300th Anniversary bits and pieces.

(The following were received in response to an invitation for readers to submit milestone anniversaries in 2008, during the church’s 300th Anniversary. E-mail cobnews@brethren.org to submit significant anniversaries of other institutions related to the Church of the Brethren.)

• Spring Creek Church of the Brethren in Hershey, Pa., is celebrating its 160th year in conjunction with the 300th Anniversary of the Church of the Brethren. Both will be celebrated in worship on August 3.
  
  
• The 100th anniversary of the initiation of construction of the Brethren church building in Valsad, India, was celebrated in May with several hundred people present, reported Asha Solanky, who recently returned from a visit to India where she participated in the celebration. Discussions about building a church there began in 1906. The Brethren decided to build a brick church with the first monetary contribution coming from D.L. Miller. Construction began in 1908 and was overseen by Solanky’s great-grandfather Valji Govindji Solanky nee Mistry (Carpenter). He was a contractor and did much building for the mission, and oversaw the repair and maintainence of the Valsad church throughout his lifetime. "It was a grand celebration beginning with the worship service on Sunday, May 12, and extending to a musical program on Monday evening," she said. "All classes of the Vacation Bible School had their own acts, as did the Women's Fellowship, the choir, and the elders. The guest of honor was Anandiben Satvedi Solomon, the oldest member of the Valsad congregation and the India Brethren at age 94. She is a spry and sharp young lady who wrote and read her own account of the Brethren Church."
  
  
• Herman Kauffman, executive minister for Northern Indiana District, contributed this note: "While not exactly a Brethren institution, the Chicago Cubs last won a World Series in 1908 during the Brethren Bicentennial year. This makes 2008 the 100th anniversary of the Cubs’ last World Series Championship. Perhaps the Cubs can contribute to our Tricentennial year as they did to our Bicentennial year!"

Source: 6/4/2008 Newsline