Two-Family Church Eyes Future
Times Herald
Unknown Date [ca. 1970?]
Unknown Author
Transcribed by Kathy S. Bentley
ANGELICA - Unique in this era of ecumenism ferment in traditional churches, and congregations rich enough to attract Negro militant James Forman’s $500 million reparations demand is the Transit Bridge Church of Faith.
The small, single-story, woodframe building was converted from a school house back in the days when central school districts handed over such buildings to municipalities or neighborhood groups for civic purposes.
It was moved to its present site off-the-beaten path at Transit Bridge in 1938. Non-denominational-minded Protestant families in the neighborhood have attended worship services and sent their youngsters to Sunday school in the white-painted church since the middle 1940s.
In recent years, spiritual guidance has been offered by Christian education majors from Houghton College, generally not available when schools out during the summer months. Then, the families go to church in Belfast or Angelica.
The first and only wedding in the church according to the memory of a house wife who ought to know, was in 1960.
Most recently, 8 to 10 adults have attended Sunday worship in the church and Sunday schoolers have dwindled to three or so.
Two families form the core of the congregation – those of Mr. and Mrs. Max Histed and Mrs. Betty Bledsoe.
The church, hidden in a grove, had to attract mischief makers not to mention vandals. Entries have been discovered and the old-fashioned clock is missing.
As a precaution, one member of the congregation took the “big Bible” and the new clock home with her for safekeeping.
A “State Police” notice tacked up on the front door warns would-be intruders that the building is not abandoned and that a prankish entry just might end up on the court records as a burglary.
Times Herald photo