Rev. Vink: “a symbol
of commitment”
CARMEL – Add the date of September 15, 2018 to the annals of Putnam County history.
Saturday joined May 30 of this year as days to remember for parishioners of the Drew United Methodist Church.
On that memorable morning last May as traffic passed along the Gleneida lakeshore in downtown Carmel, a small group of congregants of the church thanked God that the day had arrived when a new 41-foot tall steeple was gingerly placed atop the church by a large crane and on Saturday that steeple and a new carillon or set of bells in the tower played by using a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism sounded for the first time following an hour-long dedication ceremony.
The steeple project had been in the planning stages for years. In 1865 when the church was constructed by businessman, steamship and railroad developer and financier Daniel Drew, a steeple was included in the project.
In the 1940’s due to deterioration, the steeple came down and was replaced by a smaller cupola. More than 70 years later, the new steeple now sits atop the historic church.
Church pastor the Rev. Martha Vink described the steeple as a “symbol of the commitment of our congregation to glorify God and celebrate church history. Each time we peer towards the steeple, we will be looking to the heavens and thanking God for his wonders.”
Vink described the steeple as a “rebirth for our congregation and a beacon of accomplishment. The steeple also gives us a heavenly break by lifting our eyes to the heavens.”
Church trustee Ed Lundberg who chaired the steeple project told the congregants that money “rested in the church steeple fund untouched for years. After four years of planning, fund raising and countless meetings the day finally arrived when the steeple was placed on its pedestal.”
Lundberg praised parishioner Peter Gebhardt for his tireless dedication that allowed the project to proceed. As a way of saying thanks, congregants decided to add Gebhardt to the Drew Church Tree of Life for “giving life to the 2018 restoration.”
The carillon was dedicated to the memory of Sean Callahan, 12, who recently lost his valiant battle against cancer.
Tracey Walsh of the American Cancer Society remembered Sean as a “special child who was wise, funny, determined, ‘girl crazy’ and a leader. Sean was a son, grandson and big brother whose mission in life was to help others. He never gave up and his motto in life was ‘if you can walk then you must run.’”
Pastor Vink agreed that Sean was a “special young man whose life ended much too quickly.” She thanked the Lord for the “gift of music that fills our hearts and refreshes our spirits. As we hear the sounds sing across our area, may we find our hearts soaring and our praises rising.”
As the service ended and parishioners milled about outside the church, a beautiful musical interlude was played on the carillon for the first time.
