24-02-2025
Monroe County church celebrates final service in building after split with United Methodist Church
PETERSTOWN, WV (WVNS) – The ongoing split in the United Methodist Church is causing many churches to make tough decisions, even on a local level.
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The congregation of what was once known as Peterstown United Methodist Church has decided to break off to become a nondenominational church called Peterstown Worship Center.
However, this choice has cost them their church building, as Sunday, February 23, 2025 marked their final service in that building, maybe forever.
After 151 years of using the building and adding onto their church, they now have to find a new place to worship.
Matt Sauvage is the pastor at Peterstown Worship Center.
He explained the reason they must relocate is because the United Methodist Church owns the property on which their historic church stands.
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'They had a general conference last year and the changes they made did not agree with our beliefs that we had and so we decided that it was better for us to leave,' said Pastor Sauvage.
Instead of treating their final service like a funeral, they decided to celebrate. They commemorated the past, while celebrating where they are now as a congregation.
Phillip Shrewsbury is a member of this church.
'I could not feel sadness, really. When this sanctuary was first built, my two children, the middle and the youngest were the first acolytes at the first service here. If there is any reason for sadness, I could have dug in and got that. But I felt nothing but joy. Six baptisms and the fellowship of the Christians here was nothing but joy,' said Shrewsbury.
'I have been here since 1987 and my dad was [also] a pastor here for a while, and it has been my home. But we have come to realize that a building is just a building. Of course, it ended up being an unbelievable celebration when you get a surprise baptism and I have been talking with [the guy who was baptized] for a while, but that is what this is about. This whole thing is about the baptisms that we had, the saving souls. It is about nothing else other than that,' added Pastor Sauvage.
For the foreseeable future, Peterstown Worship Center will be holding services in the chapel of Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home.
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Pastor Sauvage told 59News they hope to buy back their historic church building in the future.
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