100 Years of Church

On July 17th and 18th the Zoar Mennonite Church in Langham, Saskatchewan celebrated their 100th Anniversary. I pastored there from 1989 to 1998. There were lots of festivities all day Saturday, starting with a pancake breakfast and ending with a coffeehouse in the evening. We really didn't bring our camera out much until Sunday, but we spent the whole day hanging out with old friends and eating! The one thing that Diane did take a picture of was the horse-drawn wagon on which she took ride around town. It was probably as much fun being with friends on the wagon as seeing the town from this perspective.




On Sunday we packed the church. Having a choir made for a wonderful opportunity to fill every seat in the building. The choir and the worship was very good. I shared some stories from our years at the church for about 5 minutes, and others did the same.



Now, you need to understand that while I was pastor at Zoar, I challenged the congregation that if we ever reached 200 people on a regular Sunday morning worship service, I would eat my lunch on the roof of the church! Well, there was one time, back in the day, when we had a special celebration and filled the place with over 200 people, but I reminded them that the challenge was for a regular worship service. 12 years later there were some who still remembered this story, and they were not letting me get away with it this time. I don't know where Menno Zacharias got the ladder so quickly, but in no time he and a few others had rallied the support of the crowd, and I was up to the roof (I had finished my burger, but still had my desert in hand). Diane was not really paying attention, but when she heard the people laughing, she turned around and saw me on the roof of the church entrance, siting and eating my desert. How does the saying go, "With friends like these you don't need any enemies!"




Well, it didn't take long and the people wanted all the pastors up there who had served since my time. Abe Buhler bounded up like nobody's business - with his plate in hand. Soon to follow was Herman Wiebe. It was a great time. There was some talk among the people that an ambulance should be called to be on standby!



Since I have this feeling that one of these pictures will end up in the Canadian Mennonite, I thought I would give you the first viewing, and the true story.