LIVERMORE FALLS – Members of the Eaton Memorial United Methodist Church have voted 14-7 to keep their church building open.
The 100-member congregation has struggled since spring over whether to close the century old, towering brick building on the corner of Knapp and Church streets or to keep using it.
Even if the members had decided Saturday not to use the building anymore, they would have stayed together as a congregation and found another place to meet, the Rev. Joseph Chamberland said Monday.
“The 100-year-old facility has remained a daunting task to maintain over the years,” the pastor said.
Some of the issues the church faces are “huge maintenance” issues, the minister said, including the infiltration of water either through the brickwork or roof leaks, he said.
The congregation also recognizes the building needs to be upgraded to be fully handicapped accessible.
The building is the third place the 200-year-old congregation has called home, Chamberland said. Initially, church services were held at a building at Stone’s Corner, located in the vicinity of Route 133 in Jay. Then the congregation moved to Livermore Falls to a wooden building at Knapp and Church streets. That building was later moved to Reynolds Avenue a couple streets away to become home to American Legion Bunten Post 10; that made way for the existing church building to be built.
The brick building has three floors, which contain the sanctuary, fellowship hall, Sunday school rooms, a food cupboard and church offices, among other rooms.
“I was very pleased it wasn’t a close vote,” the pastor said of the two-thirds casting votes to continue use of the building.
“While the challenges still face the congregation, there is hope in the power of God’s guidance, reliance on God’s steadfast presence and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the ministry to which we are called,” he said.
Worship and Christmas programs have been well-attended and membership has been on the increase during the year, Chamberland said. The youth group is strong, the choir is strong and, even in the last month, membership has increased, he said.
A full schedule of activities and worship are planned for the weeks ahead.
On Sunday, a day after the secret ballot vote was taken, about 50 members of the Livermore Falls church and the Livermore United Methodist Church, which Chamberland also oversees, joined together at a dinner.
“It was very affirming,” he said, to have the churches come together after the last meeting in November where discussion was about the issues facing the Livermore Falls church.
Sunday’s event was full of laughter, conversation – a spirited dinner and song, the pastor said.
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