‘Deep roots’: Monongahela church celebrating 100th birthday
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Monongahela First Church of the Nazarene is celebrating a century of “God’s goodness” this weekend.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Monongahela First Church of the Nazarene is celebrating its 100th anniversary with services this weekend.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Monongahela First Church of the Nazarene altar. The church celebrates 100 years this weekend.
MONONGAHELA – Monongahela Church of the Nazarene is turning 100. To mark the occasion, the church at 206 Tenth St. is celebrating a century of “God’s goodness” this weekend.
The celebration begins at 6 p.m. Saturday with a service followed by a reception.
“We’re going to be talking about the past,” said the Rev. Raymond DiCamillo, the church’s pastor since 2000. “Some of our previous pastors are going to be speaking at the time.”
Previous pastors scheduled to speak are the Revs. Louis Staubs and David Shirer.
At 10 a.m. Sunday, another celebration service focusing on the future will be held. A banquet will be held afterward to celebrate the church.
DiCamillo is the ninth pastor in the church’s history. His 23 years in the position mark the second longest tenure in the church’s history. The church’s second pastor, the Rev. Paul Andree, served for 36 years.
“This is a very wonderful church,” DiCamillo said. “I love the people of the church. I love the community. It means everything to me to be the pastor. I look forward to Sunday mornings, just celebrating with them and knowing that we are doing God’s work.”
The denomination of the Church of the Nazarene had been in existence only about 15 years when the church in Monongahela was organized on July 25, 1923, with 24 members and $399.03 in the bank.
It was that summer that tent meetings were being held at the YMCA tennis courts across the street from what is now Chess Park. After holding the meetings for four weeks, the new church was born. The Rev. Frank Strickler, an engineer on the P&LE Railroad, became the first pastor.
The church currently has a congregation of about 50 to 60 members. Christian education takes place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. each Sunday. Worship service is at 10:45.
DiCamillo said the future looks bright with a restoration project underway at the church.
“We’ve done a lot of work,” he said. “We have roofs that were leaking. We have cosmetic work that needs to be done. Our sanctuary hadn’t been painted in 20 years. We had a problem in the basement that we fixed. We’ve done a lot of work over the last year-and-a-half to restore the church building so when people come in it looks like we’re taking care of what God has given to us We still have a lot more to do.”
DiCamillo is looking forward to being a part of doing what needs to be done.
“We’ve been there for 100 years,” DiCamillo said. “It is an honor to be able to pastor a church that has lasted 100 years and has deep roots in the community.”