Forest United Methodist Church commissioned and then decommissioned during pandemics
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NEW STEEPLE — In 1965 the Forest United Methodist Church began working on replacing the steeple which members and visitors see today. —photo submitted
By Amber Hayden
FOREST — The Forest United Methodist Church (UMC) was dedicated on July 15, 1917 during the start of the Spanish flu pandemic, and was deco
mmissioned on Sunday, April 19, by way of a ZOOM, video conference program, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision to move was an unanimous vote from the congregation to leave the Forest church building and move to the Emerald church building. This was because it is handicap accessible.
Paul Webster, church member, along with Heather Greene, council chair, explained that the decommissioning would be done virtually. Once the remaining pieces are removed by the bishop the doors will be closed and locked.
Services have been held virtually since the safer at home order went into effect, with Greene helping the pastor in Clear Lake as much as possible by being the computer technician on site.
“It allows Pastor Hazen to preach from his pulpit,” commented Webster.
In 2014 Pastor John Hazen took his place behind the pulpit for the three-point charge, and 2020 marked his twenty-fourth year of ministry.
History
1951 MEMBERS — Pictured L-R – Front Row: Francis Hawksford, Ruth Pace holding Patti Pace, Marion Hawksford, Anna Mathison, Eleanor Winberg, and Dorthy Lewis Bozille. Second Row: Ardys Frank, Robert Hawksford, Mary Hawksford, Jennie Hawksford, Janice Hawksford Anderson, Ida Love, and John Victor Hawksford. Third Row: (Bud) Charles Pace, John Hawksford, Evelyn Hawksford, and Ruby Blomberg. Fourth Row: Anna Anderson, Lona Jean Frank, Agnes Frank, Minnie Pace, Madeline Fightfogr, Charlie Pace, Sven Swanson, and Florence Wineberg. Fifth Row: Naomi Anderson, Marcus Mathison, and Irene Tellijohn.
Sixth Row: Ed Hawksford, Shirley Ellevold, two sons of Bob Shirley, Bob Ellewold, Myrtle Ellevold, Helmer Ellevold, Laurel Paulson, Evelyn Ellevold, and Russel Settie. Standing Back Row: Dist. Superintendent Rev. Henery, George Love, Mr. Wilbur, Charlotte Settie, Walter Tellijohn, Bishop Henry Northrott holding Gregory Tellijohn, Ronald Frank, Harvey Warner, Edith Warner holding Michael Warner, Donna Warner, Allen Warner, Leroy Winberg, Boyd Frank, Harry Blomberg, and Rev. Virgil Brown. —photo submitted
The land that the parish currently sits on was donated to the church by George Love in 1916, and the church was constructed by W.W. Schultz and a crew of workers.
Webster also noted that W.W. Schultz had also constructed several houses and farms around the area, including his own, with a majority of the contracts coming from members of the church in 1917.
FOREST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH was commissioned in July of 1917 and has seen updates such as the steeple in 1965. —photo by Amber Hayden
On the day of the Methodist Episcopal dedication, close to 700 people visited the church during the three services with visitors from Star Prairie, Deer Park, and Minneapolis, and over $1,100 was collected in donations to the church according to an article from the July 19, 1917, Glenwood City Tribune.
Before the church was built, worship services and Sunday school was first held at the log school house in Forest in the early 1800’s. The Clear Lake minister would hold a Saturday evening service, then Cylon school on Sunday mornings and back to Clear Lake.
In 1910 the Ladies Aid began and met in homes, and this was also when the Girls Club was organized. Both of these helped to pay the pastor’s wages.
In the early stages of the charge, Forest was partnered with Cylon, Deer Park, and Clear Lake. But Cylon was closed and it changed to a three-point parish.
Webster, a church member, spent a few hours digging through the archives at the office of the Tribune, and was able to find bits and pieces of the church mentioned in late 1917 and into 1918.
One story stated that the “Ban against public gatherings still on,” which is like the current situation the UMC is facing again.
Present
The reason Forest UMC had decided to move is there was the handicap accessibility issue that the Emerald church will provide for members.
“The UMC churches all belong to one conference and the deeds for each of the churches is held by the Methodist conference,” said Webster. “They said we have this church over in Emerald, and you don’t have an accessible fellowship hall would you be interested.”
The council members for the Forest UMC met with the members to discuss the move, and in a unanimous vote decided to change locations. Webster and Greene both stated that there was no forcing the two churches to combine.
Several of the pews, furniture, and stained glass windows have already been moved to the new building, and there are plans for a small library that will include some of the history of the church.
There are items from the Emerald UMC that remained as they were in better condition than what would have been brought over from Forest, according to Webster, a couple of the items that remained were the tables and chairs in the fellowship hall.
Forest UMC is connected to the United Methodist Churches in Deer Park and Clear Lake, and has been unable to hold services since Governor Tony Evers mandated a safer at home order on March 18.
The church has continued to hold services over ZOOM including an Easter communion service with close to 26 members who had joined the meeting and countless others that were attending by phone.
The pancake breakfast that had been set for April as the welcoming event has been postponed, but there is planning in progress for the fall or early 2021.
“This church is unique in that we have a Sunday school,” stated Webster. “So there is a future here, and not just close up shop.”
The name of the church has been changed to Faith Family Church, which was a requirement by the conference that it be updated and neutral for both churches.
The hope is that this will be a new start for the people of Emerald and Forest moving forward, and that members of the Emerald community will be welcomed with open arms.
