An Open House and Historical Marker Unveiling was held on Saturday, May 23 to commemorate Tonopah’s St. Mark’s Church as a place of worship for 120 years.

TONOPAH — The cornerstone for St. Mark’s P.E. Church in Tonopah was laid in 1906 and 120 years later, this historical structure continues to offer a place of worship for the people of the area.

Now owned by Tonopah Community Church, St. Mark’s has never swayed from its mission of providing spiritual refuge and in honor of its longstanding service as a church, an Open House and Historical Marker Unveiling was held on Saturday, May 23.

To promote the event beforehand, Tonopah Community Church took part in the Jim Butler Days Parade that morning, with a float decked out in balloons, confetti, cutouts depicting the much-admired stained-glass windows and even a small bell mirroring the larger version that graces the church.

The open house kicked off at 2 p.m., giving residents and those visiting for Jim Butler Days the chance to see for themselves the beauty of this stone church with its gothic touches and stained-glass windows. Pop-up tents and seating were arranged in front of the fellowship hall, with lunch and refreshments available to all. Pastor Jim Galli offered rides in his classic Ford Model A and there was plenty of conversation as people chatted about the church’s history and its impact on the community over the course of more than a century.

Two of Tonopah Community Church’s congregants, husband and wife Karim and Kirk Greber, were helping to keep the open house flowing smoothly but the two took a few minutes to speak with the Times-Bonanza during the celebration.

“We just wanted to promote the church and its history and to promote the Lord, as well,” Karmin said of the day’s activities. “That’s something that is important to us, our faith, and to put it out there that we’re here help.”

St. Mark’s previously belonged to the Episcopal Church, which had shared the space with Tonopah Community Church for many years.

“We’ve been here almost 20 years now,” Kirk detailed. “Karmin and I actually got married here 17 years ago, it was amazing. And there were a lot of people who wanted to buy this place but the Episcopal Church said they wanted us to have it and they really wanted it to stay a church. So last year, we were able to buy it and we’re very happy to have it. This church is very special.”

St. Mark’s P.E. Church is one of the oldest stone buildings in Tonopah that is still in use today, with stonemason E.E. Burdick - who built several other structures in Tonopah - responsible for its stone work. The single-story building features a basement, gabled roof and gabled entry overhead with decorative gothic arches. The large bell hanging outside is rung seven times every Sunday as Sunday school lets out, with the youngsters rotating the honor of creating the resonating sound that rings out each week. In 1982, it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places and a historical marker now formally commemorates that fact.

Inside, the basement functions as a place for Sunday School and a nursery, both of which Karmin organizes, Kirk explained as he led the Times-Bonanza around the structure. The basement also houses the pump for the pipe organ, one of the oldest still-functioning instruments of its type in the state. On the main level, the complex inner-workings of the mechanism that operate the pipe organ can be seen, with Kirk pointing out various elements.

“We had to remove some pews to make room for the pipe organ,” he remarked. “So, you can see, we’ve got all these wood pieces and wires, keys and foot pedals. We had to do a little maintenance up here at the top because some stoppers had come off. And the metal pipes come in to here.”

There is a side room off of that main space where Communion is held once a month, as well as a storage area that contains a stockpile of Bibles, so anyone who needs one can go to St. Mark’s and receive one, at no cost. “If you want a Bible, we’re going to make sure you have one,” Kirk emphasized.

As the tour wrapped up, Kirk and Karmin both reiterated the Tonopah Community Church message of nondenominational acceptance of every person who walks through the doors.

“We are a loving church, we welcome everyone,” Kirk remarked. “The first thing I do when someone new walks in is, I say, ‘Hey, how are you doing? Where are you from?’ And our church has grown so much! For the past year, we’d been praying for young families, because we’re all getting older. So, we’ve been blessed to have new families with young children and babies and we just love it.”

“We cherish the people who come, we really have a deep affection for everyone,” Karmin added. “There are several people in our congregation who have been through some really rough times and we’ve just been able to shoulder it with them. We’re all here to support each other. Just come on in.”

For more on Tonopah Community Church’s services and activities, visit TonopahChurch.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com