EASLEY — When members of Arial Baptist Church began making plans for its 80th anniversary celebration, the idea of building a tower to house the bell that was part of its former facility was considered.

The bell had been removed from the church’s former building and stored on the back porch of its current facility back in 2003.

But when the members searched for the bell, they found that it was no longer on the porch, nor in any of the church’s storage facilities. Apparently, the 500-pound bell had been taken from the back porch by somebody.

Members worried that the bell, which many remembered hearing each Sunday morning as a reminder of the day’s services, had been sold for scrap metal to some junk yard.

Michelle Earnest was one church member who refused to give up on the bell. She contacted The Easley Progress and arranged for a story to be printed about the church’s dilemma.

The story helped connect church officials with a local man who had the bell in his garden as a decoration. He had picked up the bell at a scrap metal place, and prayed that some day he could return it to its rightful owners.

Once the man contacted the church, members retrieved the bell, cleaned it thoroughly, and returned it to its metal frame, which was still in storage at the church.

Sunday the church held a special service marking its 80th anniversary, looking back on a body of believers who have made a joyful noise in the community in more ways than just through the bell.

Arial was the first church in the county to provide a ministry to deaf people, beginning that mission in 1963.

The ministry has been very successful, with many deaf residents of Pickens County understanding the Gospel through its teaching. The ministry has produced missionaries who have touched lives across the world.

The church took time to look at other ministries it is involved in.

Dr. Danny Parton, pastor of Arial Baptist Church, shared the toy of the beginnings of what is now known as the REAP Churches in Pickens County.

The REAP concept is one in which local churches combine efforts in several projects annually in order to be of greater service to the community.

The original four churches involved, accounting for their names were Rices Creek Baptist, Enon Baptist, Arial Baptist and Prater’s Creek.

In the ensuing years, Rices Creek dropped out of the alliance, but Daystar and Corinth No. 1 joined. Projects the REAP churches have sponsored include revivals and an annual Thanksgiving meal for the community.

The pastors of the REAP churches still meet every Wednesday for prayer and planning.

Another of the churches missions began in 2004. Pam Smith, who grew up attending Arial Baptist, became a missionary with the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board, and was assigned to Montana.

Through Smith, Arial Baptist began sending a team to Montana annually for a week of mission work.

Along the way, Arial has invited members of other churches to go on the mission trip with them. Members of Cedar Rock Baptist Church in Easley who have participated in the Montana Mission Trip have put together a group that will become that church’s first Montana Mission team for a separate trip this year.

Other home missions featured in the service included FAITH, a group that visits local homes each week; CARE, a group that sends between 35 and 45 cards each week to members of the community; the Women’s Mission Union; the Men’s Ministry, The Clothes Closet and the Jolly Sixties.

The Grace Gang — Arial Baptist’s unique children’s group — sang their theme song (to the tune of the Theme from the Addams Family) for the service.

The church’s bus/van ministry brings in between 150 and 200 children to each week’s Wednesday night services.

Parton challenged the church to be faithful in its service to the community and to God.

“Faith is obedience to whatever God initiates through His Word,” Parton said.

Church members and guests adjourned from the service to go outside for the dedication ceremony for the restored bell.

Joan Gilstrap read a few poems for the occasion, including “Michelle, Michelle, Where is the Bell?” written by Linda Hudson. The poem made light of the dedication Earnest had in finding the bell.