“The Langley United Methodist Church, known as Langley Community Church, was completed in 1909 at its present site on Anthes Street, with cedar siding and a fence surrounding it.A book is being written on the history of the church and its long relationship with the community of Langley.Centennial CelebrationMembers of the Langley Methodist Church invite the community to join in the centennial activities to be held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11 and 12. At 1 p.m. on Saturday, an informal potluck luncheon will offer an opportunity to salute past and present members of the church and community, as well as view the Centennial quilt, historical displays and relics. On Sunday at the 9:30 a.m. service, Bishop Galvan will deliver the sermon and Bill Humphreys will direct the Centennial Choir in special music. Afterwards, the church bell will be rung and a social gathering held for greeting old and new friends and recalling past years. Blest be the tie: Church celebrates a centuryThe steeple bell of Langley United Methodist Church will be heard pealing 100 times across the rooftops of Langley on Sunday morning, Aug. 12, 2001, part of a Centennial Celebration commemorating its 100th year. As the bell rings sometime between 10:30 and 11 a.m., don’t call 911, the Sheriff’s Office, or Langley Police. Don’t complain to Mayor Lloyd Furman–he has given his approval. The bell, weighing about 400 pounds and costing $40, was hoisted into the steeple by Albert Melson and Martin Martinson in 1910, just a year or so after completion of the church. It has been rung over the many years by anyone with sufficiently strong arms for pulling the rope hanging in the front annex of the church. Children have been fascinated and often helped a grandfather, father or older brother with the ringing. It will be rung in this manner on Sunday morning of the centennial celebration.The church Centennial Committee, headed by Noreen Warnock, has been engaged for many months in compiling a church history. Warnock is part of Langley history herself. Her grandparents came to Langley in 1903, and her grandfather, Frank Furman, was the first mayor. He is also the present Mayor Furman’s grandfather. Gathering together the early history of the church has meant finding bits and pieces here and there from dusty county, town, and church records, from preserved personal journals and letters, and the local histories by Lorna Cherry, Warnock observed. Let’s start with about a hundred years ago. One hundred years agoIn 1899, Langley was an 8-year-old child, not old enough to be recognized by the state or to have a post office. But it was old enough to know that a church and a school were requirements for the new community. A low, rustic building was constructed, a combined church and school, on First Street, looking out over Saratoga Passage. It was called the Friends Meeting House; it wasn’t a reference to Quakers, but to friends in a young growing town.The 1900 census taken in Langley, Lone Lake, Bayview, Brown’s Cove, and Maple Cove records 18 families — 73 men, women and children. Finding a teacher, as well as a preacher, who would come to Whidbey Island and stay proved to be a difficult problem for these early families. They even built a two-story house next to the school-church to lure either a teacher or preacher here, but it wasn’t sufficient.Some of the people attending the church decided to request membership in the Northwest Methodist Conference, located in Olympia, hoping a preacher would be provided. They were accepted, and a preacher arrived. Then disaster struck early one morning when the school-church building burned to the ground. The enthusiasm of the villagers was burned-out as well, with little zeal left for rebuilding.Eight years later a stranger strode into town – ill, unkempt, on foot, a God-fearing circuit preacher named Andrew J. McNemee. He would soon become known to the people of the village and countryside as Brother Mack. A charismatic and inspiring leader, Brother Mack led the way to building a new church. With no funds of his own and very little available in the community, in six months he acquired the land and built the present Methodist Church on the site where it still stands. It cost $1,800 and, when finished, was debt free. Brother Mack fell in love with Langley and its people. Over the years, he ceased much of his circuit work, spoke often from the pulpit, retired here, died here and is buried in the Langley cemetery.And, from the time the doors opened until the 1950s, the new church was known on South Whidbey as the Langley Community Church.Warnock finished her story, then added, Having been born and raised here, I remember hearing stories early about people whose names I came across in my search. I even remember, as a child, seeing and knowing some of the local characters as well as business and community leaders.From the start of her project, she said, she’s been extremely impressed with the goodness, energy, and strength of the founders of this town and this church.A book is being written on the history of the church and its long relationship with the community of Langley. Here are a few of the highlights through the years, as prepared by the Centennial Committee,1913-16: Popular pastor Rev. Robertson, a retired sea captain, stayed three years, and kept the congregation entertained with his salty stories and jokes. 1924-1937: Traveling preachers and evangelists often occupied the pulpit and the pastor at Coupeville preached one Sunday a month.1938: A basement was dug under the church after a huge tree stump that had been left was removed and a spring running down the slope beneath the church was rerouted. Mrs. Metcalf brought fresh churned butter to the Christmas Bazaar.1941: Church membership increased to 58. Pastor John Mathone also served as Chief Observer of the Langley Air Warning Service.1946: Church basement finished. Mr. Hunziker was the caller at square dance parties in the basement and potlucks were frequent with a woodstove providing warmth.1950: Membership was at 120. The church was given two coats of white paint and the steeple a new roof. A secondhand electric stove and hot water heater was donated by Mrs. Tompkins, but the woodstove was kept due to frequent loss of power. The parsonage was converted to electricity. The women began serving dinners for Lions Club meetings.1958: The roof was reshingled and the church entrance moved to the uphill side.1964: Land was purchased for a parking lot across from the church.1969: Pastor Donald Baldwin established Helping Hand.1975: Pastor Fred Hertzog led the celebration of the church’s 75th anniversary. The charge for Lions Club dinners was raised to $3.1988: Pastor Rand O’Donnell oversaw completion of the new addition, and the Bishop came for the dedication. The basement was refurbished and the South Whidbey Youth Center established.1992-94: A new organ was purchased; Hearts and Hammers was created by Lynn Willeford; a new parsonage was purchased on Edgecliff; Lions Club was meeting twice a month.2001: The Langley United Methodist Church Centennial Celebration is led by Pastor and Mrs. David Vergin, with Bishop Galvan giving the sermon, on Sunday morning, Aug. 12, with Bill Humphreys leading a special Centennial Choir. “