'It's challenging'; Fire disrupts church's large annual gathering

Aug. 9—SHENANGO TOWNSHIP — It's hard to grasp how disruptive and heartbreaking it was for the National Association of the Church of God to lose two campground buildings to fire on the eve of its annual gathering, where 500 people were expected.

For perspective, the church just honored a woman who attended their annual family camp for 97 consecutive years.

"That's how you know how important this gathering is," Sister Arnetta Bailey said.

Flames were visible on the first and second floors and shooting through the roof when Shenango Township Fire Chief Justin Barnes arrived shortly after the fire was reported at 2:10 a.m. Saturday. The 127-acre campground is at 410 Campground Road, on the west side of the Shenango River, about a mile an a half south of West Middlesex. The church has been in the area for 106 years, since 1916, and proudly boasts it is the oldest Black-owned campground in the United States.

The two buildings, which were a total loss, were connected. One building was the dining hall and the second a dormitory with 30 rooms.

The church has held an annual family camp every August, except during the pandemic for the past two years. The event attracted an average of 700 to 1,000 people before the pandemic, and they were expecting at least 500 people on Sunday.

Sister Bailey said they are still responsible for feeding the members attending the event.

"Individuals have been stepping in to help us," she said. "It's challenging."

Bailey said the loss of the food is disheartening, but they are really feeling the loss of the buildings.

"They represented our past in a significant way," she said. "They were named for some of our significant leaders that have passed on. That's really a loss for us."

There were only two people in the building at the time of the fire, since not everyone had started arriving for the event, and they got out without a problem.

It took more than 100 firefighters from Mercer County and neighboring Ohio about three hours to extinguish the fire, Barnes said. Barnes could not estimate a damage value.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, but not suspicious, Barnes said.

Shenango Township has opened the doors of its municipal building, which is about three and a half miles away, for the congregation to have gatherings

.

The congregation lacks a place to store food right now, but donations to replace the lost buildings are being accepted at the National Association of the Church of God campground, 400 Campground Road, West Middlesex, PA 16159.

Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com