Saying Goodbye

 Sunday was an important day for Mercedes and MccKenzie Nissen and Shelby Heitman.

The three girls stood in front of the congregation and participated in a confirmation ceremony, signifying their completion of a course stressing Presbyterian doctrine, while also allowing them to officially join the Wales Presbyterian Church.

Sitting in the sanctuary watching the ceremony was Connie Mellott. Years ago, after attending the nearby Wales School, Mellott stood at the church’s altar for her confirmation. She too would join the church, and be baptized and married in it. It’s the only church she’s ever joined.

For Mellott, Mercedes, MccKenzie and Shelby, they traveled a similar religious journey to reach the exact same destination: the Wales Presbyterian Church.

In a week, their journey continues as they will be searching for a new church.

The End Has Come

Including the newly-inducted, the Wales Presbyterian membership rolls have swollen to 18.

A couple years ago and with so few attending services, parishoners decided to move winter services to the basement to save on heating costs. They so liked the cozy feeling of meeting around a table with a coffee pot and donation plate in the middle, they decided not to go back to the sanctuary, with the exception of special services, like a confirmation.

With membership as high as 124 in 1955 and the church’s longtime pastor, Mike Harvey, retiring after 40 years at the only pulpit from which he’s preached, the time seemed right to officially close the church’s doors.

“We decided those two events should just coincide,” said Mellott, who has been a trustee for many years.

The church’s final service will take place this Sunday, starting with a pot-luck dinner at noon. More than 80 invitations to former church members have been mailed. Following the meal, a formal service will be at 2 p.m.

Rev. Harvey said it won’t be a somber affair. “It’s going to be much more celebration than funeral,” Harvey said. “Yes, there will be sadness and tears but I hope to set a tone of joyful celebration for all the gifts God gave us here. There have been lots of baptisms, weddings, and confirmations here.”

Church History

The first religious meeting in Lincoln Township occurred in 1871, and within a few years, 25 people were regularly attending services in the Wales school and local homes.

A Calvinistic Methodist Church formed in 1874, and at the cost of $1,000, a building was constructed in 1876. The first services took place in the new church in the fall of 1876, with services taking place in Welsh in the morning and in English in the evening.

After its formal dedication in 1877, membership quickly grew to 77 people by 1880, prompting construction of a new church and parsonage at the cost of $2,500.

After financial difficulties following World War I, the congregation became Presbyterian.

As the farm economy continued to grow, the church did as well, with two expansion projects adding extra Sunday school rooms, an entry way and a “cry room” overlooking the sanctuary.

In 1970, the church formed an alliance with Presbyterian churches in Sharon and Oakland, an arrangement that remains today as Rev. Harvey presides over all three services.

But when the agriculture landscape shifted away from family farms in the 1980s to larger ones, the membership decline began.

“This (closing) has been something that we’ve been talking about for 10-15 years,” Session member Bryan Jenkins said. “It’s very sad to see it close on our watch. But there is nobody left out here. There are no little kids, We haven’t had Sunday School for seven years. It’s just the way things go.”

Harvey believes the closing of the church is just another sign of a transforming religious landscape in the 21st century; smaller, traditional churches are disappearing while larger, modern ones appear and skyrocket in popularity.

“I think there is a major shift in the church right now, but not necessarily a decline in Christianity,” Harvey said. “The decline in this community is in the population.”

What’s Next

For the building, nobody knows for sure beyond it will be under the control of the Omaha Presbytery.

Despite needing a new roof, the building is in good condition, although everything in it, including the heating and cooling system, is old.

What church members most fear is the building slowly deteriorating until it eventually collapses.

Jenkins, who lives on the same farm his great-great grandfather started in the 1800s, lives less than a mile away is taking a pragmatic approach to the building.

“If something real good can move in there, that would be fine. Otherwise, tear it down. Wales looks bad enough the way it is,” he said.

With his childhood church closed, Jenkins said he will most likely be transferring his membership to the Red Oak Presbyterian Church.

Mellott isn’t certain.

“I really like the feel of a small, country church,” she said. “You become so close to everyone there because it’s so small and intimate.”

As for Harvey, he’s certain his wife of 21 years, Suzane Jones, will keep him plenty occupied.

“For years, I’ve been telling my wife ‘I’ll get to that when I retire.’” Harvey said. “I’ve got quite a honey-do list as a result and I’m all out of excuses to avoid it.”