Fall 2013 BFC • OneVoice 13 Oldest Church Building by Richard Taylor 12 BFC • OneVoice Fall 2013 Pastor Jim Wickstead Interruptions are the Ministry, too Found on the pastor’s desk: yellow Post-It® note: “Possible sermon topics: 1. Parables, 2. Spiri- tual gifts.” Pastor Jim Wickstead had many spiritual gifts, and was always eager to see others get joy by using theirs. I guess he was planning to preach this again this fall. He was interrupted. Jim encouraged others to use their gifts as they developed the food ministry, the women’s class, the musical Valley Ensemble, and built a shed shaped like the church building. If a job was worth doing, he would encourage people to do it in their way, depending on God. This led to a joyful congregation of “gap-filler” people. The church never got so big that this was not needed. Do any? In October of 2011, the congregants described Jim as “gentle, wise, unflappable, uncomplaining, a rare gift to his church, kind, big-hearted, a teacher of deep volumes of Scrip- ture, direct, not showy, confidential, supportive, flexible, mechanical, patient, selfless, incisive, dedicated, trust- worthy, an example of an honorable man, steadfast, selfless, welcoming, meek, friendly, and an honest, humble man.” Because God’s agenda, not his, mattered, Jim accepted people as the individuals they are without chiding, manipulation, and conditions other than God’s most basic. If it was possible for him to serve anyone, he would do so. It was beside the point for him that the service might prove costly, inconvenient, heavy, unappreciated, peculiar, time- consuming, exhausting, or unpleasant. Once he felt that God urged it or that someone could be blessed by his participation, he would invest himself in the project. Jim Wickstead started college to learn dairy farm- ing. God gave Jim the new birth in 1967 through the witness of his roommate Dave Stockin. He flourished under the ministry of Pastor Herman Eckelmann of Ithaca, NY. Then God pushed Jim to nurture people instead of cows. After graduating from Cornell University in 1970, Jim entered seminary. He met Barbara Holmes in Hatfield, PA, and they married in 1973. In the summers of 1970-72, Jim worked as a door-to-door salesman of Christian books. He learned never to fear hardship or to take rejection personally. Get the no’s out of the way to get to the yes’s. I (Tom Ward) met Jim in 1975, while he was a visitation minister with the Bethany BFC, Hatfield, PA. He was cheerful as we knocked on doors. He spoke simply and directly. He gave people a chance to think about eternal truths in the midst of their busy Satur- days. It was a privilege to walk with him. In 1976, Jim Wickstead accepted a call from the Church Extension Department to pastor in the Poughquag, NY, mission. It was not an easy place to bring a young family. They rented a trailer some miles away from the church. The mission first worshiped in a horse riding barn without insulation, heat, or water! We (Linda Wanaselja) installed two wood-burning stoves which Jim stoked two hours before services be- gan, then preached over pots of soup sizzling on the stoves. We kept afghans on the sets of folding wooden chairs to huddle in while we ate the soup after the service. We had a porta-potty under the stairs to the loft. Barbara sometimes taught Sunday School while nursing her child. Meetings would extend into the afternoon, well past naptime for their two young sons! Jim engaged listeners with his homey sermon illustrations and his ability to laugh at himself. I (Jen- nifer Webb) rejoice that he always held to the truth of the Scripture and did not wander off. Often, he related how the message for the day was being proven in his own life through testing before he taught. What an example and inspiration to follow! Pastor Jim Wickstead was himself a “gap filler.” When the church was young and not yet able to support a full-time pastor, he worked as a clerk at NOTE OF APPRECIATION a local wood-products plant, and as a welder at a metal fabrication shop. Jim worked as if his real boss was Jesus, the carpenter’s son. Jim influenced people to work hard, to be frugal and generous, and to be honest in all situations. He showed joy in his work. His outside jobs became sermon illustrations of how to live godly in the workplace. He related his failures as cautions. After the riding-ring building, the Valley Bible Fel- lowship Church used a grange hall for its meeting place. Later, when our present 1820s-era building became available, Jim jumped all over the offer. The selling price of $1.00 could have been paid with pocket change. But Jim listened to wife Barbara and let 20 children contribute 5 cents each. On “Nickel Sunday” the children took great joy in their part of the purchase. The picture appeared in the paper. To open, however, the building required $20,000 of immediate repairs. We had just that amount in a building fund. Jim asked advice from many. They pur- chased the right equipment. They obtained materials and supplies. They hired a local sheet metal worker to install