I noted the closing of two Catholic churches in Antwerp and Payne in the last West Bend issue. No matter what denomination, it is it hurts to see churches closing. I have experienced this and would like to give my two cents.
I had what I considered an idyllic childhood. I was raised on a farm, unlike my city cousins from Leo. My dad loved the farm, and even though the work was hard, we enjoyed it. We farmed a large farm, and had a large truck garden and went to market twice a week. Church was a large part of our life. My dad was from a large family so I had uncles that went to the Methodist, Lutheran and Catholic churches.
I was raised in the Leo Mennonite Church and that transitioned to the North Leo Mennonite Church. This was a new building built on a large parcel of ground around 1960, but this church has been declining. Lest you get the impression of a horse buggy church, ours was quite modern. When I was a lad they preached against smoking and drinking but it was never a temptation for me. Last fall with 20 something faithful souls, it was decided to look for a startup church that might want to join us.
Just recently a new church took over services and it is a growing church, with over 200 attendees. It happened suddenly as they were meeting in a high school cafeteria and it was being remodeled. Their name is Cornerstone Church of Leo and if you look online you can even catch a sermon or two. It is quite exhilarating to see a growing church on fire for Jesus.
I feel a connection to the Catholic Church, in that my aunt married a Catholic man from West Unity and raised three children in the Catholic Church. Her husband was a builder and a very conscientious man. Also Leo was settled by Catholics, and named after Pope Leo.
All of our Christian churches are striving for the the same place and have many things in common. The basic truth is so simple, “Anyone who believes in Him. (Jesus.)” John 3:16. He came to earth from heaven, lived among us, and died a cruel executioner’s death to pay for our sins. The book of 1st John says at least three times, “Whoever believes in Him.” 1 John 4:2 “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.”
Nowadays people seem to gravitate to mega churches, but there are still many active small churches. There is just something about a church that is alive and pursuing people for Jesus. We had been praying for our church for over 10 years, and now I have seen our faith become sight in a growing church.
If you will indulge me one last story. I will try to make it short. Several years ago at 2:30 in the morning my wife awoke with a serious heart attack. Her heart actually stopped. They revived her and I rode up front in the ambulance where I could see her on TV. The wait in the hospital was only about 10 minutes with a nurse present.
During the operation they put me in a small waiting room with no one around. A chaplain came to talk with me, and a half hour later they called me to her room. She talked to me just like nothing had happened. The chaplain had been the pastor at The Paulding Presbyterian Church for 20 years. He came to me in an empty waiting room in the heart of Parkview hospital. We talked a half hour about everything under the sun. I had no connection with the Presbyterian Church. My uncle had gone to First Pres in Fort Wayne and he was a prosperous businessman. He knew most of the big shots in Fort Wayne. I just assumed all the rich people of Fort Wayne went to that church, but now I have a different view of the Presbyterian Church.
—James Neuhouser
