By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The year 2007 has been one of celebration for Wesley United Methodist Church. This year marks the 175th anniversary, giving plenty of reasons to celebrate one of Niles' oldest and most well-known churches.
Recognition began on Jan. 1 of this year, when Pastor Emmett Kadwell Jr. started something that has continued to grow since.
"I made a bet with some of the other guys that I would grow a beard throughout most of this year. A few of them joined me, but man I can't wait until Sunday when I get to shave it off," Kadwell said Tuesday.
This weekend marks the third annual homecoming invite for former members and friends of the church. A brunch will be held Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. at the church. On Sunday, worship will take place as usual, followed by a potluck lunch at the Crystal Springs Campground in Pokagon.
That isn't the only event being held to honor the church and its long history. For the past seven months, Kadwell and others have spent time researching information about past pastors, the church's history and those from the area who have attended. Some of their findings have been shared at Sunday services.
"People have really enjoyed learning about the history of this church and we're glad we've been able to find out so much about it. It's taken a long time and has included a lot of searching on the internet and through books, but we're finding out a lot of things that even I didn't know," Kadwell explained.
William Sprague, for example, is who the church considers its first pastor. He began the first services in 1832, at the home of Elizabeth Comely. Comely's home is believed to be in the area of the current Niles Depot. Later that same year, class meetings moved to the newly constructed school house located on the corner of Sycamore and Third streets.
Sprague's time with the church was short lived, as he eventually moved on to become a U.S. Congressman.
"That's something very interesting to know. One of our pastors actually became a congressman," Kadwell said.
He went on to explain that another Pastor, W.H. Sampson, who gave services at Wesley from 1838-1840, was the founder of Lawrence University in Wisconsin.
"We've found a lot of interesting facts about a lot of our pastors. Some we are unable to find anything on, but we will continue to do as much research as we can until we find out more," Kadwell said.
Since its inception, Wesley United Methodist has seen around 60 different pastors. Some had very short visits that lasted less than a year, while others stayed with the church for more than two years.
"I believe it was a conference rule at some point that a pastor could only stay with a church for one year. That would explain why so many only stayed for such a short period of time," Kadwell explained.
Kadwell, with the help of John Willis, said his intentions are to make a copy of all the information gathered from their findings and make it available for anyone interested in learning the history of the church.
"There's just so much information and I think a lot of people would enjoy something like that, maybe put in on a disk or on the website. That would be very helpful to people now and in the future who we hope will continue with what we are doing," Kadwell explained.
Kadwell has been with Wesley United Methodist Church for seven years. He said the atmosphere of the church is very friendly. "The members, volunteers and everyone involved with the church have been great."
Kadwell also discussed the changing times and the effect its had on the church and its members.
"In the 1960s, this community was thriving and there were right around 1,000 members at this church. As the industry has left, it has had an impact on the members. Today, we have around 330, with about 150 members coming to Sunday services," he said.
He also noted that over the years, some of the most prominent people in Niles attended the church, including a lot of people in the educational field, like principals, teachers and other administrators.
Kadwell also explained that the church offers more than just worship. They have different classes for people to attend, including chair aerobics, where women meet twice a week. "That's a great social event and it gives the ladies a chance to get out and interact with others."
Sunday school and Bible study are also offered, as well as a lunch for the senior member and a youth fellowship.
Kadwell also stated that the members of the church are involved with various organizations outside of the church, including giving strong support to Habitat For Humanity and working at the hospital.
"We have so many people who do so many things. We feel our mission as a church is in the heart of the community, with the community at heart." Kadwell said.
Celebrations of its 175th anniversary will continue until the end of the year. Worship services have had retellings of the Methodist history; the United Methodist Women made a 175-year cookbook, which, Kadwell explained have been selling like hot cakes; and they have been doing a pictorial directory of the church. In September, the United Methodist Women will have someone come in and portray Susana Wesley, mother of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. The church will also have a float in this year's Apple Festival parade to celebrate the anniversary.
"It's been a lot of fun. We've had a blast so far celebrating this church and getting to know its history," Kadwell continued. "There's that saying 'If these walls could talk, they would provide plenty of stories,' and I know that holds true for this church."
With the extensive research, it's clear Kadwell and others have been doing a great job at talking for the walls and keeping the history of the church alive.