ductwork. Many will share in a servant’s reward for these efforts. Pastor Jim had a deep love of history. So if some- thing was worth doing, it was worth document- ing. He wrote a detailed account of the very first meeting in our present building in which people and church mice were described. Worth the read. Jim struggled with electronics. He learned to be proficient but preferred to delegate. Those who stepped in might have heard their pride suggest, “… because I can do this better than the pastor.” Reality confesses, “We are helping because Jim encouraged us all to serve with our gifts and so receive a servant’s reward from the Lord.” For funerals, Jim spent time thoughtfully considering the person and life from their point of view. Then he would share the Gospel. Most funerals became celebra- tions. His did. Pastor Jim Wickstead received his servant’s reward on September 3, 2013. —by Tom Ward, Jennifer Webb and Linda Wanaselja The authors are all longtime friends and church members at Valley BFC. avid Allen, Executive Direc- tor of the BFC, included in his report to the 2013 Bible Fellowship Conference that the newly acquired building. being used for the Freedom Bible Fellowship Church in Dauphin, PA, was now our oldest church building. Mak- ing a statement like that is sure to elicit a reaction from a trivia seeker like me. Is this true? I contacted Pastor Mark Barninger and asked that he send me information about the church building. e church building was erected in 1850 according to one history. Originally, it housed a Presbyterian congregation. A website suggests that it might have been built in 1854. In 1968, the Catholic Church purchased the building and named it St. Matthew’s Church. is construction predates even the original build- ing of the Quakertown Congregation which was in use in October, 1859. e Zionsville facility was dedicated in November, 1859. Next on the chronology is the old Coopersburg building which dates to 1872. Close to that is the facility in Cape May Court House which may date back to 1872. A record indicates that the land in Cape May County on which the church stands was deeded to the Methodist Church in 1872. at may not be the date when the facility was built but it would be close. On occasion, it has been suggested that the Terre Hill congregation met in an older building. However, there is no indication of that. e Gospel Banner indicates that a building was dedi- cated there in 1885. But, my report is not complete. Our Church Extension Director, David Gundrum, reminded me that I should check with Pastor Jim Wickstead at Valley Bible Fellowship Church in Lagrangeville, NY. D (continued on page 16)
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Fall 2013 BFC•OneVoice 13
Oldest Church Building by Richard Taylor
12 BFC•OneVoice Fall 2013
Pastor Jim Wickstead Interruptions are the Ministry, too
Found on the pastor’s desk: yellow Post-It® note: “Possible sermon topics: 1. Parables, 2. Spiri-tual gifts.” Pastor Jim Wickstead had many spiritual gifts, and was
always eager to see others get joy by using theirs. I guess he was planning to preach this again this fall. He was interrupted.
Jim encouraged others to use their gifts as they developed the food ministry, the women’s class, the musical Valley Ensemble, and built a shed shaped like the church building. If a job was worth doing, he would encourage people to do it in their way,
depending on God. This led to a joyful congregation of “gap-filler” people. The church never got so big that this was not needed. Do any?
In October of 2011, the congregants described Jim as
“gentle, wise, unflappable, uncomplaining, a rare gift to his church, kind, big-hearted, a teacher of deep volumes of Scrip-ture, direct, not showy, confidential, supportive, flexible, mechanical,
patient, selfless, incisive, dedicated, trust-worthy, an example of an honorable man, steadfast, selfless, welcoming, meek, friendly, and an honest, humble man.”
Because God’s agenda, not his, mattered, Jim accepted people as the individuals they are without chiding, manipulation, and conditions other than God’s most basic. If it was possible for him to serve anyone, he would do so. It was beside the point for him that the service might prove costly, inconvenient, heavy, unappreciated, peculiar, time-
consuming, exhausting, or unpleasant. Once he felt that God urged it or that someone could be blessed by his participation, he would invest himself in the project.
Jim Wickstead started college to learn dairy farm-ing. God gave Jim the new birth in 1967 through the witness of his roommate Dave Stockin. He flourished under the ministry of Pastor Herman Eckelmann of Ithaca, NY. Then God pushed Jim to nurture people instead of cows.
After graduating from Cornell University in 1970, Jim entered seminary. He met Barbara Holmes in Hatfield, PA, and they married in 1973. In the summers of 1970-72, Jim worked as a door-to-door salesman of Christian books. He learned never to fear hardship or to take rejection personally. Get the no’s out of the way to get to the yes’s.
