Shining the Light

Shining the Light

By Colleen Nelson

“ In September of 1841, a revival meeting was held at Mt. Zion Church in Greene County and from this meeting sprang the Methodist Episcopal Church of Point Marion.”

Thanks to the Community Civic Organization of Point Marion the frontier genesis of the town’s first church has been preserved in its book Point Marion, from the beginning. Ambrose Dilliner went “to the altar to seek conversion for several nights” then brought the Good News from the revival home to his neighbors. By 1843, membership in the new church was “composed of forum members in full connection and 14 probationers.”

There was no meetinghouse, so services were held in homes. But by 1850 membership had grown to 23 and parishioners were ready to put down roots. John Sadler, one of the earliest settlers to the region, donated a lot, which got swapped out for one on the north side of Penn Street, owned by the Ruble family. When the deed was signed in 1861 “work began at once.” The foundation was laid by Richard Johnson and son Thornton and George Bowers used “hand dressed” lumber to build the rest. By 1890 it had a new bell that called parishioners to worship and later, called high school students to class. The congregation was growing, with a missionary society, a church annex and a parsonage. In 1920, the church ladies aid society bought lots on Morgan Street and the church prepared to pull up stakes. But when the Conn property at the corner of Morgantown and Broadway came up for sale, the members voted to build there. This is where the United Methodist Church sits today, a handsome yellow brick edifice with beautiful stained glass windows capturing not only heavenly light but traced with the names of the local families who have worshiped here for generations.

Today’s church continues to live up to its covenant of “open hearts, open minds, open doors.” Methodism is the major Christian religion in Fiji and when Fijians and their families who had immigrated to California came to the area in 2012 to work in the shale gas industry, they found their spiritual home in Point Marion. By 2015 these families had become an integral part of the church, breathing new life into the choir, singing a capella in their native language and having a monthly service in Fiji with a community dinner with Fiji dishes afterwards. The church received a grant to help

their new parishioners with GED and job prep and as layoffs in the fracking industry increased, they helped them find other jobs.

A number of the families have moved to Uniontown and attend churches there but some still come here to worship and two families have settled in Point Marion and become part of the community, Pastor Deb Lambert tells me. The women are active in the UM women’s group and other church projects including the monthly Food Pantry, the weekend Backpack Program and the Bargain Corner Thrift Shop, open on Wednesdays or any day there is a need, where everything is a quarter.

The first snow of January kept me from attending Sunday services, which begin at 11 a.m. – about the time the township plowed my road! Luckily, Travis Bernard Hunt, who was in town for a family visit and some sled riding at Friendship Hill said he would get me a photo of those beautiful windows and tell Pastor Deb Lambert I’d be giving her a call after service. When I finally got to town later that day Travis was the perfect docent, taking me on a tour of the town, telling me the backstory behind every old building and the old family names that went with them. It was a wonderful introduction to the community from someone who really loves this place. Thanks, Travis!