. By 1957, that need was filled with a new church built by himself and volunteers on Second Street, and currently, that building houses CKBX Radio.
A sawdust burner provided the only heat and there were no plumbing facilities at first, but eventually a furnace was purchased on a payment plan and plumbing fixtures installed and hooked up to the town’s sewage system.
By 1960, Rev. Henry Goertz was at the helm, dividing his time between Forest Grove and 100 Mile House, which were collectively known as the South Cariboo Evangelical Free Church.
Rev. Goertz was paid a monthly sum of $250 in wages and $50 as a car allowance, but during spring breakup, it was often a challenge for parishioners to meet that obligation. The majority of them were employed in the forest industry, and as it shut down for several weeks each year during breakup, many people were unemployed during that time.
In 1964, it was decided to consolidate the two churches, and as the population in 100 Mile House was on the rise, the congregation elected to close the one in Forest Grove. That property was sold for $3,000 to the Canadian Sunday School Mission.
In 1967, it was realized more space was needed, and in 1968, a lot on South Birch Avenue was purchased for $9,000 and the current church was built.
Moving day was highlighted with a parade along Birch Avenue from the old church to the new, where members decorated vehicles and turned it into a real celebration.
Rev. Goertz remained with the church from 1960 to 1970 and returned for a short time in 1975 to serve as interim pastor before the arrival of Rev. Peter Sawatzky. At present, Goertz still lives in the South Cariboo community.
Over the years, the church has seen varied and active clubs, including the Pioneer Girls, Boys Brigade, Free Church Youth Fellowship, and Women’s Missionary Society. Currently, they support a very popular KidzKlub for youths in kindergarten to Grade 7 and a youth group for those in the junior and senior secondary schools.
The church is active in the community, supporting local mental health initiatives, seniors, community outreach, and both Stich and Marshall offer marriage counselling. Marshall also acts as the padre for the 100 Mile House Legion.
They, along with congregation members, are excited about the 60th anniversary of their church and a lot of planning has been put into a weeklong schedule of events for the celebration. Everyone in the community is invited.
It all starts on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. with a presentation by Clint Heigh, former superintendent of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada-Central Pacific District, followed by a potluck lunch. At 6:30 p.m., people are invited to take part in a hymn sing and sharing of testimonies.
Sept. 12 will feature a baseball game at 6 p.m. on 100 Mile House Junior Secondary field, and Sept. 13 will open with a special anniversary prayer meeting at 9:30 a.m. and wind up at 6:30 p.m. with movie night, featuring a film called The Climb, from the Billy Graham Association.
Marshall has seen the movie before and is super excited to share it with people in the community.
“It’s everything you’d want to see in a good movie, with world-class photography and a good plot.”
Sept. 14 features something for seniors, with the film, Gaither’s Homecoming; Sermons from Science, starting at 11:30 a.m. Marshall says it’s a popular film from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and steeped in Evangelical history.
At 3:30 p.m., there’s something special planned for youths, and at 6 p.m., it’s KidzKlub time.
Sept. 15, starting at 6:30 p.m. is Family Night with games, crafts and a host of other activities, along with a dessert type treat at the end of the evening.
On Sept. 16, members will be setting up the church for an arts and crafts exhibition that opens on Sept. 17 at noon. The show will also include a chance to reminisce a bit, as people are being asked to bring their old church photos along.
At 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, people are invited to an uplifting gospel concert with local singers and musicians and guests from other churches.
The wrap-up is on Sept. 18, at 10 a.m., with a presentation by new District Superintendent Martin Perren, followed by a potluck lunch and barbecue with cake.
“We’ve been working for one year on this celebration,” Marshall says, adding 150 invitations have been mailed out to people living all over British Columbia.
“There will be lots of opportunities for reminiscing.”
For more information, contact Pastor Marshall at 250-395-2337.
