Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SILVER LAKE -ÊFor the past two years local Old German Baptist Brethren families have been planning and organizing their annual conference, to take place Saturday at Roger Wagoner's farm, five miles east of Silver Lake and one-half mile north on Packerton Road.
The annual meeting begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and runs through Tuesday.
A minister, who asked to remain anonymous, said more than 5,000 people are expected to attend the conference.
"It's been coming to this community for more than 100 years," the minister said, "and 225 years as a church."
The annual meeting rotates around the United States each year and "hasn't been in this vicinity since 1988," he said. The meeting will be in California next year.
Three districts are sponsoring this year's meeting: the Eel River district, which is hosting the conference, the North Manchester district and the Mexico district.
"This is a time when everyone's together," Wagoner said. "There's a social aspect to it."
Preparations for the meeting began with a Committee of Arrangements, who then appointed approximately 28 other committees to work on mowing the grounds, building the temporary buildings and purchasing bedding, food and other items needed to make the meeting possible.
"It's going to be history here directly," secretary Keith Skiles said.
People come from all over the United States to attend the conference, Skiles said, and most of them stay in church families' homes. He said the church furnishes foam mattresses for the guests as well as bedding and wash cloths, etc.
Many items purchased for this conference - for example, lumber and miscellaneous material, electrical and plumbing equipment, mowers, volleyballs, volleyball nets, basketballs, etc. - will go up for auction June 9 on Wagoner's farm at 9 a.m.
"So if you want to buy anything, next Saturday there'll be plenty available," Skiles said.
The youth will spend a lot of their time on Larry and Diane Cripe's farm on Ind. 114 across from Dairy Queen in North Manchester. This is the sixth Cripe generation to occupy the farm.
The youth's theme for the conference is "Jesus Is The Light Of The World."
Twenty-five volleyball nets as well as several ping-pong tables have been set up for tournaments. Eleven acres of grass were planted in March on the Cripes' farm to prepare for the conference, and a basketball court with six half-courts was poured for tournaments. Youth also made a trail through the woods with signs depicting Scriptures that refer to lighthouses, lighthouse trivia and meaningful sayings, Diane Cripe said. The youth will play horse shoes and croquet, and a bonfire will take place each night, Larry added.
"It's mainly a mixer," Diane said. "The purpose is that they (youth) fellowship and learn to know each other."
Diane said approximately 60 local youths did the work for the youth part of the conference, and approximately 1,200 youths are expected to attend.
"We've really enjoyed it," Diane said of preparing for the conference.
Worship times for the conference are Saturday through Monday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. A business meeting will be held Tuesday. There also are worship times Sunday and Monday at 7 a.m. All worship services will be a capella.
"The public would be welcome until Tuesday, and they wouldn't be bored, understand, but it is a business meeting (on Tuesday)," the minister said.
