There will be a chicken in almost every pot belonging to the women of Bethany United Methodist Church this week, as they simmer 40 hens in preparation for their annual Perlieu Stew fund-raiser.

The dinner, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 6 from 3 - 7 p.m. at the church, 607 Rivers Road in Fayetteville, is a 100-year tradition.

Pastor the Rev. Bruce Bunten said the event, always in late October or early November, corresponds to the hunting season. “It used to be a wild game stew,” he said. Today, it is a chicken-based dish, similar to Brunswick stew, Bunten explained. All the ingredients are donated, including the 40 pounds of tomatoes, 11.5 gallons of tomatoes, 15 pounds of onions and 10 pounds of rice.

“The whole church gets involved,” noted Peggy Ballard, a member of the United Methodist Women and a key organizer for the stew benefit.

While she concedes it takes a lot of work to make four large cast iron pots of soup over a fire, Ballard adds, ”Believe it or not, it's really a lot of fun. In those pots we have paddles, they're like boat oars,” she explained. Members of the church take turns stirring the stew and people end up talking about everything, Ballard said. “One time you go out there and they're talking about politics; the next time you go out there and they're talking about something else. Fellowship has got to be 90 percent of it. There's a lot of love that goes into that stew,” Ballard said.

Bunten agreed, ”Folks laugh and joke and get to know each other and get acquainted.”

The actual cooking takes place in the “stew room,” a covered area that features a barbecue pit and room for four huge pots. Bethany United Methodist Church is one of the oldest churches in Fayette County and is probably the only one with a stew room.

Ballard said the stew tradition has been carried on seamlessly since the church was founded. “I don't think we have ever missed a year, with maybe the exception of the war years.” She has been a member of the Bethany congregation for 26 years and grew up in neighboring Union City. Her son Donnie, 26, has eaten perlieu from the time he was seven months old. “My son absolutely loves it. He'll sit and eat it until he can't eat anymore,” she said.

In addition to the stew, a plate contains a serving of cole slaw, white bread and potato chips. A drink and dessert selection is included in the price. The cost of a meal is $6 for adults and $3.50 for children. Proceeds go toward the UMW mission project.

Back to News Home Page | Back to the top of the page