Click on the picture for a larger version. Participants include, from left to Right, the Pastor; Bill Sides, Jr., Chair of the Trustees; Joe Jarvis, Co-Chair of the Finance Committee; Bill Byrd, Co-Chair of the Building Committee; Patrick Linville, Co-Chair of the Finance Committee, and Gary Miller, Chair of the Building Committee. Not pictured is John Cox, serving Chair of the Elders.
As part of the ceremony:
Bill Sides gave credit to many, including past Trustees and Elders, and the congregation. He noted that 350 people attended the Congregational Council that accepted the project, and that 93% of that number voted in favor of the project!
Patrick Linville noted the many talented people who helped with the project, and the fact that we payed the building off in less than 8 years.
Gary Miller remarked how the Building Committee “Never went home angry with one another.” He also remembered those who helped with the project, who are no longer present to enjoy it, especially the late Helen Dulla.
Joe Jarvis and Bill Byrd burned a copy of the Mortgage, but only after noting it was “Paid In Full.”
The pastor’s message is included in the the post entitled, After That, Build Your House.
A tip of the hat goes to the Band, the Bells of Joy, both Choirs, the Coffee Makers, Dieners, Coffee Carriers, Ushers, and everyone else who made the service possible.
Of special note are the Flowers that our Church Secretary, Mrs. Josephine Bolling, gave in honor of the members of the congregation, including those who have passed into the more immediate presence of God.
May God continue to bless at New Philadelphia, and we try to be numbered among his people in the world!