Deerfield church celebrates growth

Above is the sign commemorating the building's original construction. Just in the last few years, several additions have been made to accommodate the congregation's growing needs.

By Nancy Malcom

Nevada Daily Mail

Sunday, Dec. 5, will be a day of celebration for many people in Deerfield. The Deerfield Baptist Church will be having a dedication ceremony for the new 28 by 40 addition, which includes two classrooms for beginner and primary age children, a bathroom between their rooms, plus a large fellowship/classroom.

It's not just a church event though. Like many small towns across America, many people of the area chipped in to help construct the addition to the old church building.

Peggy Pyle, a lifelong member of the church, secretary-treasurer and church historian also chairs the Building Committee. "This is the third time the church has been under construction in the last four years," Pyle said. "In 2000, a new fellowship hall was added, complete with kitchen and bathrooms. The west wing classroom was added in 2001."

The latest construction project began July 26 and has been completed in record time by volunteer workers.

Pyle said the 116-year-old church was built in 1888 with only the main meeting hall and two outhouses. Before that, church services were held in the little schoolhouse in Deerfield. The W.I. Land family deeded land to the trustees, and people in the community donated the lumber and built the church.

The carpenters were Lewis P. Harris, Mr. Browning and George Higbee.

Through the years many improvements have been made to the original building, including new hardwood floors, pews, heating and air-conditioning systems, and a ramp for the handicapped.

Dan Dilly, a member of the building committee, takes pride in knowing he and his two brothers, Jim and Ted, have been involved in constructing each of the additions to the church. Jim served as the main carpenter and Ted helped with the fellowship hall when it was built in 2000.

Their 81-year-old father, Forrest Dilly, was also there to help and said, "I was honored to work on the church and give back to the community. It's great to see the church grow in attendance." It wasn't just the older members who contributed their talents and labor. Shawn Stewart, a 19-year-old member of the church, was glad to be an apprentice carpenter. He looks forward to bringing his future generations to the church and showing them the classrooms he help build.

Pyle offered this story showing how the church has been an active part of Deerfield life over the years.

"Opal (Pettibon) Golden, born in 1904, spent her childhood years associated with this church. When she died in 1989, she left the following written memories of the church in the early 1900s.

'My mother, Grace (Harris) Pettibon, taught Sunday School and helped with the Christmas programs. The Christmas trees were oak trees piled high with baskets of evergreens. My brother, Norman, and I used to string popcorn to trim the trees. We also picked up corn cobs and kindling to take to the church on Sunday mornings to start fires in two big, old, pot-bellied stoves located on each side of the sanctuary. There were a lot of kids around Deerfield, and sometimes as many as sixty or seventy kids would attend Sunday school.'"

The rural church has always been a large part of the community's social life in the village of Deerfield. Each addition was a community effort, with lots of non-members contributing.

"To make these projects possible, the congregation and other people in the Deerfield Community have made Love Offerings and donated labor and materials," Pyle explained.

Mark Mitchell has been pastor of the Deerfield Baptist Church since February 2000. Sunday school is held at 10 a.m., followed by the worship service. Men's and women's fellowship convenes once a month, with a carry-in dinner served before the meeting. Bible studies and prayer meetings are also held. The congregation takes part in many special activities and events. A Teen Youth Bible Ministry distributes Bibles to every youth who attends or visits the church.

Pyle said, "I'm proud to be a temporary caretaker of this 116- year-old rural church building, that my great-grandfather help build. We give God the glory for the growth of our congregation and the growth of the church building, and may it continue to be a Lighthouse for God in the Deerfield Community for future generations."

The dedication program. titled, "We Give God the Glory," will be held Sunday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. Local singing group Undivided Heart featuring Brenda Dilly, Bonnie Query, Thom Greathouse and Betty Jean Yockey will perform.

Open to the public.