On Sunday mornings, hymns can now be heard once again from the Pittman Park United Methodist Church’s historic bell tower on Fair Road. 

Congregants are serenaded beginning at 10:30 a.m. until the traditional worship service begins at 11 a.m. The melody reaches beyond the church campus to neighbors and passers-by.

Rev. Dr. Jonathan Smith, senior pastor of Pittman Park said: “Using our bell tower is a unique way to welcome people to worship and signal joy and hope to those around us. It’s been a long road, but thanks to the Memorial Committee and some generous donors we were able to get this project completed.”

The bell tower was constructed in 1956 along with the original sanctuary, but it has been out of use for several decades. In order to make it operational, the congregation installed new equipment at the top of the tower. 

Rather than ringing physical bells, the tower broadcasts from their sanctuary’s organ. The congregation also installed computer software that allows the organ to be operated automatically so the instrument can be heard even when there is no organist to manually operate it. 

August 4 was the inaugural Sunday for both the bell tower and the new automatic organ.