SIDNEY — “The Churches of Shelby County – Past and Present” will soon be available for purchase.

An endeavor of the Sidney and Shelby County Bicentennial Celebrations, the directory will contain demographic data and brief histories of nearly 70 active religious institutions within the borders of Shelby County. In addition, more than 40 bygone churches will be featured. This publication is meant to be the first edition of a living document, with yearly revisions on the horizon.

Many individuals, schools, and organizations have combined efforts to make “The Churches of Shelby County – Past and Present” a reality. Each and every school system in the county provided initial information on churches in their respective areas. Commissioner Tony Bornhorst, Pam Wagner and Jean Borgert researched several churches each. The staff of the Shelby County Historical Society, especially Jane Bailey, was instrumental in supplying needed background and in allowing the use of the phone app “Discover Shelby County History.” Creative Marketing Strategies, under the leadership of Mary Beth Monnier, put on the finishing touches by turning the raw material into book form. A tremendous debt goes to Steve and Peggy Baker for financing the project.

Order forms to purchase “The Churches of Shelby County – Past and Present” can be obtained by several means. Flyers will be emailed to churches. A second option is to visit the website of the Sidney Visitors Bureau, www.VisitSidneyShelby.com, where a link to the order form can be found on the home page. A third option is an online order form that can be found at www.visitsidneyshelby.com/unique-items-of-interest.

You may also contact Greg and Priscilla Wilt, editors of the directory. They are also available for any questions about the project or to offer suggestions for future editions. Look for them at [email protected] or 937-497-8118.

The cost of “The Churches of Shelby County – Past and Present” is $ 15. Sept. 1, 2020, is the deadline for ordering.