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VOL. 15, NO. 22

NEWS

Bells make a pealing 'noise' for God in Frederick

By Melissa Lauber
UMCONNECTION STAFF

MELISSA LAUBER/UMCONNECTION

Ringers from the National Cathedral sound the Calvary Memorial Peal

'Holy noise' poured forth from Calvary UMC in Frederick Nov. 7, as the church introduced its new set of bells. They rang not just for a moment or two, but for three hours.

The peal bells, the only ones of their type east of the Mississippi River and one of only 40 in North America, fulfilled a 70-year old dream of the congregation. When the church was built in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, the 90-foot bell tower in the church remained an empty chamber, said Nancy Crum, who chaired the church's Peal Bell Committee.

The eight new bells connected the past and present congregations 'with a rich cascade of sound that reaches to heaven, transcending time and space,' Crum said.

Imported from the John Taylor Bell foundry in Loughborough, England, the bells are hung in sturdy cast iron frames that allow them to swing a complete 360 degrees, said Joyce Friel, the church administrative assistant.

This franchise has been continuously casting bells since the 14th century. Calvary purchased the eight bells, which range in size from 331 to 1,082 pounds, for more than $155,000.

MELISSA LAUBER

Calvary UMC's rare peal bells ring out creating 'holy noise.'

During the dedication ceremony, the Rev. Kenneth Dunnington, pastor, pointed out that bells were originally used to call people to the baths or to market. In the eighth century, bells were a mandated part of church architecture. Bells were so important they were named and baptized with the sprinkling of holy water, Dunnington said.

Over the centuries they rang out in celebration and mourning, adding a church's voice to the collective voices of its members. They also let people know 'this is God's holy time and called them to worship,' Dunnington added.

Today, the Calvary bells 'remind everyone who hears (them) that Calvary Church is located at Second Street and Bentz Avenue. We are a place open for business,' he said, 'God's business.'

Members of the community have also expressed interest in the bells and have been invited to join the team of church members being trained in how to ring. 'They're learning the ropes together, no pun intended,' said the Rev. Kathryn Woodrow, associate pastor. 'The camaraderie of ringing is going to be a very positive thing.'

The peal bells were chosen, Woodrow said, to add to the bells that already ring throughout the city of Frederick. Across the street in Baker Park there is a carillon. There are also tolling bells and chimes nearby.

Out of a concern for the noise level in the residential neighborhood, the church installed the bells below the opening of the bell tower and installed a closeable sound lantern to ensure they were in compliance with town decibel-level regulations.

But they don't intend to dampen the spirit of the bells. Quite the opposite.
Bells are often our best preachers, said Dunnington, quoting poets William Wordsworth, John Donne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. They deliver sermons, prayers and calls to faith. 'Incarnation is a matter for bells,' he said. 'We will not be silent, even as the voice of God will not be silent.'

On their dedication day, the bells rang for three hours. In the future, they will toll for weddings, funerals, and on special days in the liturgical year. 'May these bells ring out loud and long,' said Dunnington. 'We're here to make some noise, and not just any noise. We're here to make holy noise. That's what bells do best. ? They make holy noise for God, for us and for humanity.'