NOTE: A photo is available for use with this story.
A UMNS Feature By Stephen J. Hustedt*
Sometimes people are surprised when they learn just how far they can spread God's love and how important their day-to-day actions can be to others. In a small rural church located at an Illinois crossroads surrounded only by cornfields, this was exactly what happened.
Recently, Cottonwood United Methodist Church in rural Toledo, Ill., with a membership of only 35 people, accepted a new member as part of its family. Santokh Singh Bassi, known as Sam Bassi, flew more than 5,000 miles from England to attend the church Aug. 12.
Bassi, a British citizen whose parents were natives of Punjab in North India, learned of Cottonwood from Bertha Glosser Euell five years ago. Euell a third-generation member of the church founded in 1853, met Bassi while collaborating on a book project at her home in Florida. Although she was far away from Illinois, she remained fond of her first church home.
During their time together on the book project, Euell shared stories of the simple beauty and rustic charm of the small church in Illinois. She told Bassi stories of her childhood there. Mostly, however, Bassi recalls that she explained the feeling of God's love that flowed through the church and the members of the congregation.
Bassi treasured the idea of the church and told Euell that some day he would attend. This year he kept his promise to his friend, who died in 1999 at the age of 98.
On a warm August morning, Bassi walked through the doorway of Cottonwood. "The beauty and warmth of this small church went beyond even my highest expectations," he recalled. "I've been to older, much larger cathedrals in England and around the world but something about this church was simply awe-inspiring."
Bassi said the small congregation warmly welcomed him and he immediately felt at home. "It was then I realized this was not just about fulfilling a promise to my friend," he said. "This was the most important pilgrimage I'll ever make."
The church's stained-glass windows caught Bassi's eyes as he sat on one of the original pews in the 99-year-old building. "I could see God's love in those beautiful windows," he explained, "the love my friend Bertha told me about."
When the Rev. Tim Pearce invited people to join the church, Bassi stepped forward, realizing he was fulfilling a promise to himself and to God, as well as his friend Bertha. He expressed gratitude to the congregation and their forbearers who established the church nearly a century earlier.
"This was his decision," Pearce said. "Although this is a unique circumstance, like any other member of the church, we will help Sam grow in his faith and help him use his gifts for the Lord. We'll use letters and phone calls when there is no other way, but he also plans to attend our services as often as possible, which really makes the United Methodist worldwide mission more real to us."
The people of Cottonwood were as inspired by Bassi and his action as he was by them and their church. Members were impressed that their kindness and love of God could have extended to Florida and across the Atlantic.
"I think Bertha would be very proud," Bassi said. "Although this is a very old church, it was able to reach me this far away in this century. I hope it will always be preserved so others can have the same experience I did." # # #
*Hustedt is writer/assistant editor for Current, newspaper of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference.
