When writing about the township and village of Aleppo for the GreeneScene Magazine last October, I found this intriguing piece of history from this very rural corner of Greene County: “Lives were greatly improved when gas and oil speculation ushered in the ‘progressive era.’ By 1887 the township had ten schools, 448 students and the Aleppo Brethren Church brought its old church, along with its bell and organ, down from Fairview ridge and rebuilt it on Aleppo Road within sight of town.”
This snapshot from the nineteenth century makes no mention of when the original church was built, or why the faithful chose to settle here. But an online source tells us that Church of the Brethren is a Protestant offshoot founded in 1708 by Alexander Mack in Schwarzenau, Germany. Historically it is one of the three Peace Churches “alongside the Mennonites and Quakers.” I can certainly imagine Brethrens were welcomed by the Quaker William Penn after they, like Penn, came to the New World to escape the religious intolerances of Europe. Penn’s Woods was known for its religious tolerance, even by Colonial standards of the day.
Today, Brethren Church headquarters are in Elgin Ill., where its Facebook page has this to say about the tone of online discussions: “Galatians 5:14-15 says “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment. ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”
When retired West Greene chemistry teacher Jim Lang invited me to the upcoming October 3 Fall Festival at Aleppo Brethren Church I visited the church’s Facebook page and was delighted to learn that a hayride was one of the highlights of this annual community gathering and so was a train ride. A train ride? I was intrigued!
Church member Rachel Gillespie filled me in when I called. Don Riffle, who lives on Aleppo Road near the township building, will bring his tractor and hay wagon over and load it up with kids and some parents at 4 p.m. After an hour-long meander on never-anything-but-scenic dirt roads it’s back to church to eat and play games and ride the little train that was built by Chris Kisner of Sugar Grove – also called McCracken – just up the road from the church. Every year Chris hauls it over, sets up the track and the kids are thrilled to ride it.
There will be a movie outside at dusk – Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin. Oh, and a fire and roasting hotdogs – all the stuff that makes country childhood memories some of the best.
The number to call if you want to know more about the fellowship this congregation has to offer is 724-428-5190. Pastor Lanny Hewitt will let you know what’s going on. And yes, Rachel tells me, they would love to have you and your kids come to the festival!
