Mercer County PAGenWeb

and women of strong faith and consecrated live, whose hearts were full of love, for the old church and who were determined us give it a brighter future.  God was with men and gave them their hearts desire.  It would be pleasant to call the roll of  this little company.  Most of them have joined the fellowship of the glorified.  Not one of the session of 1866 and but one of the session of 1876 is now living. 

The music was a problem in the beginning of this pastorate.  Much of it was what Macauley calls "Sanctimonious jargon."  In the praise service there seemed to be as many tunes as voices, But the first year gave us a fine precentor and a splendid choir.  The prayer meeting was only a handful of people gathered in private houses.  The Sabbath school numbered but twenty five pupils, with three teachers.  The former soon became the leading influence in church life, and the latter in a few years enrolled 300 members.

The erection of the present [1901] church building was the beginning of new power in the congregation.  "The Old Seceder Church" so often applied to us as a term

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James W. Christy

Mrs. James Stewart

Mrs. Mary L. Christy