An ark through the floods

The congregation of Howard United Methodist Church will celebrate the church's 135th anniversary on Sunday. Marianne Higley, a lay minister and 53-year-member of the church, wrote for the event that past members are invited to "come home to Howard that day and celebrate with us the church that has been there for us through the ages." The 9 a.m. service will commemorate the past and look toward the future. Refreshments will be served in the sunroom afterwards. Higley said the people of Howard owe their existence to Dr. Andrew Fish, pastor of First Methodist Church (now St. Andrew's United Methodist Church). It was during the gas boom days in Findlay when Fish saw the need for another Methodist church north of the Blanchard River. Capt. Samuel Howard, who resided at 612 N. Main St., was encouraged to buy the two Cherry Street lots on which Howard was built. On Sept. 29, 1887, it was announced that the new church would be named in honor of Howard because of his donation. It was called Howard Methodist Episcopal Church. The cornerstone was laid in December of that year. The dedication service in July 1888 was well attended, reported the Findlay Republican newspaper: "The church is a substantial, though small, brick structure and makes a very neat and handsome place of worship for the society that owes allegiance there." The cost of the building project was $11,000. The first pastor was Rev. H.C. Jameson, who served nearly two years. By 1908, the church had 346 members. The pastor's salary was $1,300. The church's 50th anniversary in 1938 was a four-day celebration, Higley said. The church got its first pipe organ in 1948 thanks to Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Kirkbride, who had moved to Findlay from Canada. To help get the project started, Kirkbride told members that for every dollar they donated, he would double the amount. It wasn't long until the organ was installed in the church, a history of the church reads. Howard's 50th anniversary was celebrated with a Homecoming Day in 1937. Throughout the years, the church has sponsored various scouting troops. The church also contributed in a major way to the funding of Blanchard Valley Center in 1952 by donating space for the first two classes. Faith for Today, a radio broadcast of a portion of the worship service, was aired over WFIN from 1944-82. A new education wing was built in the 1950s. And in 1962, the merged congregations of Northview and Howard Methodist churches developed a new congregation, Christ Church, on the north end of town. It is now known as Journey at Christ Church. In June 1981, Findlay was hit with a severe flood that resulted in 45½ inches of water in the church basement. While the clean-up was being done, workers found a children's book on top of a library shelf. The book, said Higley, was "Noah's Ark." The church's centennial was observed in 1987. An August 2007 flood brought 50 inches of water into the church basement, which caused monumental damage to the building. The kitchen was destroyed. Repairs were made and Whirlpool donated stoves, a refrigerator and a freezer to the church. The basement reopened on Easter morning in 2008 for a sunrise breakfast. The church survived COVID, and ministry outdoors became the church's theme as the Cherry Street Community Garden and Cherry Street Parking Lot dinner were born in 2021. This year, after a Greenhouse Expressions Training was presented by the West Ohio Conference, members began a free concessions stand with activities and prayer time at Rawson Park and the Fort Findlay Playground in Emory Adams Park. Current Pastor Gay Blau wrote a statement for the 135th anniversary. She said Howard UM "is not a 'Downtown Church,' it's a 'Neighborhood Church' doing ministry right where people live and play!" Blau has served the church since 2020.