THE ALL SOULS
UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALIST CHURCH--

The church anchors the southeast corner of Church and Bell St., in Bellville—just as it has since 1897.

It is that marvelous spiritual edifice made of sandstone that shares the block with its secular neighbor, the Bellville Village Hall.

Bill Millikin, a lay leader of the church, helped me understand the eclectic approach to formal religious practice for which this lively congregation is known.

“For example, we didn’t know whether to call our choral group a chorus or a choir” he noted. One definition holds a chorus is a somewhat casual choir. “That’s us,” he quipped.

The church first held services in Bellville in 1822 with the assistance of circuit riders. Official organization of the church was in 1847 and their first building was constructed near the current site in 1851.

That was 10 years before the start of the Civil War.

The sandstone for today’s structure was quarried from the Cyrus Gatton farm on SR 97 east of Bellville and another quarry then west of the village.

The church organ was built in 1873 and arrived here via canal boat and wagon in 1910.

L. D. Ball of Shelby, maintenance committee chair, showed me records that revealed the church was constructed at a cost of $5,277.89. A typical entry showed Mr. L. L. Garber was paid $9.25 for his masonry work the week of May 18, 1895. An entry a week later showed he earned $10.

The building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

We replaced the front steps to our church in 2007 Ball pointed out. “That cost $6,000; more than it cost to build the original building.”

“New” pews were purchased in 2005. They were 100 years old themselves and church members worked weekly for nearly a year to rebuild and refinish them. They sparkle in the comfortable sanctuary which also saw new heating, air conditioning and a sound system installed that year.

This from the church’s October newsletter: “Finally, with our new members joining on Sept. 23rd, All Souls has a total of 75 members which just about matches the largest membership in our 185 year history. That is a membership growth of 56% in the last 5 years.”

Judging by the warmth and fellowship I enjoyed while visiting to prepare this piece, I certainly am not surprised.

John Martin and wife Arlene Webb serve the All Souls church as the Pastoral Care Team. Martin holds a MA degree from the University of Hawaii and was graduated in the summer of 2007 with a Masters of Divinity degree from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio. He is currently in the process of fulfilling the Unitarian Universalist Association’s requirements for ministry. Arleen will graduate in June 2008 with two master’s degrees; one in theology and the other in religious education.