Without the hard work and dedication of Dr. George Burrows and former councillor Ken Smockum, Egypt’s Church of the Nazarene would look a lot different than it does today, if it in fact even still existed.
A full-house congregation was told Sunday that as members of Georgina Council in the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Burrows and Mr. Smockum worked overtime to convince their reluctant colleagues to sell town land to the church first for its expansion, then for a house for the pastor’s family.
Built first as a Presbyterian church in 1898, the church became a Church of the Nazarene in 1948, Pastor Doug Neufeld said.
As the years past, so did the number of people coming to the church, making an expansion to include a hall, kitchen, Sunday school room and washrooms critical.
The problem was coming up with the money for the adjoining land — land that a majority of Georgina council members wanted sold at market value, which the congregation could not afford.
After much lobbying, then Mayor Burrows and Councillor Smockum finally convinced council members to sell the church the land for the token sum of $1, including all land transfer taxes.
That brought “a tremendous feeling of relief and raucous rejoicing,” Mr. Neufeld said.
The sod turning ceremony for the extension took place April 16, 1978.
“Thank God for these two gentlemen who made it possible,” he said.
The next goal was to acquire another adjoining parcel as a much-needed home for the church pastor four years later.
Again, some member of Georgina council insisted it be sold for market value.
Again, it was a price beyond the reach of the congregation.
“It was an anxious time for Egypt church,” Mr. Neufeld said.
The plans were dropped.
Then, in 1987 a For Sale sign appeared on the property and they decided to try again.
Fortunately, in the interim, Dr. Burrows had been re-elected mayor and joined Mr. Smockum on the new council and the church had two powerful allies in their quest to obtain the land.
It was going to be a tough fight.
The land now was worth “considerably more” than in was in 1982 and some council members wanted the going price.
Dr. Burrows and Mr. Smockum went to work once again, finally convincing council, after a late-night session at the civic centre to sell the church the land.
“We can hardly imagine the spirit of discussion at that council meeting,” Mr. Neufeld said smiling.
Dr. Burrows made a call to the home of a church board member after midnight.
“I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news,” Dr. Burrows announced. “The good news is you can buy the land from the town.
“However, the bad news is you’ll have to pay twice as much for it.”
The congregation exploded in laughter.
That, Mr. Neufeld said, is how the Egypt Church of the Nazarene managed to acquire all that it wanted “for a three dollar bill.”
The sod turning for the house took place Sunday, May 16, 1987 and became home to current Pastors Doug and Jeannie Neufeld and their children.
In accepting his Lifetime Community Service Award, Mr. Smockum told the congregation he wants to share his honour with the community.
Dr. Burrows recalled how fellow Sutton Hunt Club member Frank Culverwell related one night around the campfire that the United Church was thinking of selling the Egypt church but that he insisted it remain a community church, thus ensuring the very existence of the Egypt Church of the Nazarene in future.
As part of honouring Dr. Burrows and Mr. Smockum with community service award, the church also made financial contributions to the medical plan for Nazarene missionaries, Mr. Neufeld said.