Photos by Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times

Susan Bruffey sings Sunday during a service at Montvale Presbyterian Church. The church was celebrating its 125th anniversary, and the congregation swelled from about a dozen people to about 100.

Porter Flynn, 9, sings during service Sunday at Montvale Presbyterian Church. The pastor said attracting young people has been difficult.

Worshippers leave the church Sunday. A nearby church, Villamont Presbyterian, canceled services to share Montvale's celebration.

Courtesy of Montvale Presbyterian Church

An early photo shows the church and the surrounding area. Many congregants wonder how to maintain vitality for another 125 years.

When Tom Bolick got up from his seat in the front row to greet the congregation Sunday, he saw something he hadn't seen in years: standing room only.

About 100 people were crammed into the tiny church to celebrate Montvale Presbyterian Church's 125th anniversary.

On a typical Sunday, about a dozen people are scattered throughout the pews.

"It looked great," Bolick said, after the 10:30 a.m. service. "To see all those people I haven't seen in years was just wonderful."

Bolick, an elder at Montvale Presbyterian, said that he has seen the church's population ebb and flow throughout his years of sitting in the wooden pews. His dad, John Bolick, was pastor from 1941 to 1947.

When Tom Bolick, now the meat manager of a Roanoke-area grocery store, was a young child, he often sat on the front row with his older brother, while their dad preached and their mom, who played both the piano and organ at the church for four decades, sat at one of the instruments.

Similar to many other small, rural churches, Montvale Presbyterian's congregation is literally dying out. As members age, the congregation has struggled to attract new members from younger generations. Many families have moved to larger neighboring communities, such as Roanoke, and don't return to their childhood congregation.

"It's indicative of a change in society today," said the Rev. Ken Rogers, a retired minister who has served as Montvale Presbyterian's pastor since 2006. "The young people don't stay in Montvale."

So as the community gathered to celebrate the longevity of the church, many were thinking about how to maintain vitality for another 125 years.

"Hopefully, something like this will generate a spirit that will carry us into the future," Bolick said. "I think what we did today by bringing so many people to this reunion will serve as the beginning of our rejuvenation."

Bolick's wife, Sherri Bolick, said that she could see the excitement on her husband's face as they got ready for Sunday's celebration.

"He was giddy," she said. "But that's what this is about. It's a constant rekindling of the spirit for each generation and that's what keeps a congregation alive."

Still, breathing new life into Montvale Presbyterian is going to take more than one joyous Sunday worship and luncheon, Rogers said.

"The reality is we're going to have to join with someone else," he said. "You've got to think outside the box because the old model that has sustained us and other churches like ours is not going to work."

Montvale Presbyterian is one of 138 churches in the Presbytery of the Peaks, which serves members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination in south-central Virginia. Of those, most are congregations with 50 members or fewer, said Nancy Dawson, who oversees the presbytery.

"So it's true of a lot of churches today that they have to be creative in finding new ways to stay vital and vibrant," she said.

Dawson, who gave the sermon Sunday, encouraged the congregation to use the excitement generated from celebrating the past accomplishments to propel members into ongoing ministry.

As much as the anniversary was marked by the challenges facing the dwindling congregation's future, the day was also one that celebrated friendship and community.

"The church is small, but it still has an impact in terms of ministering to people," Rogers said. "That's the nature of ministry, and that's the nature of a small town."

Villamont Presbyterian Church, located down the road from Montvale, canceled its services to share in the celebration.

"These two churches have had a history of cooperation," said the Rev. Hugh Springer, pastor at Villamont.

Like the Montvale congregation, Villamont Presbyterian is also small, averaging about 16 people in attendance. All 16 were at Montvale on Sunday.

For Fred Powers, Montvale Presbyterian is all about the people.

"I love the people up here," said Powers, who attended the church for 25 years. "They are the friendliest and nicest people I have ever run into."

Powers, 86, stopped attending Montvale about three years ago when the drive from his Bedford home became too much. While Powers said he was sad to see that many of his friends had died, he also said the friendly atmosphere remained.

"I couldn't wait for Sunday to come," he said.