Reddington celebrates

REDDINGTON - From 14 members in 1833 to more than 400 today, Reddington Christian Church has set a foundation in this small Jackson County community north of Seymour.

This Sunday, the community is invited to the church's 175th anniversary celebration, which will include a worship service, family activities, live entertainment, picnic and an old-fashioned tent service.

Celeste Bowman, a member of the church and its historical committee, said the event is open to all.

"It's like a homecoming day. We still want it to be the center of the community," she said. "It's not just about those of us that are members here."

Bowman and other members of the historical group have been putting together pictures to display on three boards inside the church that day, and they will provide a timeline of the church's history.

As members of the church celebrate 175 years, they are also reflecting on their years of membership.

Bowman, who is originally from Brownstown, was drawn to the church by her husband, Steve Bowman, who is from Reddington. They were married in the church, and Celeste is now a preschool teacher at the church. That program began in 1987.

"Preschool has a longstanding history here," she said. "The kids are wonderful and I try to do as much with the children's ministry as I can. I love spending time with kids."

Even though she didn't grow up in the Reddington church, Celeste said she's always felt welcomed.

"The people here are my family," she said. "The church teaches the Bible, it doesn't teach about the Bible.

"It's the Scripture being taught," she added. "It's not opinion, and to me, that's important. If it's taught from the pulpit and if it's taught in Sunday school classes, you can go back and find the support in the Scripture."

Steve said being a part of the church has been a benefit. He said the focus of Sunday's celebration will not be what the church has done, but what God has given to the church.

"It's the belief that I have that you should work with your local congregation in your area or community," he said. "It's what we should be doing. We should come together and work for (God). I count myself very lucky to be serving him."

Family affair

Dorothy and Scoville Helt each have 70-plus years of membership. Growing up, Scoville said going to church was just something you did.

"When I was young, you went to church with your parents; it didn't make any difference if you wanted to or not," he said. "It's just part of me. I have never given any thought to going anywhere else."

Scoville's grandmother was his first Sunday school teacher, and later he joined Christian Endeavor, which was for young people who met on Sunday evenings for worship and activities. He graduated with the eighth-grade class at Reddington School, and its graduation was held at the church.

Dorothy, who has six generations of family affiliated with the congregation, said her life also revolved around church.

"We weren't drawn other places," she said. "Everything was centered around church."

The Helts were married in the church in 1947. At that time, they had a group called WAMALI (We Are Married and Like It), which was Sunday school for married couples. Couples were to stay in the group until their combined ages were 80, but that apparently changed over the years.

"That time came and went," Dorothy said, "and we're still in WAMALI class and we're in our 80s."

Dorothy said there are 10 charter members of the class still living, and about 15 people meet every Sunday morning.

The thing to do

Irene Montgomery, who is involved with the historical committee and has been a member of the church for 68 years, said her seven children were raised in the church, and five of them are still members.

"It was just the thing to do on Sunday," she said. "It was just comfortable and it was educational."

For Brenda Toborg, 25 years of membership at the church have shaped her life. Celeste Bowman is the one who enticed Toborg to come to the church.
"There are a lot of fun activities and you learn about God and his love," Toborg said. "It makes you feel special and wanted."

She said she's learned an important lesson over the years.

"I feel like the older members have passed down a legacy to the younger generation to have a desire to continue that with our own children," she said. "If the older generation didn't have love for the Lord to pass down to us, then the church wouldn't be in existence."

The cornerstone

Having God's guidance has been important, too.

"He is our cornerstone," she said. "Family is important, but God is our cornerstone."

Today, Scoville said programs, especially those for children, have kept Reddington Christian Church going strong.

"We have a great program for children and it seems to help kids get started," he said. "A lot of children today don't have any direction and they don't know what's right and wrong."

Among other programs, the church has an active Ladies Missionary group, which raises money for mission trips, and a Prime Timers Ministry, which is for those 55 and older. A bus ministry also picks up people on Sundays so they have a way to get to church.

The original church is connected to the newer sanctuary, which was finished in 1986 and was fully funded by the congregation.

The original building has been preserved, and today, it serves as a library and a place for preschool and children's ministry.

Schedule

Reddington Christian Church 175th anniversary celebration:

9 a.m. Worship service with Brother Bill Weaver and Brett Wilson

1 p.m. Family activities (children's crafts, bounce house, tomahawk throw, corn box, water slide, three-legged races, wheelbarrow races, stick ball, old tractor display, tractor and horse-drawn wagon rides, bushel basketball, horseshoes, corn hole toss, checkers, sack races and door prizes)

2 p.m. Live entertainment, including special music by two quartets 

4:30 p.m. Picnic

6:30 p.m., Old-fashioned tent service (re-enactment of a service from the 1800s)

Notable dates

1833 Church formed

1876 Church moved

1892 Musical instruments added

1916 Sunday school rooms with a basement added to north end

1953 Annex linked

1986 New sanctuary and fellowship hall finished

2003 New library added

If you go

Reddington Christian Church's 175th anniversary celebration begins at  9 a.m. Sunday at the church, 10516 N.U.S. 31, Reddington.

For information or to arrange for bus transportation to the event, call 445-3451.

The event is open to the community.