The little congregation that could

By Gretchen Murray
TRAVERSE CITY RECORD EAGLE (TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.)

NORWOOD, Mich. August 29, 2007 03:25 pm

— For more than 120 years, the little white church has stood resolute at the corner of Gennett Road and Fourth Street in Norwood.
Since 1884, Norwood Church has been offering comfort and support to the generations of faithful who crossed its threshold to baptize, marry, mourn and pray. The only church in the town of about 75 residents, its 60-foot tall steeple pierces the tree line and still serves as a landmark for those driving toward town from US-31, 10 miles south of Charlevoix.
Back in the horse-drawn carriage days, the church served all denominations. It currently is Norwood United Methodist Church.
It was at one time a thriving center of activity. Now, time has taken its toll on both the structure and the congregation’s remaining 14 members, eight of whom are still active.
In 2004, rotting posts and beams discovered in the old steeple became both a hazard as well as a financial challenge for the aging congregation.
“It was leaning quite a bit,” said Leona Habel, one of the seven-member church council.
In January 2005, contractor Fritz Dodge of East Jordan closed the church for several weeks until the structure could be safely sheared up and dismantling could begin. Faced with a $60,000 repair bill, the tiny congregation put its trust in God and knuckled down to raise the money.
“There never was a consideration to not put it back up,” said Marion Shea-Light, president of the church council and, at 69, the youngest member of the congregation. “It means too much to people.”
That is especially true for her husband George Light. At 85, the building is the only church he’s ever known. Baptized there, he’s been a member for 84 years.
With just three community buildings in town — the church, the old schoolhouse and the town hall, all built in the late 1800s — and no commercial district at all, Shea-Light said the church is a historical link for residents. Still, it provides a service connection.
“Even though people don’t come here to be members, they call on us when they need us,” she said.
Shea-Light said people often ask the church for help in organizing charity drives. The congregation also responded quickly when neighbors implored them to hold a memorial service after 9/11. The annual Christmas Eve candlelight ceremony attracts around 70 people, and according to Rev. Michael Maurer, who divides his time pastoring to the Norwood congregation as well as to two other area Methodist churches, the picturesque country church is usually the venue for two or three summer weddings.
Shea-Light said that as word spread about the costly repairs, the church received several substantial donations from patrons with no link to the church, but who were interested in historical preservation.
And the community rallied.
“The electrical work was done as a gift to the church. The painter gave a competitive bid thousands of dollars below the rest, then donated more of his time as his tithe to the church. We’ve been blessed that way,” said George Light. “People have been good to us.”
Left with some $40,000 to raise on their own, the congregation went to work organizing garage sales. Again, the town came through. “People in the community donated very nice things,” Shea-Light said. The congregation also sold children’s chairs, baked goods and clothing.
“Some people just donated,” Shea-Light said as she carefully paged through the laminated letters that accompanied individual contributions. The council has preserved the letters in a special scrapbook chronicling the building effort. She said as local media, including the Record-Eagle, picked up the story, the letters started coming in from all over the country. There was a check in each envelope.
“The letters said how important the people thought it was to preserve old buildings and especially old churches,” she said. “We’ve invited all these people to the dedication of the new steeple that will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the church.”
The effort has breathed a new spirit into the congregation as the council met recently to fuss over plans for the celebration.
Flush with success from saving the steeple, they realize the strength still left in their small, close-knit congregation.
“The buildings may fall apart, but the community of faith survives,” said Rev. Maurer, surveying his congregants. “It is faith that holds these people together to be able to preserve, not only the building, but the community and each other.”


Reach Gretchen Murray writes for the Traverse City (Mich.) Record Eagle.

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