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.