125 Years of Service
This past weekend, members of the College View Church community came together to celebrate the church’s 125th anniversary. A special service was held to commemorate this occasion with songs, videos from long-standing members and a memorable sermon by Pastor Harold Alomia. The service was followed by the annual Potluck on Prescott event, where Union students and church members enjoyed a meal and fellowship together. It was a pleasant cap-off to the celebration.
In an interview, several of the church’s pastoral staff shared their thoughts on the anniversary. Discipleship Pastor Kessia Bennett felt incredibly inspired by the church’s extensive ministry opportunity. “Think of all the sermons that have touched hearts, all the baptisms, baby dedications, weddings, funerals, the outreach events, the service projects, Bible studies, the deep spiritual conversations … incredible! Whether people have visited for just a few Sabbaths or raised their kids and grandkids here, College View Church has been a part of God's story in thousands of lives. I feel inspired by that legacy.”
Pastor Harold commented on the physical evolution of the church: “Over the years the building has changed, it has adapted. It has adapted for a growing community. From the very first building to the latest addition, the entire purpose is to see the church become a place that can proclaim a message, The Message of the Gospel to this community. It is always satisfactory and positive to see the changes, but at the end of the day, the physical changes to the building are simply reflective of the outward changes to the consistent essence of this community of faith. The building houses the church, but the church is the people. Those changes are the ones that are exciting to see.”
The Union College Chaplain, Rich Carlson, felt inclined to discuss the side-by-side nature of the church and Union. He stated, “The school started in 1891, and College View Church was founded in 1894. During the three gap years, ‘church’ was integrated into the college. The two institutions have successfully co-existed throughout the years because of the intentional blending of the two families. We both have mutual respect and value each other's contributions to the missions of both. We have a unique, positive relationship that others only wish they had!”
The lives of these two organizations are glued together at the roots. It’s frankly incredible that they’ve both been able to survive this long through changing, growing and becoming more influential and beautiful over time. That’s something definitely worth celebrating.
Drew Hickman is a sophomore studying communications.