I (Tom Ward) met Jim in 1975, while he was a visitation minister with the Bethany BFC, Hatfield, PA. He was cheerful as we knocked on doors. He spoke simply and directly. He gave people a chance to think about eternal truths in the midst of their busy Satur-days. It was a privilege to walk with him.
In 1976, Jim Wickstead accepted a call from the Church Extension Department to pastor in the Poughquag, NY, mission. It was not an easy place to bring a young family. They rented a trailer some miles away from the church. The mission first worshiped in a horse riding barn without insulation, heat, or water!
We (Linda Wanaselja) installed two wood-burning stoves which Jim stoked two hours before services be-gan, then preached over pots of soup sizzling on the stoves. We kept afghans on the sets of folding wooden chairs to huddle in while we ate the soup after the service. We had a porta-potty under the stairs to the loft. Barbara sometimes taught Sunday School while
nursing her child. Meetings would extend into the afternoon, well past naptime for their two young sons!
Jim engaged listeners with his homey sermon illustrations and his ability to laugh at himself. I (Jen-nifer Webb) rejoice that he always held to the truth of the Scripture and did not wander off. Often, he related how the message for the day was being proven in his own life through testing before he taught. What an example and inspiration to follow!
Pastor Jim Wickstead was himself a “gap filler.” When the church was young and not yet able to support a full-time pastor, he worked as a clerk at
NOte OF AppreCiAtiON a local wood-products plant, and as a welder at a metal fabrication shop. Jim worked as if his real boss was Jesus, the carpenter’s son. Jim influenced people to work hard, to be frugal and generous, and to be honest in all situations. He showed joy in his work. His outside jobs became sermon illustrations of how to live godly in the workplace. He related his failures as cautions.
After the riding-ring building, the Valley Bible Fel-lowship Church used a grange hall for its meeting place. Later, when our present 1820s-era building became available, Jim jumped all over the offer. The selling price of $1.00 could have been paid with pocket change. But Jim listened to wife Barbara and let 20 children contribute 5 cents each. On “Nickel Sunday” the children took great joy in their part of the purchase. The picture appeared in the paper.
To open, however, the building required $20,000 of immediate repairs. We had just that amount in a building fund. Jim asked advice from many. They pur-chased the right equipment. They obtained materials and supplies. They hired a local sheet metal worker to install ductwork. Many will share in a servant’s reward for these efforts.
Pastor Jim had a deep love of history. So if some-thing was worth doing, it was worth document-ing. He wrote a detailed account of the very first meeting in our present building in which people and church mice were described. Worth the read.
Jim struggled with electronics. He learned to be proficient but preferred to delegate. Those who stepped in might have heard their pride suggest, “… because I can do this better than the pastor.” Reality confesses, “We are helping because Jim encouraged us all to serve with our gifts and so receive a servant’s reward from the Lord.”
For funerals, Jim spent time thoughtfully considering the person and life from their point of view. Then he would share the Gospel. Most funerals became celebra-tions. His did.
Pastor Jim Wickstead received his servant’s reward on September 3, 2013.
—by tom Ward, Jennifer Webb and Linda Wanaselja The authors are all longtime friends and church members at Valley BFC.
avid Allen, Executive Direc-tor of the BFC, included in his report to the 2013 Bible
Fellowship Conference that the newly acquired building. being used for the Freedom Bible Fellowship Church in Dauphin, PA, was now our oldest church building. Mak-ing a statement like that is sure to elicit a reaction from
a trivia seeker like me. Is this true? I contacted Pastor Mark Barninger and asked that he send me information about the church building.
The church building was erected in 1850 according to one history.
Originally, it housed a Presbyterian congregation. A website suggests that it might have been built in 1854. In 1968, the Catholic Church purchased the building and named it St. Matthew’s Church.
This construction predates even the original build-ing of the Quakertown Congregation which was in use in October, 1859. The Zionsville facility was dedicated in November, 1859. Next on the chronology is the old Coopersburg building which dates to 1872. Close to that
is the facility in Cape May Court House which may date back to 1872. A record indicates that the land in Cape May County on which the church stands was deeded to the Methodist Church in 1872. That may not be the date when the facility was built but it would be close.
On occasion, it has been suggested that the Terre Hill congregation met in an older building. However, there is no indication of that. The Gospel Banner indicates
that a building was dedi-cated there in 1885.
But, my report is not complete. Our Church Extension Director, David Gundrum, reminded me that I should check with Pastor Jim Wickstead at Valley Bible Fellowship Church in Lagrangeville, NY.
FD
(continued on page 16)
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