HomeMy WebLinkAbout225BROUGHAM: The people of Brougham and district did not only celebrate the annual
'Memorial and Decoration Day' last Sunday, they also recalled the 100 years of worship,
in the community. The decoration services were held in the Union Cemetery prior to the
Centennial Services being held in the Brougham United Church.
The Christian Church used to be on the property which was purchased from the late Thomas
Hubbard who settled on a 200 acre farm on Lot 19 in 1792. Although the old church has
since disappeared the cemetery is still in existence and still in use. The old Christian Church
was sold after the Church Union in 1925 and the members joined the United Church of
Canada. The church building was sold but the bell from the Christian Church steeple still
calls the people of the community to worship on Sundays. The bell is in the United Church
steeple and was used as a fire bell before the more modern day fire siren was installed in
the Fire Hall at Brougham.
The Rev. C. E. Fockler was the guest speaker at the services in the United Church on
Sunday. He recalled the days 45 years ago when he preached for two years in the Christian
Church in Brougham. Rev. Fockler said that there is one other living minister of the Christian
Church of Canada and 'he is a lot older than I am.’ When I was here in Brougham there were
three churches in the Village. There was the Methodist Church down the road (indicating
Highway 7 in an easterly direction) this United Church which was the Presbyterian Church
and the Christian Church. This church was located on Brock Road where 'the cemetery still
remains'.
"This is the 100th anniversary of worship in the Village of Brougham, " said Rev. Fockler, as
he spoke on the growth and development of the Church in Canada and in the world. "Where
there is no worship there is no church. Where there is no church there is no morals and
where there is no morals there is no government, said Rev. Fockler, as he continued to
explain that these words 'were written by George Bernard Shaw who was a thinking man."
As the overflow congregation left the church they were interested in seeing the communion
cup, the plate and decanter used for communion services in the Christian Church and the
silver trowel which was used to lay the cornerstone of the Brougham United Church when it
was the Presbyterian Church. Also seen were Bibles and Old Testaments, one of which was
printed in 1824. The articles were loaned to the church for the Centennial Services by the
Miller family of Brougham.
In 400 years about 2,200 vessels have been wrecked near Cape Hatteras, N.C., reports the
National Geographic Society.
Pennsylvania's greatest income is from coal and steel industries, but more than half the land
area of the state is in farms.