Argillite Community Service Center on horizon
May 10—What once was the Argillite United Methodist Church will now be the Argillite Community Service Center.
A kickoff event is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The center is at 8091 Ky. 207 in Argillite. Lew Nicholls, chairperson of the center's board, said they aim to be up and running by mid-June. It is adjacent to the One Stop Grocery Store.
Roy Imel will provide food, which will be free. Kentucky Memories will supply live music.
The event will feature services, giveaways, gift card drawings and a bouncy house for children.
The community center will provide food, clothing and professional services year-round, according to an event flyer from the Northeastern Citizen Review Panel.
The United Methodist Conference gave the church building to the Greenup First United Methodist church "to establish a mission to assist local residents with food and clothing," according to Nicholls.
Greenup First UMC is leasing it to this nonprofit organization for $1 — one dollar — a year.
The Argillite Community Service Center is a joint effort by nine local churches — Argillite Nazarene, Wurtland United Methodist, Plum Grove Baptist, Greenup First UMC, Three Mile Christian Baptist, Hopewell Church, Christian Fellowship Church and Pumpkin Center Community Church.
The youth service centers of Wurtland Elementary, Argillite Elementary and Greysbranch Elementary are participating, too. Each school and youth service center has at least one representative on the board of directors.
Argillite-area residents will be welcome to visit the center for assistance with food, clothing and professional services.
The Argillite Community Service Center intends to open three days per week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The days have not yet been determined.
According to its board, the center's three-tiered purpose is: to "promote growth in Christian character and service through physical and basic needs, mental health needs, educational and employment needs, and social and spiritual needs; to provide a means whereby churches, agencies, businesses and individuals may become personally involved with the needs and work of the community in a concerned and sharing manner; and to help each child and adult alike to discover themselves as a person of genuine worth and value."
Citizens started the Argillite Methodist Church in 1910. The original building was a two-story wooden structure, which was torn down in 1982. A one-story brick structure replaced it. The congregation slowly dwindled until only one member remained.
In late 2023, according to Nicholls, the district superintendent of the Kentucky East District of the United Methodist Church offered to deed the church to Greenup First UMC.
(606) 326-2664 — asnyder@dailyindependent.com
