Church to celebrate 150 years
Staff writer
The bell continues to ring out every Sunday morning, inviting people to join in worship at 9:10 a.m. at Aulne Bible Church.
A special day is planned for Sept. 28 to celebrate the congregation’s 150th anniversary.
A choir will perform during the worship service. Afterward, Eugene Just will present a history of the church. A hog roast dinner will be served along with all the trimmings.
Weather permitting, activities such as hayrack rides, a bouncy house, and children’s games will take place during the afternoon.
Methodist settlers in the area gathered in a schoolhouse for the first 21 years, starting in 1875, and were served by circuit riders and other area ministers.
In 1896, the congregation built a wood structure for $2,000. At night, during revival services in 1915, the church burned down.
The congregation continued to meet across the street in Aulne town hall until a new brick church was constructed and dedicated in 1917. In 1922, it had a membership of 151.
The congregation became a part of the United Methodist Church formed in June of 1968 with the uniting of the Methodist Episcopal and Evangelical United Brethren churches.
Several changes were made to the church structure in ensuing years.
In 1992, the church added a new entrance for ease of access to the sanctuary. A further addition in 2007 included a new fellowship hall and Sunday school classrooms in the basement.
Attendance varied, and more recently got a boost when Jeff Lee became the pastor 15 years ago. Under his leadership, attendance grew to an average of 100.
When the Great Plains Methodist Conference chose to change some of it doctrinal positions, members began considering becoming an independent church.
Under conference rules, the property belonged to the conference. Members voted to leave the conference in July 2019. The church paid $99,000 for the property, and the deed was transferred in July, 2020. The church became known as Aulne Church and more recently Aulne Bible Church. Average attendance is 120 to 130.
Earlier this year, the front of the sanctuary was renovated to expand the platform and allow for two more rows of pews.
Aulne Bible Church has been known for its outreach into the community. The congregation has birthed several musical groups such as the Aulne Boys, who have performed throughout the area and beyond.
Annual community events such as Beast Feast have provided funding for the county food bank.