Smithville Tradition Continued, Oak Grove Performed Handel's Messiah

Oak Grove Mennonite Church of Smithville presented selections from Handel's Messiah on Sunday afternoon, drawing a capacity crowd for the congregation's 94th annual performance. The program, offered free to the community with a freewill offering accepted to defray expenses, combined professional soloists, an orchestra, and an approximately 80 member choir composed of both professional and local singers.

Guest conductor Brian Wiebe of Goshen, Indiana led the orchestra with Amy Glick Helmuth serving as concertmaster. Soloists included Lara Troyer, Hannah Rowlands, Brian Keith Johnson and Tim Culver. Additional instrumentalists and vocalists from the region joined the ensemble, giving the program a mix of seasoned professionals and community musicians. The church announcement stated, "Handel's 'Messiah' will be performed Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m."

The performance took place at Oak Grove Mennonite Church, 7843 Smucker Road in Smithville, and ran in the mid afternoon slot that traditionally brings together families and older residents who have supported the event for decades. Organizers and performers emphasized accessibility by keeping admission free and relying on voluntary contributions to cover costs, a funding model that allows broad attendance but also places pressure on local volunteer networks and donor generosity.

For Holmes County the concert is more than seasonal entertainment. The long running series functions as a cultural anchor, sustaining musical training opportunities for local singers and instrumentalists and bringing visitors into the town center on a winter weekend. Its persistence over nearly a century underscores the civic role of local congregations in providing public cultural goods at a time when small town arts funding is limited.

Looking forward, the event raises practical questions for community planners and arts supporters about sustaining such traditions. Continued success will depend on volunteer capacity, local fundraising, and the ability of institutions like Oak Grove to balance community access with the rising costs of hiring professional musicians.