By SALINA POST
St. John's Missionary Baptist Church's 143rd anniversary this weekend will include a parade, a mortgage burning ceremony, church picnic, music, and church service.
The festivities will begin with a parade from 9-10 a.m. Saturday. According to information on the church's website, the parade is scheduled to begin in the 300 block of N. Ninth Street at the location of the former church site just north of Dairy Queen. Parade participants will then travel to the current church location at 215 S. Chicago Street. Participants are asked to assemble at 8 a.m.
"You can ride your bike, scooter, unicycle, ride in a car, walk, jog, run, or hop! We will be singing songs of praise, celebrating the goodness of God for bringing us this far by faith. There will also be a float and motorcycles traveling with us!" the church noted on its website.
The parade is scheduled to be followed by a mortgage burning ceremony from 10:30-11:30 a.m. to celebrate the church's paying off its mortgage. The church was forced to take out a mortgage to construct a new building at the S. Chicago Street site after a fire destroyed the N. Ninth Street church building on Nov. 26, 1999. The church paid off the loan in July, 22 years after it received the mortgage.
A church picnic will follow at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
According to information from the church, a Church Anniversary Musical is scheduled for 5-6:30 p.m. Saturday.
On Sunday, the church's Anniversary Service is scheduled for 10-11:45 a.m.
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