The Drumheller Church of the Nazarene is celebrating a century next week.
On Saturday, October 26, the church will host the finale of their centennial year, inviting residents to a dessert night and concert by Potter’s Clay. The following morning, there will be a special Sunday service and lunch.
“We celebrated a decade a month since January, so the end of the ten decades will fall on October 26,” said Connie Olsen, a member of the church since 1980.
As described in The Hills of Home, the Church of the Nazarene first held service in Drumheller in July 1914. The first meetings were conducted out of tents, but eventually a church was built on Railway Avenue.
Kids enjoying the Church of the Nazarene Hippo Dinner. The Nazarene Church is celebrating its centennial next week with a dessert night and concert on Saturday, October 26, followed by a special Sunday service and lunch the following day.
In 1950, explained Olsen, the church moved to a new location on 5th Street East. An addition was constructed in 1973, but it was cramped quarters for awhile.
“It was still small. In my time, we pulled in an ATCO trailer behind it for more space. That’s when we started thinking we needed a bigger building and more land,” said Olsen.
In 1995, the church began the move to their current location at the corner of 5th Street East and Highway 10.
“The biggest change was moving from one location to this one.
In December 1995 we purchased the land here. In September 1996 we had our first service here. Shortly after that we started on the addition,” said Olsen.
To commemorate a century, the Church of the Nazarene will be installing a new sign.
“We’ll be putting in a new digital sign, so we can announce our own events and community events, too,” said Olsen.
Residents are invited to partake in the final centennial celebration.
“Anyone who is or has attended the church, we’d love to have come back and celebrate with us,” said Olsen.
