A time to celebrate
The $1.85 million addition at Hickory Evangelical United Presbyterian Church is shown to the right of the sanctuary, which was built after the Civil War when the previous church was destroyed by fire.
Treasurer Linda Carter burns the mortgage April 2 at the front of the sanctuary at Hickory Evangelical United Presbyterian Church as members Blake Grove, left, and Richard White watch.
Participating in the recent mortgage-burning service at Hickory Evangelical United Presbyterian Church were, from left, Pastor Doug Reinard; member Clair McCracken; Michael Chiado, senior vice president and chief operations officer at Washington Financial; Elizabeth Guerrieri, vice president of marketing and public relations of Washington Financial; member Richard White, past president of Washington Financial; treasurer Linda Carter; and members Blake Grove, Robert Jordan and Jamie White.
When members of the congregation at Hickory United Evangelical Presbyterian Church approved a $1.85 million construction project, they didn’t blink an eye.
“The building we built, we knew if we built it, it would get used,” longtime member Clair McCracken said.
And they were right.
At least one of the rooms and/or gymnasium in the expansive addition at the Main Street church is booked for every evening in April, except one, for either church or community functions, including a basketball league that plays its games in the gym.
“It’s kind of an outreach,” McCracken said.
Besides the gym, the addition includes Sunday school rooms, offices, restrooms, a large kitchen, an elevator and a youth ministry room.
The project was the largest the Hickory congregation has ever undertaken, and the mortgage was the largest church expense in the last 13 years.
But not even that mattered.
Not only did the church maintain its regular budget and benevolences while paying on the loan, two weeks ago, treasurer Linda Carter also burned the mortgage – three years ahead of schedule – at the front of the sanctuary.
Pastor Doug Reinard delivered the sermon, as well as the mortgage-burning liturgy. The celebration continued with a church dinner in the new Covenant Center.
“We wanted to do it, and we wanted to do it right,” McCraken said, referring to the addition.
The money was raised through pledges and fundraisers, most notably from proceeds at the annual Covered Bridge Festival. The church started to sponsor the Krepps Covered Bridge during the festival after it had sat dormant for several years.
“The money raised at the festival all benefited the building project,” said McCracken, adding that the church will continue to sponsor the Krepps bridge.
The Hickory church as over 300 members, and most are active. McCracken said several years of planning preceded the actual building, with ideas and input from throughout the church family.
All the pros and cons were considered, including a separate building. However, the congregation decided to build the addition next to the sanctuary, which was built after the Civil War when the previous church was destroyed by fire.
“It was truly a God-driven project, which will serve the Hickory church and community for many years,” McCracken said.
Presbyterian history in the area dates back to before the American Revolution. According to Ruth White’s “History of the Church,” which was compiled in 2003, descendants of the earliest pioneer families are still among the active membership of the congregation.