Current members of Piney Creek United Methodist Church recently gathered to discuss the church's centennial. Shown are (standing, from left) Pastor Pete Fender, Roger Bledsoe, Sara McMillan, Margaret McGrady and Nancy Hash. Seated is Edna Perry.

Piney Creek United Methodist celebrates its 100th birthday

This weekend, Piney Creek United Methodist Church is celebrating its 100th birthday, with its key event being its annual Decoration festivities. Recently, several members sat down and offered memories of the church through the years. They included Pete Fender, who has pastored the church for the last couple of years; Edna Warden Perry, the longest-living member of the church, who joined Piney UMC in 1952; Sara McMillan and Margaret McGrady (Perry's daughter), who said they have been members of the church since the early 1960s; and Nancy Hash who began coming to the church in 1972. Also offering memories of the church was Roger Bledsoe who had grown up attending Piney UMC.

The Alleghany Grayson Charge originally had four points. Potato Creek Church was closed approximately 10 years ago. The church is now one of a three-point charge meaning Fender currently serves as pastor at Piney Creek UMC, Shiloh UMC and Cox's Chapel UMC in Virginia.

Memories

As the group reflected on things past at the church, McGrady spoke of fund-raising events for the church done by the youth group of which she was a part.

One year, the youth group took upon itself to raise money for altar sets for each of the churches. At the conclusion of the fund-raiser, enough monies were available to purchase four sets of crosses for each of the churches that were a part of the charge.

"We did all sorts of things to raise money," Bledsoe noted. "We used to make a lot of money for the church when there was an auction in the community. The ladies would make food, and we'd take drinks and sell them; that was a real moneymaker."

Bledsoe then recalled something that happened during a revival led by Pastor Morrison in the late 1950s.

"When church was over, we came down the steps and there was a couple standing there," said Bledsoe. "They had their marriage license, and they were wanting to get married. We all went back into the church and we married them."