Fairview Church of the Brethren in Williamsburg Turns 150

“The Weekend,” as the celebration committee for the Fairview Church of the Brethren refers to as the occasion of the church turning 150 years old, will take place on July 19-July 21, in Williamsburg. Plans for this event have been almost two years in the making. In 2023, Pastor Alan Brumbaugh along with church members Dave Sollenberger and Tisha Ray began meeting bimonthly with three goals for the weekend – picking a weekend for the celebration, booking a keynote speaker, and booking a band. Beginning in 2024, the committee got a little bit bigger, and plans came to fruition. The church has celebrated 75, 90, 100 and 125 year celebrations,

“We like to celebrate, and have an excuse to have food,” Pastor Alan Brumbaugh said.

History

During the year 1708, in a small rural town, the Church of the Brethren was founded. The town was known as Schwarzenau in Germany.

In a past yearbook of the church, it said that without the persecution, dissension with the church and the curiosity of the new world, the Brethrens would have never made it to Pennsylvania.

Coming from Germany, those immigrants settled in Clover Creek; these farm-oriented people have been building and settling here in the Cove since 1790.

Fairview started out as a small frame structure 38x42 built with no elevation, costing a whopping $1,303 for the time.

The church was dedicated on October 25, 1874.

This would not be the last expansion for Fairview Church as it saw more additions in 1890.

In 1921, the church was raised 54 inches to accommodate the enlarging attendance and an up-to-date heating system.

In 1959, a parsonage was added, and in 1964, a five-room annex completed the expansion.

Sollenberger, a long-time member of the church and a celebration committee member, says you can see the expansions by the layout of the windows.

Some of the past pastors and others ordained after attending include: Gerald Walizer, Paul Pheasant, Clayton Pheasant, Wayne Loose, Raymond Gordon, Guy Fern, David Smalley, Eric Feathers, Lee Saylor, Thomas Hanks, Adam Morgan, and Kim Witkovsky.

The celebration committee chose Hebrews 13:8 as the theme for the event.

“Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Brumbaugh said, “We are brothers and sisters here in the church in the valley – the same Jesus that was here when this building was shoveled is still here today. He will be the same Jesus in the next 150 years.”

Fairview’s mother church is the Clover Creek Church of the Brethren, and Fairview is the mother church to both the Williamsburg Church of the Brethren and the Smithfield Church of the Brethren.

Members of the celebration committee reminisce about some of the old memories of the church including the chicken BBQ pits, and Thanksgiving Dinners.

“I remember the old timers – everything was organized well – We had yearly revivals, and we were a church of hard-working people with the same mindset and beliefs,“ Denny Brumbaugh said.

Dave Sollenberger talks about the importance of being in a farming community, “this is an ag church – farming is our heritage,” he said.

The church continues the tradition of taking your tractor to church the first Sunday in August. Others joked about the time when Miriam Over’s sons brought a snake down the aisle during a church service.

Sue Baker said this church has always been a “family” church, noting the time when she and her husband, Bill had four generations attending church there. Some of the other influential families mentioned in our round-table discussion were the Shelleys, the Snowbergers, the Kensingers and the Brumbaughs.

Friday evening, July 19 will be the Homecoming evening. Concessions and the grounds will open at 5pm, with activities to follow at 6pm. Activities include: recognition of mother churches, time of reflection for the history of the church, recognition of past pastors, and an open mic for reminiscing.

Saturday, July 20 will be the Strawberry and Music Festival evening.

During the same day, concessions and grounds will open at 4 p.m. with activities beginning at 5 p.m. On the menu for the evening is Fairview’s world-famous Strawberry Shortcake.

Musical guests include Julie Nevel, the Brethren Brass and world-famous band The Perrys. “It’s just a bunch of fantastic local talent,” Sollenberger says proudly. There will also be a Beard Competition to benefit the Good Samaritan fund for the Village at Morrison’s Cove. Sunday, July 21, there will be a church group photo at 9:15am, followed by the church service which will begin at 10am. The service will include Keynote Speaker David Steele, the general secretary for the Church of the Brethren and District Minister David Banaszak and music by Julie Nevel. A free meal will follow the service.

“We just want people to come out, enjoy themselves, reminisce with others, reconnect to the past, welcome the new fellowship, and just continue being a positive and supportive influence on the community,” committee members say. There will be free admission and free parking. Those attending the days’ events are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.