Greenwich Ohio Area Historical Society

January 16, 2013
I don’t know if anyone has ever given you a copy of this photo.

It was taken on the lawn behind the Church of Christ on July 12, 1953.  I believe it has historical significance for several reasons.  I doubt that there is another photo from the 20th century that so clearly shows so many Greenwich/Greenwich Township residents.  Also, to the best of my knowledge this is the largest regular attendance that any church in the area has ever had.

Some historical background:  The pastor Robert Collitt (on the right toward the rear) and his wife Flo (near the right front corner) came to the church in 1949.  They were extremely gifted, talented and dedicated.  Under their leadership the church moved from affiliation with the Disciples of Christ to being, what would be called today, an independent Bible Church.  The attendance soared in four years from around 50 to the number you see in this photo.

In 1958 the Collitts accepted a position with Youth for Christ International as Overseas Deputation Director.  Then in 1961 the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches invited him to be their National Evangelist.  In 1963 he and Flo were called to pastor the Grace Brethren Church of Hagerstown, Maryland.  That church quickly became one of the three largest Grace Brethren Churches in America.  Flo died in 1974 and Bob in 1983.

The Greenwich church continued as an independent Bible Church under two more pastors:  Neil Ross from 1958 to 1962 and Daniel Humerichhouser from 1962 until 1965.  After Daniel  left the church affiliated with the Church of Christ movement.

The photo has other historical significance.  About 10 of the young people shown in that photo went into some form of ministry in the years ahead so that the eternal destiny of many thousands of people is shown potentially in this photo:  Don Ropp (who is hidden in the photo), Marge Cherry, her brother Ralph,  Larry and Lee McCullough Chester and Carol (Morrow) Weigle, my wife Susan Weigle, my brother Don, and myself.  (I am on the far left next to Danny Wilson.)    There is a sad footnote to this photo.  The attendance was never quite this high again after 1953.  I think I know the reason.  In the fall of 1953 there was a bitterly fought election in Greenwich/Greenwich Township called a “local option”.  Should alcoholic beverages be made illegal?  The move actually began in the Methodist Church and was picked up and fervently carried on by the Church of Christ.  In retrospect this can be seen as a great mistake.  Some people strongly resented this and saw it as an attack on their freedom and held a long standing grudge against the church.  While very few adults stopped coming to church it seems that a number of people would not let their children come anymore.

I hope this bit of history is both interesting and helpful to you.

Sincerely,

Russell and Susan Enzor