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Date: 6/23/2022
SOUTHWICK — After 206 years in the Southwick community, Christ Church United Methodist had its final service June 19 before closing down permanently at the end of the month.
The Rev. Ken Blanchard teared up as he closed out his final service in Southwick on Sunday.
“The closing of the Southwick church is a test of faith for many, I am sure,” said Blanchard to the congregants.
Falling attendance of the church led to its closure. On July 1 the congregation will transfer ownership of the property to the Western Massachusetts Conference of the United Methodist Church.
As Blanchard and some of the congregants wiped tears from their eyes, the final service in the church was closed out with a recital of the Lord’s Prayer, and the singing of the hymn “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds.”
Church musician Jerry Noble said after the conclusion of the service that the church itself may be no more, but the congregation remains.
“As the hymn says, the church is the people, it ain’t the building,” said Noble.
“These folks are going to go on being who they are, and they are great people.”
Congregant and church official Megan Stowe said that she was sad to see the church go, but that the church and its congregants had kept it going well for more than 200 years.
“I really do feel that this church has done its ministry and they have been good and faithful servants for the past 206 years,” said Stowe.
Jerry Noble’s wife, Kara Noble, said that she was thankful to have been part of the church community for the past decade, but was sad to see the end of its history.
“It’s the end of an era. But it is also the end of a lot of personal stories for a lot of people who gave their whole lives to the church,” said Kara Noble.
Blanchard, who is retiring from the ministry after being the church’s pastor for eight years, said that the occasion was bittersweet.
“I’ve only been here eight years, but the roots in this community are so deep and so long,” said Blanchard. “I looked out into the congregation today and saw people I didn’t even know, who came up to me and said they got married here 47 years ago. I have another family here I did know, that have been members for 77 years.”