MANSFIELD: Church plans 80th oyster dinner

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
MANSFIELD — A local church will be celebrating its 80th year of serving oyster dinners to the community this Saturday.
"The oyster supper started approximately 80 years ago," Lori Ann Nixon, chairwoman, said in an email Sunday. "It was initially a chicken supper, but was changed to an oyster supper during the Great Depression. Chicken was too expensive so members of the church decided that oysters were not only something different, but it was cheaper, especially since, back then, the bays were abundant with seafood."
The Hedding Church was founded and supported by the farming community, which believed church dinners were a great time for fellowship and community outreach, she said.
The supper will be held at the church at 2289 Old York Road in Columbus. Seating starts at 3:30 p.m. and continues every half an hour until 7 p.m. Pre-purchased takeout is available between 2:30 and 3:15 p.m.
Tickets are available for purchase at $24 per adult and $10 for children 6 to 12. Suppers for ages five 5 and under are free. The dinner will be family style.
For reservations, contact Claudia Teal at 609-324-0729.
In the early years, the supper would be serviced twice a year.
"Over the years since 1934, some things have changed, but not the quality and quantity of food or the hospitable, friendly atmosphere surrounding everyone," Jean Johnson said in a press release. "You no longer wait in line for a table, but now make reservations. Takeout dinners are also now ready for pickup one hour prior to dining room serving. Turkey salad has been added to the dinner with the oysters."
The ticket prices have increased from 1934 when an adult ticket cost 75 cents, and a child’s ticket cost 40 cents, she added.
Ms. Nixon said it became an annual event in the 1960s.
"Over the years, the church has perfected the way the fried oysters are cooked as well as our homemade turkey salad," she said. "The turkey salad is a church event. The homemade salad requires approximately 750 pounds of cooked turkey using fresh whole turkeys and homemade mayonnaise."
She said it takes several members of the church to prepare the turkey salad.
"The supper also includes our famous pepper relish, with the recipe being passed down for over five generations," she said. "In addition to the supper, takeout is offered to ensure shut-ins in the community are able to enjoy the annual meal."
The event requires all members of the church to participate in some capacity. Ms. Nixon has been overseeing the dinner since 2009.
"Any money raised from the dinner goes to continuing the church’s mission work to include supporting the local soup kitchens, HomeFront in Trenton, adult Bible study, vacation Bible school, our Sunday school program and youth mission camps," she said.
For Ms. Nixon the highlight of the dinner is seeing members of the community.
"It is like a reunion," she said. "It is place where people who have not seen each in a year can have fellowship with one another."