SMITHSBURG - The countdown began at 10.
When it was done, Pastor Gerry Johnson took a pie to the face. And then another.
"It's not funny," the pastor joked Saturday, as members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Smithsburg and visitors chuckled at his chocolate-smeared face.
The event was part of the church's Chocolate Festival fundraiser.
The money will help pay for a mission trip to New York for some of the church's younger members.
While on the trip, they will help renovate homes for people who might not otherwise be able to afford the repairs, Johnson said.
The festival, in its second year, also was an opportunity "to open us up to the community," Johnson said.
"Our church is really striving to be active in the community," he said.
Johnson said he thought a chocolate-themed event would be a good way to evangelize and bring people together at church.
"Chocolate, I think, is a common denominator," he said. "It's very inviting ... You say chocolate to someone, and they think of fun. I think church should be fun."
