By: Rebecca Miller
Seventy years ago a small band of families from Lockport Mennonite Church, located on 21N in Williams County, stepped up to be the planting group for a new church. Lockport called their new set up “two meeting houses, one ministry,” much like churches nowadays say they are “one church with many campuses.”
The year was 1949 and the new group began meeting in a small building which had housed Oak Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, located on the south eastern side of Bryan, on the corner of County Roads C and 20. Today that building still houses a church and is called The Prayer Chapel.
The six couples, with their families, who left Lockport to be the core of the new church, called themselves Oak Grove Church and were pastored by D.Wyse Graber who had resigned from his position at Lockport to take charge of the plant. Others from Lockport ministry who shared the pulpit were Walter Stuckey and Simon Stuckey. According to a writing for the 50th Anniversary of the church, “The couples chosen were: Clint Short’s, Rolland Wyse’s, Harold Wyse’s, Seth Short’s, Charles Graber’s and Lloyd Grieser’s. Alternates were Lloyd Schmucker’s. Other members of the Lockport congregation chose to help out and became a part of the new church.”
Two years later, in 1951, (with formal dedication held on May 27, 1951) they chose to build the present day brick building on corner of State Route 34 and 20.50 just southwest of Stryker, and renamed the church Pine Grove Mennonite. On November 27, 1960 they held a dedication service for the new addition to the building, on the east side of the church, which included an enlarged sanctuary, a pastor’s study, mother’s room, classroom and kitchen facilities.
Over the years, Pine Grove has held an active role in the Stryker area, offering a place where residents could worship together and participate in bettering the community. Many people remember attending Vacation Bible School there in the summers as children. Others recall the years of teaching and assisting in the ministry of VBS. Missions has always played a large part of the life of the church and at one point Pine Grove joined up with Habitat for Humanity to build a home in the Stryker area.
Sometime after that, they spearheaded the building of another home on County Road 21/N, inviting Lockport to participate with them. Other activities have included the Mennonite Women’s Sewing, Youth Group, Bi-monthly Services at Hillside Nursing Home and Caroling in the community at Christmas time.
Many full time pastors and Interim or Transitional pastors have ministered to those involved at Pine Grove over the years, helping them to grow in their Christian walk and to minister to those in need around them. The official list of Pastors with I/T meaning Interim/Transitional and P meaning Lead Pastor is: D. Wyse Graber P 1949-1976, Sam Wenger P 1976-1979, Earl Stuckey I/T 1980-1981, Fred Swartzentruber P 1982-1985, Marlin Rupp P 1986-1988, Terry Shue P 1990-1997, James A. Groeneweg I/T 1997-1998, Robert Yates P 1998-2003, Cliff Brubaker I/T 2003-2005, Walter Campbell, Jr. P 2005-2009, Gary and Sandy Stuckey started as Interim and were asked to stay as co-Pastors 2009-2019.
Gary and Sandy Stuckey shared in an interview that when they first went to Pine Grove, in 2009, the church members had already been discussing the possibility of disbanding, so they went as interim leaders, to help the church work through the decision. After a short time there, Pine Grove asked them to step up to Lead Pastor so they did in the fall of 2009. During their time there, Gary did most of the preaching while Sandy did much of the planning of services and shared from the pulpit when she had something on her heart that she felt the Lord would have her share. They both spoke lovingly of Pine Grove and said that the process of closing was a long one “of prayer and discernment by all who were still there.”
The last service at Pine Grove Mennonite Church was held on June 9, 2019. On the Ohio Conference of Mennonite Churches website, an article by conference minister Dick Barrett gave the details of the closing worship of the church.
“On June 9 Pine Grove Mennonite Church, just outside of Stryker, Ohio, held its last worship service. It was a time of both grief and celebration. Many recent and former members shared memories of God’s faithfulness during the congregation’s 70 years of ministry in the community. Pastors Gary and Sandy Stuckey led the service with Gary sharing a Pentecost Sunday message. Gary challenged each of the congregation’s current members to discern where the Holy Spirit may be leading them as the church building closes.
Keith Short, an elder from Lockport Mennonite Church, which helped start Pine Grove back in 1949, read a letter of affirmation of Pine Grove’s ministry in the community during its 70-year history. Ohio Conference Minister Dick Barrett, who worked with the congregation the past several months as they discerned God’s will in preparing to close, shared from chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes, noting that as painful as endings may be, they are part of God’s plan.
A special treat was the impromptu request for a quartet of “the Schmucker Boys,” who grew up in the congregation and were visiting for the final Sunday, to sing a couple of hymns from the past. The service concluded with the congregation singing “To God Be the Glory” and “God Be with You,” as well as a blessing from the pastors.”
At present, another church is considering the purchase of the building and property to continue ministry to the community from that site. The Community has been served well by Pine Grove Mennonite Church, and all those who were there to the end are now seeking where the Lord will have them plug in to grow and serve Him as they continue walking out His call.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com