Thirty-eight years after he began his ministry at Peniel Evangelical Friends Church in Onemo, Pastor Tom Steel has retired, and with his retirement this past Sunday, the doors of the 105-year-old church closed for the last time.
Speaking in the final days of his ministry last week, Steel said that neither he nor the church had ever been through anything like what they were experiencing, and it was something that “one doesn’t relish.” But he emphasized that closing the doors to the church didn’t mean closing the doors on a deep connection with God.
“We still feel God is with us, and we’re being cared for,” he said.
Steel’s wife Jean said the couple’s commitment to God was the same no matter what their situation in life might be.
“We have the responsibility to live as Christians whether he’s in the pulpit or not,” she said, to which her husband added, “The work is not finished with closed doors; it continues with open hearts.”
Steel said the church was closing because the congregation ha...