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Dr. Eaton, in his history of the Presbytery
of Erie, says: “This church is a colony from the first church of
Mercer.” It was organized October 20th, 1863, in the Congregational
Church, with forty-eight members, by a committee of the Presbytery of
Erie, consisting of A. C. Junkin
and J. W. McCune, ministers; and Joseph
Campbell, ruling elder; Messrs.
Elias Alexander, Joseph Fleming, and R. M. J. Zahniser were elected
ruling elders—the first being installed, and the latter ordained and
installed at that meeting.
On
the 28th of March, 1864, a call was extended to Rev. W. M. Robinson, who,
accepting, took charge of the congregation the first Sabbath of April,
following. At a
meeting of the Presbytery of Erie, in the old court house, at Mercer,
June 14th, 1864, Mr. Robinson was received from the Presbytery of
Washington, and on the next day was installed pastor.
In this service the Moderator of the
Presbytery, Rev. J. W. Dickey,
presided, and propose the constitutional questions.
Rev. A. C. Junkin preached the
sermon, Rev. J. W. McCune
delivered the charge to the pastor, and Rev. W.
P. Moore the charge to the people at first the
congregation worshiped in the Congregational Church, then in the court
house, until it was destroyed by fire, in February, 1866. The
Congregational Church, being without a pastor, again tendered the use
of its place of worship. The kindness has been frequently spoken of,
and was fully appreciated.
A
building committee, composed of Hon.
D. W. Findley, William Miller, William
B. Tate, R. M. Irwin, and R.
M. J. Zahniser, was appointed at congregational meeting,
held on the first Monday of February, 1865, when it had been resolved
to erect a church edifice. Among the foremost in their liberal
contributions, toward this object, were Andrew
Patterson, Hon. Wm. Stewart, and Mrs.
Amanda McGoffin [Magoffin]. At length, the present
spacious building. was completed, to the joy of both pastor and people,
and on the first Sabbath of January, 1867, it was formally dedicated.
In this service all the then resident ministers participated, the Rev. W. P. Moore, then of Oil
City, preaching the dedicatory sermon. The pastor, Mr. Robinson, after
the ground was staked off took a shovel, and went alone to the place,
and broke the first ground nearly under where the pulpit now strands, a
little to the front and right. The original cost of the building was
$11,500, and the repairs made since have amounted to $1,000 more. The
ladies of the church worked also, and to them much credit is due for
the present temple, which the congregation occupies. When Mr. Robinson
became pastor, the number of members was eighty, and during the eight
years of his pastorate, 179 persons were admitted.
The
present pastor, Rev. B. M. Kerr,
was installed September 5th, 1872 In this service, Rev. Dr. Eaton, of Franklin,
presided, preached, and pro posed the constitutional questions. Rev. J. W. McCune delivered the
charge to the pastor, and Rev. W.
M. Robinson the charge to the people. During his
pastorate, which has continued four years, there have been admitted
139. The whole membership of the church, Since its organization, is
389. The losses by deaths and removals have been heavy, and the present
membership is but about 250.
Since
the organization, Dr. Matthew
Woods, J. Newton Donaldson, John Miller, Joseph Junkin, Samuel F. Smith,
and Samuel G. Pew, have
been inducted into the office of ruling elder, while the congregation
has been deprived, during the time, of the services of three ruling
elders - - Joseph Fleming,
who was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church, and, at the
organization of the second church, was elected to the same office in
that, and who died October 8th, 1868; Dr.
Matthew Woods, who died December 16th, 1868; and John Miller, who was ordained
and installed elder February 2d, 1868, and died September 25th, 1871.
The private members who have passed away, or a few of them, were Andrew Patterson, who was one
of the original members, and died in August, 1869; Ralph L. Maxwell, also an
original members, who died in 1870, and his wife, who died in
September, 1874; Mrs. Amanda M.
Magoffin, who died December 19th, 1865.
For
our information regarding most of the churches of Mercer, we are
greatly indebted to Rev. Mr. Kerr,
who has kindly furnished us with the necessary data, and who has our
sincere thanks for his assistance.
History of Mercer County, 1877, page 106.
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