HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY ENOLA!
by Ed Rosenberry
This past weekend marked the conclusion of Enola (ERC) First Church of God’s year long celebration of their 100th anniversary. Actually the congregation began with “cottage prayer meetings” in 1905, but with the help of sister churches at Wormleysburg and Mechanicsburg the Bible study group was ready to launch as an organized church in a year’s time. At the heart of this move to plant a church in the new community of Enola was a true “Lion of Zion,” George Sigler. Sometime I’ll tell you more about this great man of God, but on with the Enola story. The congregation faced many tests in its early years, but the congregation persevered. Ultimately the church outgrew its in-town facility; so, in 1987 they moved to the edge of town and built a new bethel (building) to expand their ministry where the Lord continues to bless the work. Pastor George and Judy Jensen accepted a call to serve the congregation in 2001 and are leading the congregation into a new century of serving Jesus and the Enola community with verve and vision.
Last Friday evening the congregation served-up a free spaghetti dinner to all comers, church and community, and followed it with a dramatic portrayal of the story behind the hymn, “Amazing Grace” as performed by Maranatha Productions and staring Erik Nelson. Saturday the church sponsored an old fashioned “Country Fair” on their parking lot with special programming, including The Hales (Pastor Larry and Luella from our Glenvale ERC Church—Check out their ministry web site www.thehales.com), a moonwalk obstacle course for kids and adults, lots and lots of food options and much more. You can contact the church office for more details, if you’re interested in doing something similar. Pastor George thought it was a great community outreach and all funds generated by the fair went to The Ronny Powley Center to help those in need.
Sunday came as the grand finale to the year long celebration. The church held a combined service which functioned as a congregational homecoming. Several former pastors and spouses attended, as well as others who served as interims or special speakers over the years. Mrs. Serena Kapp Hoffman who attended the dedication service of the first bethel on October 20, 1907 was in attendance on Sunday at age 101. Now, that’s what I’d call faithful perseverance! Lord, let me be numbered in her tribe of lifelong, no-excuse-making disciples. In addition Dr. George Sigler was present in the person of Pastor George and yours truly as Elder John Winebrenner. Elder Winebrenner brought the morning elocution from Romans 10:14-15 calling the church to carry forward her mission of preaching Christ, going wherever and to whomever sent and establishing churches on the New Testament plan. Afterwards as CGGC director I challenged us all to seek “more, More, MORE” in the cause of Christ both as individuals and as the Church.
As Tony somebody said, it was “G-rr-eee-aaaa-t!
Ed
Left to Right: Betty Eppley, Pastor Lee Eppley, Judy Jensen, Pastor George Jensen, Mrs. Serena Kapp Hoffman (seated), Pastor Ed Rosenberry, Linda Rosenberry, Pastor Tom Smith and Pastor Neville West
