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Silverhill (AL) Church Celebrates 100 Years of Ministry
SILVERHILL, AL (October 21, 2002) - The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) of
Silverhill, Alabama, celebrated its centennial October 19-20 as 158
attended Sunday's worship service.
Donn Engebretson, executive vice president of the Evangelical Covenant
Church with offices in Chicago, preached
at Sunday morning's worship service. Southeast Conference Supt. Kurt
Miericke was among the guests during the weekend and gave a
greeting from the conference.
The church had 100 people at a special congregational banquet at a local
community hall on Saturday, said pastor Jesse Adams. A son of the
church, pastor Robert Simmons of nearby New Covenant Church in Foley, was
part of the festivities. The church also invited former pastors,
members and friends of the congregation to the banquet and the worship
service. They included Michael Harper, John Sterling, Bob Hirsch and
DuWayne Winters. Another previous pastor, Walter Johnson, had sent a letter
than had been written one year in advance. Johnson died last summer at age
101.
The ECC of Silverhill is located in a town of 400 on the Gulf coast between
Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida. Its ministry is
significant to the small town as the congregation averages 110 in worship.
In addition to its many ministries, the church's preschool
(3-and 4-year olds) has 25 children enrolled and the Silverhill Christian
Academy (K-9) includes 44 students.
"This church actually began the Southeast Conference and it was located (at
that time) in a Swedish settlement," said Miericke. "The
grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the founding pastor (J.N.
Jacobson) came to the church for the whole weekend. This church is
stronger than its ever been and it's a very exciting place."
In 1897, a small group of Swedish people came from Chicago to southern
Alabama to make their home in the wilderness of central Baldwin County,
in Silverhill. They began to meet for worship and were allowed to use the
Land Office Company building for their services. On November 20, 1902, 10
people met there to organize the church, including Mr. and
Mrs. J.N. Jacobson, Peter Thorson, Mr. And Mrs. W.G. Monson and daughter
Signe, J.A. Isaakson, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Anderson and Mr. And Mrs. P.A.
Swenson. J.N. Jacobson was elected president and also called to pastor the
congregation. On December 1, 1902, the congregation voted to call
the church Svenska Evangeliska Missions Forsamling (the Swedish Evangelical
Mission Congregation).
For more information about the church, call Adams at 251-945-5143 or email
him at sterling@gulftel.com. The church's web site is
www.silverhillcovenant.org.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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