Back to the future at Norwood Baptist Church

By John Howell

Posted 2/4/16

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Back to the future at Norwood Baptist Church

CHURCH HISTORIAN: Elaine Desisto, Gary Wright and Robert Martin listen to Olive Godwin Potts Kimball, 98, describe the 1925 Christmas Day fire that destroyed the church prior to Sunday’s service in observance of the church’s 125th anniversary.

A RICH LEGACY: Norwood Baptist Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

IT STILL PLAYS: Traci Marrocco and her children, Julien and Kayden, all dressed in period clothes from the late 1800s, are intrigued by the Victrola owned by Gary Kondvar that was set up and ready to be played at the front of the church.

SHE MADE IT: Wendy Fobert, who made her own dress helped others in the congregation craft hats for the anniversary celebration.

STRAIGHTENING A TIE: Kathy Barclay assists her husband, Pastor George Barclay, as the Sunday service is about to start.

Posted Thursday, February 4, 2016 12:06 pm

By John Howell

There was a sound system and the lyrics to the hymns flashed on a screen at the altar, but there was an old time flavor to Sunday worship at Norwood Baptist Church, and for good reason. The church was celebrating its 125th anniversary. To mark the occasion parishioners dressed in clothing from the 1890s. In preparation, church women with the help of Wendy Fobert crafted hats for the big day.

A big event in church history, the fire of Christmas Day 1925, is still vivid to Olive Godwin Potts Kimball, who is now 98 years old. She said the fire burned uncontrolled as volunteer firefighters in a futile effort laid hoses from as far away as Sand Pond off Post Road in an effort to get water.

“We just watched it, everyone was so sad,” she said.

One parishioner, she said, raced into the burning church and saved the Bible used for services but, “It smelled so badly we didn’t use it.” The Bible is preserved in a case on display in the church today.

But Olive said there was no debate over rebuilding the church. She said the church deans met Christmas night and pledged to build a new church. She remembers her mother pledging $100, “a large sum in those days,” as wages at the nearby Universal Winding Company, where many were employed, was $14 a week.

“That’s what you had to bring up a family,” she said.

Over the years there have been many changes and renovations, Pastor George Barclay said in his remarks. He also talked of the church’s accomplishments and its mission citing the creation of the Warwick Family Shelter and mission to spread the word of Jesus. Pastor Barclay, who has guided the church for the past 22 years, also offered context to the 125 years, citing events of the founding year of 1891, including the first gasoline-power automobile, first eight-hour work day and first American Express checks.

And then Pastor Barclay broke one of his own rules. He asked the congregation what was the one stipulation he made when selected for the post. There was a moment of silence followed by “no robes” from one of the back pews.

“You remember,” he said from the pulpit. Then turning, he bent down a pulled a black robe and blue stole from a box. There were a few gasps of surprise. But then most of the parishioners had likewise turned back the clock.