Several Fort Payne churches will be holding a Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 20th, at First United Methodist Church.
By C. Campbell, Staff Writer
cody@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — On Sunday, November 20th, at 6:00 pm, a number of Fort Payne churches will gather together at First United Methodist Church for a special service of thanksgiving. Pastor Ian Conerly from New Oregon Methodist Church will be delivering the sermon, while preachers from other Fort Payne churches will have key parts within the service as well.
According to Brother Ricky Smith, the preacher at First United Methodist Church, and is also in charge of the event, this service has been a tradition in Fort Payne for years. He estimated that, on average, the service’s attendance is between 150 and 200 people.
Also, “Each year, a different church hosts the service. Last year, it was at Grace Presbyterian. A few years ago, it was at First Baptist.” In addition, Smith explained how the preacher who will deliver the sermon is chosen, in that a minister new to town is usually picked. This led to Conerly’s selection this year, and why the reverend of First Baptist was chosen for last year’s service.
Brother Conerly had his own thoughts to share. Services like this are important, he said, because there are few opportunities like this for the whole community to come together and worship and fellowship together.
Furthermore, “If we’re going to worship together, we need to spend some time in fellowship together as well.” Conerly explained that the service would be a fairly straightforward affair, and hinted that he had a good sermon planned for that evening’s service. Similarly to what Conerly said, Smith stated that this service is a great opportunity for the community to gather together and celebrate the church.
The service begins at 6 PM that Sunday, and will include special singing from Jordan’s Crossing and the Fort Payne Chancel Choir. An offering to benefit the Christian Care Center, a local benevolent organization, will be taken up during the service, and a time of fellowship and finger foods will follow after Conerly’s sermon.
