Celebrating community relevance

How does a church stay relevant in changing times?

It's a question the answer for which is part of the Cheney Church of the Nazarene's second service in their three-service celebration of 100 years in the community. The service takes place this Sunday, July 22, at 10:30 a.m. at the church's location at 338 Betz Road.

How the church got to Betz Road is part of that relevancy. Founded in 1917 in a small school house west of Cheney and incorporated in 1918, the Nazarene Church's first actual building was located in downtown Cheney at the northwest corner of Second and C streets - a building that still stands today.

Church member, researcher and celebration coordinator Chris Kaplan attributes the move to a growing congregation and a "go-getter" pastor named Rev. Robert Premus. Under the Chicago-area leader, Cheney's church grew from 35 members to 75 in a little under three years time.

Premus noted as much in a letter to the congregation about the need for a new location, writing that "A growing congregation necessitates ample space."

"They just felt like they needed to expand and get another building," Kaplan said.

The church broke ground on Sept. 28, 1975. At the time, the land on Betz Road was well removed from the rest of the city, surrounded by fields and wetlands.

The current building rose from the shovels of overturned earth and was finally dedicated on July 4, 1976 - about the time Premus left for another calling.

Kaplan said he will provide an overview of this at Sunday's service, which will also include five testimonies from individuals who have been a part of or benefited from ministries and missions undertaken by the Cheney church.

Kaplan began with the church in 1978, partly because the pastor who succeeded Premus, J.C. Pults, had been a pastor at a Nazarene Church in Bremerton, Wash. that Kaplan had attended while serving in the Navy. Pults served in Cheney for five years. During his tenure, growth in the church, with a membership now around 120 and a thriving college-age group that numbered around 70 at one point, necessitated another addition - that of an associate pastor.

Terry Cummings was the first to take up this role in Cheney in 1980. After leaving for a church in Sandpoint, he would return to Cheney as pastor from 1992 – 2005.

Rev. Gary L. Nelson succeeded Pults, serving from 1985 – 1991. Kaplan said it was under Nelson, with the assistance of associated pastor Dave Edwards, that the church began its annual "Singing Christmas Tree" celebration in 1990.

"It ran for quite a few years," Kaplan added.

The arts would play a part in the Nazarene Church's ministry to Cheney, through the Christmas productions but also five plays originally written and scored by member Luella Dow, who also wrote the weekly Cheney Free Press column "Of Cabbages and Kings" for a number of years.

"She was quite musical," Kaplan said. "She was pretty incredible."

After Cummings, the church was served by James Tapely (2006), Ken Bergstrom (2007 – 2010) and most recently Kory Heal (2010 – 2017). Rev. Larry Orr is currently serving as interim pastor while the church searches for a new leader.

Kaplan said over the years as the church grew, more individuals were called to serve as pastors for specific ministries such as youth, life/small focus groups and family. In 2009, former children and families pastor Debbie Hensley put her vision to reach kids and families into action by founding Noah's Ark Early Learning Academy at the church.

The academy serves toddlers through preschool, providing lunch and daycare as well as instruction. Kaplan said its accredited with the state, low cost and is so popular that it has a waiting list.

"It's one of our big focuses right now," he said. "That's a big deal. One of the testimonies on Sunday will be from a mom on what the daycare has done (for her family)."

Another testimony will be from member Bob Shea on why God has led the church to do what they do, while another one will be about the church's mission work.

"Cheney has always been known as having a big vision for global outreach," Kaplan said, adding they have sent delegations to take part in a number of different projects around the world in places such as Guatemala, Panama, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Besides his presentation and the testimonies, Kaplan said Sunday's service will also feature music from different periods in the church's history. After the service there will be a pit-smoked barbecue.

"The highlight is what God has done through Cheney these past four decades," Kaplan said. "And He's done quite a lot."

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].