Thursday November 27, 2014 Vol. 2, No. 40
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Landmark Edwards church closing doors next week By BILL KNIGHT
EDWARDS - The final “amen” at Bethel Bible Church here is scheduled for Dec. 7, but as Scripture says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” So faith will endure, despite a local congregation that since its first service 78 years ago last week has dwindled to fewer than a dozen members. “It’s mostly sad,” says Bethel Bible Church Senior Elder Ron Morris, a former Yates City resident who lives in Eureka. “There have been a ton of people who helped this church over the decades. “I’d say the average age here is about 70 years old,” says Morris, who’s been For The Weekly Post
active with the church for 32 years. “I never thought I’d be one of the last ones.” Like many country churches, Bethel Bible has seen younger families move away. “We just don’t have younger people anymore,” Morris continues. “We had maybe 75 or 80 people at our highest, pulling people from Edwards, Elmwood and Hanna City. Morris [But] since I’ve been here we’ve had 36 people pass on. That’s at least one a year.” The church building was donated to Peoria Rescue Ministries, which for sev-
eral months has had the 3,500 square foot site at 9728 W. Powder Mill Road for sale through Maloof Commercial Real Estate Co. for $149,900. “Originally the church decided, if it was ever necessary, to donate the property to the Moody Bible Institute, which used to have students come down [from Chicago] on the train and serve as pastors,” Morris said. “Then about 25 years ago we voted to donate the property to Peoria Rescue Ministries instead.” Organized on Oct. 13, 1936, Bethel Bible Church, originally named Bethel Mission, had its first service Nov. 22 that year. Hope Mission of Peoria donated a piano to Bethel. R. G. LeTourneau doContinued on Page 10
Bethel Bible Church in Edwards is scheduled to close on Dec. 7 due to dwindling membership. Photo by Bill Knight.
Brimfield Wednesday plan fails
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
Farmington joins Elmwood in buy-local effort
By TERRY BIBO
BRIMFIELD - Perhaps the most interesting thing is what didn’t happen at Brimfield Board of Education’s November meeting. No one moved to approve a policy which would have restricted school activities on Wednesday evenings. Without a motion, the proposed policy failed. In this case, lack of action was a crowd-pleaser. More than a dozen people opposed to the Wednesday night policy - which was intended to keep the evening free for nonschool related activities - showed up at the meeting. And they were just a fraction of the nearly 90 peoFor The Weekly Post
By MICHELLE SHERMAN
This Saturday, area businesses are hoping everyone buys local. As part of Small Business Saturday, a national push to get consumers to put more revenue into local economies by purchasing from local businesses, coalitions in Elmwood and Farmington are trying to get the word out that buying gifts locally helps the community. “Our small businesses are the backbone of our community. They provide products and services to citizens, sustain the families of the proprietors and bring people to our community,” said amy Davis, President of the Elmwood Develop.m.ent Association. Founded in 2010 by american Express, Small Business Saturday officially was recognized by Congress in 2011. Within two years, an estimated $5.5 billion was spent at small, independent businesses on that day. Elmwood businesses joined the movement in 2012, offering longer hours and specials to encourage shoppers to stay local. Every Little Thing has specials planned, inFor The Weekly Post
Continued on Page 7
George and Sue Starcevich have seen their Star Metal Arts business booming since moving to a new location in Farmington. Photo by Michelle Sherman.
Sales good for Star Metal Arts By MICHELLE SHERMAN
FARMINGTON - George and Sue Starcevich are having a difficult time keeping the walls of their business covered. For the owners of a metal arts business, that’s a good position to be going into the holiday season. The wood-paneled walls of their new storefront, 35 N. Main St. in Farmington, are covered with sports emblems and coffee mugs. Display For The Weekly Post
shelves hold stand-up signs for those who want to take their love for their family or friends to work. “As fast as we can get it on the walls, it goes off,” Sue said, “Business right now is going very well.” Star Metal Arts began more than seven years ago as a way to make some extra money when George faced layoffs at Butler. He saw metal sculpting in a magazine and “thought Continued on Page 5
Continued on Page 2
Happy Thanksgiving!
The Weekly Post office will be closed Thursday and Friday (Nov. 27-28) as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Ad deadline for the Dec. 4 issue will be Monday (Dec. 1) at noon.