Church receives founding minister’s Bible

The congregation of the Solon Center Wesleyan Church, on Algoma at 19 Mile Rd, received a very special gift last Sunday, August 22, when the great-granddaughter of their very first minister presented Pastor Douglas DiBell with the very Bible used by Rev. Edwin Potter, the church’s founding minister.

Church historian Kathy Mabie had been researching the church’s history, and that of Rev. Potter, when she received a surprise email from Jayne LeClaire, Potter’s great-granddaughter, who lived in New York. She had Rev. Potter’s Bible that she wanted to give to the church, and to Mabie’s surprise, the Bible was a treasure trove of information about the founding of the church. Pasted in the front of the Bible was an article outlining the church history in a letter he wrote to the Michigan conference.

Mabie told the story last Sunday of Rev. Potter’s work and his sudden death, which happened as he was literally in the pulpit one February day in 1884.  On hand last Sunday for the special service was Jayne LeClaire, her son in law, 2 daughters and 3 granddaughters, all from New York, to participate in the occasion.  Not only did they present the Bible, but they also gave as mementos some mother of pearl buttons from the vest Rev. Potter wore on the very day he died.

Those who would like to hear the interesting story of the Solon charge can go the church’s website at soloncenterwesleyanchurch.org, and scroll down and click on “Hear Us Online,” and then click o “Leaving a legacy.”