St. Paul's UMC celebrates 200 years

TIFFIN - Tiffin St. Paul's United Methodist Church has served the community for 200 years and is partnering with the Seneca County Museum to celebrate that history. Pastor Charlene Thomas said the church's congregation dates back to 1824, while the physical church building is marking 150 years. A celebration November 3 will recognize both anniversaries. She said the celebration will begin with worship at 10:15 a.m., followed by a luncheon "with all the old favorites," open tours of the church building, and a program at 1 p.m. that will detail Methodist history and the unique history of Tiffin's congregation. Church members are working together to prepare the luncheon, she said, which will include meatloaf, chicken, potatoes and other dishes, and potluck contributions are encouraged. There is no charge for the lunch. In addition, Thomas said church-famous apple dumplings, which also are being prepared by members, will be for sale during the celebration. Dumplings are 6 for $12, she said, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the museum. The physical history of Tiffin St. Paul's UMC is notable, and the knowledge and resources of the Seneca County Museum were tapped to honor the historical significance of the St. Paul's building and the relics housed there. Theresa Sullivan, executive director of the museum, said she and student intern AJ Lindhorst have assisted St. Paul's with preparations for the anniversary event, providing expertise and historical insight. Lindhorst, who has been an intern with the museum for almost four years and is a member of the church, said he began preparing for the celebration by "organizing and upkeeping" the church's Heritage Room. He said he has planned different displays and artifacts relevant to the anniversary that will featured during the open house. Lindhorst said he realized early in the planning process he would need help to complete the project, and classmate and friend Grace Gibson agreed to work with him. "He's a really good friend," Gibson said, and the two have worked together each Wednesday in recent months to prepare for the celebration. Pastor Thomas said Lindhorst is a "next generation historian." An Ohio Historical Marker outside the church building details the location's involvement in early electric illumination. According to the marker, a brass chandelier was presented to St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church at the time of its dedication on January 6, 1884. "Wired for electric lighting before its completion, St. Paul's was one of the first churches in the nation lighted by Edison lamps," it states. The Tiffin Edison Electric Illuminating Company was built in 1883 and was the first central electric power station in Ohio, and the tenth in the United States. The chandelier, or electrolier, gifted by the Edison Company hangs in the sanctuary of the church and still is in use by St. Paul's. Reflecting on the church's presence in the community, Thomas said Methodist heritage is founded in a desire to "worship God and serve the community," and Tiffin St. Paul's UMC has an active congregation of 80 parishioners seeking to fulfill that mission. Particularly, Thomas said, the church "has a history of loving to feed people and teaching young people." Food-based ministries at the church include the Ecumenical Sharing Kitchen, stocking pantry items, and providing SOULS meals, Thomas said. The sharing kitchen, she said, serves homemade meals to guests twice a week, with no criteria for receiving a meal. "If you come in you will be fed," she said. The SOULS ministry, Thomas said, "aims to help those who live alone, find cooking for themselves difficult or are ill and not feeling up to cooking." Homemade SOULS meals are prepared and frozen in individual containers to be provided upon request, Thomas said, and several hundred meals are distributed each month. Youth ministries at St. Paul's UMC include Kids for Christ and youth group gatherings, and a Community on Stage (COS) program recently was begun to provide opportunities both for older members of the community and younger participants. The initiative, she said, "was born out of a need to build life giving community to young people and the older generation." The COS program offered a week-long academy last summer for youth ages 11-16, providing instruction in content creation, visual and performing arts and music production, she said. In addition, a content creator lab is available at the church to give participants the chance to build on those skills. For participants age 55 and older, COS, in partnership with the Allen Airy Senior Center, offers the Off Our Rockers community chorus, Thomas said. Off Our Rockers invites participants to learn and perform music from across the decades, and academy students and Rockers at times perform together, she said. Those ministry opportunities, Thomas said, are grounded "in the connectionism that is part of being United Methodist." "We care for one another by spending time together and through walking through difficult times together." Tiffin St. Paul's is part of a cooperative parish that is comprised of multiple locations that share the United Methodist mission. According to the church's website, tiffinstpauls.org, the 5-Point Parish seeks to "support each other's ministries and grow as a collective." The 5-Point Parish is comprised of Tiffin's St. Paul UMC, Republic Trinity UMC, Melmore UMC, Sycamore UMC, and Union Salem UMC, the website states. "Working together is a huge part of our DNA," Thomas said.