A grand celebration is planned in the small hamlet of Bellona on Nov. 7 and 8. Two hundred years ago the Bellona Presbyterian Church was founded by a small group of settlers, who had come to area from northern New Jersey.
On Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. three talented area musicians will each sit down to the magnificent Tracker Organ. Connie Gibson, who is well-known in the area; Molly Hamilton, Hobart-William Smith organist and Mike Osowski, a music teacher at Waterloo School will take part in the recital.
The century old organ is a rare find, especially in a small country church. Built in 1893-94 by George Jardine & Son of New York City, it was a special gift from Mary Frances Purdy Johnson.
The devoted patron grew up in Bellona and the church was built as a gift in memory of her parents, Stephen and Susan Purdy. In 1976 the organ was rebuilt by A. Richard Strauss of Ithaca and chimes were added.
On Sunday Nov. 8 a concert by Rochester-based Touch of Brass will be held at 10:30 a.m. followed by the special 11 a.m. service. A catered ham luncheon will follow offering a chance for long-time members and former pastors to share memories. A special selection of music and a slide-show presentation of church history will take place.
Pastor Ellen Johnson believes she is the 26th installed pastor of the church. Pictures of most of the former pastors are on the walls in the dining hall. Johnson, who has served as pastor for six years, is originally from Alaska. She also is pastor at Number Nine Church.
Currently Memorial Presbyterian Church has 73 members. Long-time member Phyllis Johnson says the biggest change over the years is the drop in numbers. She attributes this to busy lifestyles and demographic changes.
When she was growing-up there were about 25 young people in the Bellona area and their social life revolved around church activities. Now, Johnson says, many of the big farms have been bought by Mennonites as offsprings of faithful followers have moved away.
A few years ago the members recognized those who had been members for 50 or more years. "It was half of the congregation, " Johnson said. Another affect of the older population, Pastor Ellen added, is that now many of them are "snowbirds." They leave in the fall and don't come back until spring, shrinking the numbers even more. The pastor calls the congregation "constant and balanced."
Pastor Ellen says they do have a very active youth group right now with ten or 12 young people taking part regularly and often bringing friends. She has accompanied them on mission trips and to retreats at Stoney Point.
Twice, the youth group has gone to New York City , an eye-opening trip for small town kids. They have worked in a soup kitchen and participated in "Midnight Run," a program in which vans go into the city at night to designated drop areas and leave food and clothing for the homeless. The youth have also gone to a huge warehouse in central Pennsylvania where food and clothes are sorted for distribution.
Recorded church history tells that the early church founders came to the area around 1790. General Sullivan had led an army through the area in 1779, wiping out indian villages along the way, including one in near-by Kashong. Hearing reports of the fertile farmlandfrom returning soldiers, families migrated to the area from the eastern seacoast, following much the same route as Sullivan's Army.
The Stephen Whitaker family built a log cabin about five miles south of Bellona in the Town of Benton. It was here that the early pioneers gathered for informal worship services. Occasionally an itinerant missionary would come by to lead the services.
On Nov. 7, 1809 Whitaker and group of 16 others, who would be charter members, met with Rev. John Lindsley and organized the First Presbyterian Church of Benton.
After meeting at different locations and having six different ministers in the first 11 years, a church was built near Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Twenty-eight pews were sold to member families at auction and payment was made in bushels of wheat.The Dutch Reformed Church decided to disband in Bellona and 60 members united with the Benton Presbyterian congregation. The combined congregation bought the Dutch Reformed Church building in Bellona in 1839.
Two other churches grew out of the first congregation. The First Presbyterian Church in Penn Yan was organized in 1811 and the West Dresden Church in 1830.
The old church was torn down to make way for a new church funded by Mary Frances Purdy Johnson. The edifice was dedicated on April 26, 1894 and the name changed to Memorial Presbyterian Church of Bellona. Stephen Purdy gave a Clinton Meneely bell , believed to have been molded in Troy, N.Y., to his daughter to be placed in the steeple. The inscriptions reads, "This bell dedicated affectionately by Stephen B. Purdy and Susan his wife."
Over the years painting, carpeting and general repairs have been done. Most recently, the kitchen has been remodeled and a new rear entrance area with handicapped accessibility and office areas was added. An unsusual touch, portions of the original exterior are revealed on inside walls in a hallway.
In August 1924 a 100 year celebration lasted for three days. On Sunday there were two sermons and six evening speakers. Monday events included Sabbath School anniversary, the Women's Missionary Society and Senior and Junior Endeavor Historic Addresses. Old Home Day took place on Tuesday featuring six speakers, lunch, two membership meetings, evening tea and a social. Between 600-700 attended, including six generations of the Whitaker family.
At the missionary meeting it was decided to send money to the "heathen lands." The needy in India received $45.
The 200th celebration won't last three days, but Pastor Ellen says everyone is welcome. "This is an offering to the community to come to see the new construction, the beautiful organ and celebrate."
