The Peru Gazette

By Adele Douglas

This past Sunday a special service was celebrated at the Peru Community Church to commemorate the building of the first Methodist Church in Peru and celebrate 200 years of Methodism in Peru. Both the Methodist and Congregational/Presbyterian Churches began their meetings in Peru in the early 1800s in the village. The Methodist Church was built in 1811 and the Congregational Church in 1833. In 1937 “two young laymen, one a member of the Methodist Church in Peru and the other a member of the Presbyterian Church in Peru were playing tennis on the community courts. They….. agreed that one strong Protestant Church in the village could better serve the people than two smaller and necessarily weaker ones.” For a period both church buildings were used alternatively. However, the Methodist Church was found to be unsafe in 1943, was sold in 1947 and raised in 1957. The Peru Community Church was incorporated in 1944. From: Anniversary Booklet, 1985, The Community Church of Peru, New York, May 11 & 12.

Three preachers led the service. From left to right, current pastor Rev. Dr. Robert Svenson; his brother Rev. David Svenson, the guest Methodist preacher for the service; and former pastor Rev. Dr. Ken Parker, who was the minister of the Church for over 30 years.

The choir, conducted by Carol Gallagher, did an especially nice job on the anthem “Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow”, with Carol playing the trumpet. There was lots of red to celebrate Pentecost Sunday. In the Fellowship Center a Silver Tea Reception followed the service, sponsored by the Ladies Guild.

John Masella reading one of the many displays on the Church’s history. The Church would like to increase its historical collection.

A slide show of the history of the Methodist Church in Peru, by Nancy Copeland Hughes, draws attention.