ABOVE: The Regional Worship Center in Sherburn is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The church is currently located at 2 Crossroads Drive. This is its fourth location.

SHERBURN– The Regional Worship Center is celebrating its 100th anniversary Sunday, Oct. 30. The church was established in the city of Sherburn in 1922. The church is affiliated with The General Council of the Assemblies of God.

The idea for a church began when Rev. Willard Pope, the church’s first pastor, came to the area and began holding evangelist meetings at the old dance hall. In 1923 they began meeting in the vacant Methodist church on South Main Street. Church services were held there until 1925.

“Then they built a church on Manyaska Street,” said Nancy Urban, the church’s secretary.

That church was called The Sherburn Gospel Tabernacle. Long-time congregation member, Tim Schafer, explained that they eventually left that church building, which they had occupied since 1925, because it had quite a few tall steps, among some other concerns for older congregation members.

“It had a basement that was only probably 4 feet in the ground or so. It had a theater type floor where the floor sloped,” Schaefer said.

In 1966, a new church building was built on North Lake Street and by 1967 services began to be held there. Now, Schaefer said people are living in the building as their home.

When former long-time pastor Steve Nordyke came in 1989, they began discussing the possibility of adding on to the North Lake Street Church. However, it was eventually voted on to build new. In 1997, construction began on current church building, located along Highway 4 at 2 Crossroads Drive.

“Our 75th anniversary was about 1998. That’s when we dedicated this one,” said long-time member and former secretary of more than 30 years, Janet Loos.

To help pay for the new building, Schafer said one year the youth group raised and sold sweet corn.

The large sanctuary has the ability to open up and make it twice as big. It can seat more than 200. While hymnals aren’t used anymore, a large screen is lowered which hymns and passages are projected on.

Music is a large part of the church. Schafer and his wife and brother play music before the services. There’s often guitar, drums, keyboard and even tambourines.

“We have some talented musicians,” Loos said.

Jeff Culver is the church’s current pastor and Loos shared that they’ve had 19 pastors

over the 100 years.

“I worked with a number of wonderful pastors. It was a joy and a privilege,” Loos said.

In addition to changing pastors, other things have changed in the church over the years. Looking through old photographs, Urban said that they used to do baptisms in Twin Lake.

Schafer noted how different people used to dress back then, as several photos showed women in long dresses and bonnets and men dressed in suits and ties.

He acknowledged that the dress code has changed from suits and ties to jeans and shirts, though no one minds.

“You want to be welcoming to everyone no matter how they’re dressed,” Loos said.

Schafer said the church has on many occasions opened up its space and held funerals for people who were not affiliated with a church. Similarly, people without a church affiliation have been married there.

The community has also used the space the church offers on many occasions. Children from area schools have come in for different activities and blood drives have been held in the church as well. Of course, Ruby’s Panty food distribution also takes place monthly at the church.

Loos said they’ve recently partnered with other churches in town to do monthly coffees every Tuesday morning.

“Each church gets a month in the summer and into the fall. The community attends that very well,” Loos said.

People come from Sherburn, Trimont, Ormsby, Welcome and Fairmont to attend services, which is why Loos said the church has the word ‘regional’ in its name.

“I would say it draws from the west half of Martin County and more,” Schafer said.

The church has previously had Sunday School classes and a youth group, though neither have met since Covid. There has also been missionettes, a group for young men and women.

“We do have King’s Kids on Wednesday nights and adult bible study,” said Urban.

Like many other local churches, the Regional Worship Center took a hit during Covid. Schafer said they went from having 70 to nearly 100 people at services to about half of that. However, he said a loyal core group of congregation members still attend.

In fact, members have been planning for the past few months for the church’s 100th anniversary.

The celebration will start with a service at 10 a.m. which will include special music. Nordyke is coming back to give a message. Then there will be a noon meal, testimonials from former members and friends, and an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. at which point a collection of over 100 photographs from over the years, shared by congregation members, will be shown on a slideshow.

As for the importance of of acknowledging the church’s anniversary, Loos said, “It’s important to celebrate this church and the 100 years that it’s been here. I am so grateful that it is here and that when I came to the area that there was a place like this to go to. We need to recall our history.”