Fentonville Church in Frewsburg is looking to raise funds to help pay a fine to the United Methodist Church as the church looks to disaffiliate. Submitted photo

FENTONVILLE — The Fentonville Church in Frewsburg is looking to raise funds to help provide for an uncertain future.

Following the congregation’s decision to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, the historic church is now facing a fine of $16,708. The amount is due to the United Methodist Church by the end of May and pays for the pastor’s retirement and legal fees. If the money is not paid, the United Methodist Church will close the church down.

The small congregation — 12 people in total — still has $8,000 to raise towards this goal and are looking to raise that with a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Wednesday.

“We are a very small congregation and this is a very old church,” Church Trustee Elaine Crossley said. “We try to do the upkeep as best we can. Now that we are disaffiliating and becoming independent we are looking to raise the funds to be able to keep the church open and do more for the community. We do what little we can.”

The Fentonville Church was built in 1895, and was first named the Ellen Wiltsie Chapel. In 1896 it became the Fentonville Methodist-Episcopal and was sister church to Frewsburg Methodist-Episcopal Church — now known as the Relief Zone. The church belfry was gifted the bell from the Fentonville District School in 1956. Today it is a one-room sanctuary that serves as home to its small congregation.

In the past, the congregation at Fentonville has done other fundraisers for the Frewsburg Food Bank, including a picnic and rummage sale. They have done two dinners so far this year, and the upcoming one will be the third. Depending on how the fundraiser goes, another chicken barbeque fundraiser may follow in June.

The spaghetti dinner is today from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Falcon’s Nest, 2001 E. Main St., Falconer. Tickets are $12. Checks can be written out to Hope and Trust.

Crossley said people can expect there to be baked goods for sale at the dinner. The dinner itself will consist of spaghetti, salad, desert and coffee or lemonade.

“There will be friendship, fellowship and a good time,” Crossley said. “You can dine in or take out. There has not been waiting time at our previous fundraisers. You come in and give us the ticket, or pay at the door. It’s fast, but it’s better than fast food.”

Crossley hopes people will come to support the congregation and the historic church. She said she has lived in the community for around 56 years, and the church is something that has always been there. She asked the community to help keep the history of the church alive and to help the congregation continue to help provide for members of the community.

Besides donations to the Food Bank, the congregation has also helped with donations to people who have lost their homes due to fire. Crossley said they work closely with the Frewsburg and neighboring Pennsylvania communities.

Besides the upcoming spaghetti dinner and possible June fundraiser, Crossley said the church will hopefully not need to have any more to raise funds for this purpose.

“We hope and pray we will get enough from this one that we will get to the goal,” Crossley said. “If we need a loan then we will need to do more, but we hope we won’t.”

Following receiving the funds, it can take six months to finish the paperwork to allow the church to disaffiliate. Crossley said hopefully the church will be able to continue to worship together and continue to provide for the upkeep of the church. There have been ideas of doing an ice cream social and another rummage sale. Repairs are also needed for the steeple, which is leaking, and in general Crossley said there will be TLC needed for the church.

Another big thing for the church every year is the Memorial Day service. Crossley said people come from all over the surrounding areas and the church is packed. They get help from the American Legion, who provides a float with members of the police force and fire department and it becomes a small parade. Following the regular service, the American Legion gives a special service where attendees go to the cemetery to honor the local veterans dating back to the Civil War and War of 1812.

Events for the service include bagpipes and Civil War reenactments.

This and the rest of the Fentonville Church’s history is just part of the reason why Crossley said they hope to stay open.

“I think everybody would like to see it stay,” Crossley said. “We’re a little church in the wildwood. We want to stay and grow and be a part of the community. It’s been here so long we don’t want to see it sit idle, or maybe even be destroyed. The United Methodist Church conference holds it in trust and if we don’t pay, they can do what they want.”

For tickets or more information, contact members and attendees of Fentonville Church — Crossley, 716-569-3257 Michael Yager, 716-485-8732 or Barbara Cessna, 716-569-5677.