Pine Grove Church is preparing to celebrate

ELKTON — Members of independent Baptist churches from the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware came to Pine Grove Church last Friday to bring the love of Jesus to the church and its neighbors.

“There are 420 churches in that convention,” said The Rev. Ben Eller, pastor of Pine Grove Church. “We help each other in various ways.”

Pine Grove Church is getting prepared for a New Church Celebration Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m. The church at 16 Carter Road started a new chapter May 26 with Eller coming on board as pastor and the congregation aiming its sights on “bringing a new light on the everlasting message; God loves us.”

Ahead of the celebration, which will include music by The Nottingham 4, BCMD volunteers descended on the church to help spruce up the sanctuary. Coming from Severn, Md., Salisbury, Md., Bowie, Md., Baltimore and Mt. Airy, Md., more than a dozen people were at the church last week accepting jobs such as painting the walls and caulking the windows in the sanctuary or traveling to surrounding communities to meet the people that live nearby and to distribute information about the church.

Even though he had been attending the church, Eller was just elected its pastor in April. He said he was friends with The Rev. Ted Tharpe, who had retired previously.

“They were without a pastor since the first of February,” Eller said. Even though he was serving as a supply pastor, Eller said he did not jump at the chance to be the full time pastor of Pine Grove right away. “But I finally said yes.”

In 1974, he was a member of the Pine Grove congregation when he answered the call to ministry. Before coming to Pine Grove as its pastor earlier this year, Eller would worship with that congregation and help in other ways. However, he was also active at Wrightsdale Baptist Church and Wesley Church; both in Quarryville, Pa.

“Wesley has a very vibrant mission work,” he said, adding he also still joins in the early morning prayer service at Wesley.

Eller said, although he’s always been a man of faith, a massive heart attack and four bypasses in October 2022 changed his life.

“Me and the Lord got real close,” Eller said of those six months of recuperation. “I’d wake up at 1 a.m. and just start talking to Him.”

It was during those early morning conversations that he agreed he would do more for the church.

“It was time to get back in the saddle,” he said.

In the months since he took the pulpit Eller said the church has grown and more people are coming to their Sunday morning services that include Cross Training at 9:15 and worship that begins at 10:30.

Last Friday morning found Eller directing traffic in the sanctuary, directing those who were painting, caulking and cleaning and handing out maps to those going door to door.

“They’ve been very good to us,” Eller said. “God is moving in unbelievable ways.”

Pine Grove Church will have its usual worship service Sunday Oct. 20 at 10:30. There will be a Meet & Greet at 1:30 and a Celebration Day Gathering starting at 2 p.m. with lots of singing, featuring The Nottingham 4.