Page 20 - January Banner 2018_Neat

Page 20 January 2018
Their congregation might be
small but their spirit is great. The
40 members of the Incarnation
United Church of Christ in
Emmitsburg gather together to
worship in a beautiful historic
building, sing along with an
enthusiastic choir, donate generously
to community organizations, and
enjoy each other’s company at the
annual picnic.
The church, originally built
in 1868 was destroyed by fire in
1950. Church member Tom Hoke,
a firefighter, was on duty the day of
the fire. He said that everything in
the building, including the bell and
bell tower, the pipe organ, pews,
and altar, was completely destroyed.
Only the walls were left standing.
The bell and bell tower were finished
before the new church was rebuilt
in 1951 so that the annual ringing
of the bell on Veteran’s Day would
continue uninterrupted. This year,
2018, will be the 100th year that
members of the congregation will
ring the bell on that day.
Pastor Chris Spruill said that
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Chur ch
Spotlight
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Pastor Chris Spruill and members: Pat Hollahan, Cleo Martin, Janet Springer, Edie Long, John
Martin, Glenn Springer, Maureen Springer, Eric Glass, Audrey Glass, and Becki Willard. Consistory is the governing board
the members of the church are very
generous. Despite the small size
of the congregation, they regularly
provide donations of food to the
local food bank. Special collections
during the year provide funds that
are donated to the Seton Center
Outreach and other organizations
as suggested by the Emmitsburg
Council of Churches, of which
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Incarnation
United Church
of Christ
Emmitsburg
they are a member. They recently
collected money for victims of the
2017 hurricanes and, in the past,
have provided families impacted by
fires with temporary relocation help.
Organist Audrey Glass said that
the six-member choir sings at most
of the Sunday services. The choir
was practicing for their Christmas
Eve Service while I was visiting their
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church and meeting with Pastor
Chris. I truly enjoyed listening to
them sing.
The annual picnic is held in June
Photo by Theresa Dardanell at Kump’s Dam Park in Emmitsburg.
After a short service at 11:00
a.m., lunch is served. Everyone
brings their favorite covered dish,
the Women’s Guild provides fried
chicken, and Jay Allen cooks hot
dogs on the grill. Becki Willard said
that there is always “an abundance
of food.” The day of fellowship
includes games for children and
bingo for the adults.
The United Church of Christ
of the organization and currently
consists of Edie Long, President;
Eric Glass, Treasurer; Becki Willard,
Secretary; and members Jay Allen,
Janet Springer, John Martin and
Audrey Glass.
Incarnation United Church of
Christ is located at 124 W. Main
Street in Emmitsburg. Members are
very welcoming and invite you to
join them for worship on Sundays at
9:30 a.m.