Tractors roll into Lewes church for annual blessing
They came in red, blue, green, gray and even a pink one.
Farm tractors made their way down Robinsonville Road outside Lewes to the Israel United Methodist Church on Plantation Road. Oct. 13 was the annual Harvest Day Drive Your Tractor to Church event.
A total of 23 tractors started the journey at the Rabbit’s Ferry Community Center, their drivers dressed in Sunday-finest farm attire.
The Rev. Marjorie Belmont led a prayer circle and blessing of the tractors. She said it is an important tradition for the church.
“It is not just the harvest, farming, but also the harvest of souls,” said Belmont, church pastor. “We’ve seen where this has helped men gather together for Bible study and learn more about the Lord.”
Ralph Gooch was a novice driver behind the wheel of his tractor.
“I had my first lesson yesterday and I made it, Gooch said.
After church, the tractors returned to the community center for brunch.
Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.
