The History of Westminster United

Presbyterian Church

Compiled by Pastor Jordan Rimmer to Celebrate 50 Years on Oak Hill.

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Introduction

When we look at the history of Westminster United Presbyterian Church we find a rich

history. This church has gone through many changes and adaptations. Our earliest records show

that Bible studies that would become our church began as early as 1801. We have worshipped

under 7 names and in as many locations. We have had 25 pastors not included supplies that

came and went during several periods. We have burned to the ground and we have come up

from the ashes. We have impacted our community and one another. And Christ has received

glory in our work.

This telling of our history grew out of several events. First, 2014 marks the 50 year

anniversary of our location on Oak Hill. In celebrating that event I thought it was important to

collect some of the history that has been lost or is being lost with our saintly members. This

study was propelled forward as I found a combination to a safe that our church had but that no

one remembered how to open. While we hoped to find money or stock, we found treasure in its

own right in the form of lost historical documents. Later, in reading old session minutes, I

discovered that in the late 1960’s the session of Westminster sent its old records to the

Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia for safe keeping. These records dating all the

way back to 1860 were assumed lost in the fire.

The world seems to be changing very quickly as we celebrate our 50 year anniversary on

Oak Hill. We have a tendency to want to cling to the way things have always been. But what

we find in our history is that times have always been changing and

so has our church.

Perhaps you are new to Westminster. Many who are part

of this church today do not have the same last name as someone in

these pages of history. While this may not be your family

heritage, please understand that this is your spiritual heritage.

God has brought you to this community and you are part of God’s

work in our church so this is also your history.

I would also like to say a word of thanks to those who have

captured this history at key points in time such as several of our

church anniversaries. Especially valuable was the document

prepared for the 125th anniversary, the handwritten history read

Cover for the 125th

anniversary celebrationdrawn by Clara Dalbey

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by Miss Jessie Cuthbertson at the 100th anniversary, the handwritten letter by Mr. Thomas

Kennedy that was written for the 100th anniversary when he could not attend in person, and the

handwritten history from our oldest membership register. John Hickey also saved a lot of this

history. This history would have been lost had those people not captured their memories and

stories. Most of their testimony can be read in the Historical Documents section at the back of

this history. Also included after the history of the church is a section of Historical Fact that

includes a detailed Timeline. Finally, there is a section of memories of current and past church

members.

As your read this history, I would encourage you to read it as 2 stories. One is the story

of a church that changed and adapted, rose to challenges, and persevered to have an impact on its

member and on the community. On another level this is also God’s story. It is a story of God’s

action to protect, lead, and work through a group of people. It is our church’s history, but it is

also His-story.

As we begin, it is important to note that the church now known as Westminster United

Presbyterian Church of New Brighton was formed from two different churches—the Associate

Church and the Associate Reformed Church. These two denominations merged in 1858. Until

that point these churches had different histories. While a great deal of history is preserved about

our church, some of the details are collected from memories and stories passed down. Some

dates and details are recorded with slight differences at different times.

The Associate Church

The Chartiers Presbytery of the Associate Presbyterian Church received a petition asking

for supply preaching for this area in 1801. Records show that The Associate Church first met on

the fourth Sunday in November of 1801. In 1803 some of those who were part of that

community began meeting in the home of James Kennedy on “a farm adjoining the Warnock

Estate to the left of New Castle Road and on the hill across the creek from Homewood.” That

congregation met informally and with various supply pastors off and on until a congregation was

officially formed about 1825.

Records recount the earliest pastor of the Associate Church in New Brighton. David

Imbrie is described in this way in the history read at the 100th Anniversary of 1925:

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It is said that Mr. Imbrie was a very large man, weighing over 300 pound; and whengoing any distance always took two horses. He would ride up to a house and get theinmates to assist him in changing horses, for if not careful, he would fall off on the otherside.

Reverend John France settled in this area around 1819 to work with some other churches

but began to hold services in the neighborhood. His preaching station began to grow into a

congregation. This was problematic because this area was within the bounds of the Ohio

Presbytery and he was supposed to be serving closer to Butler in the Chartiers Presbytery. It was

considered an “encroachment” on the other Presbytery, but the resistance did not prevail because

of the success of the blossoming church. Rev. France remained pastor until 1841.

The Associate Church is also sometimes called the “seceder” church. One might assume

this to be related to the Civil War until noticing that this term predates the Civil War. It is

actually related to the denomination’s connections to its Scottish heritage. In 1732 a fight broke

out in the Church of Scotland about nominating pastors. When a minister named Ebenzer Eskine

wanted to have his dissent recorded it was not allowed based on a ruling in 1730. When he

preached against this action in October of 1733, he was censured. Other pastors came to support

him, but the assembly held their ground. In 1733 these pastors and their churches formed a new

presbytery later called the Associate Presbytery later called the Associate Synod. The Associate

Church in New Brighton was known to be of this tradition and regularly referred to as the

“seceder” church.

In 1830 a house of worship was built near the brickyard between Grove Cemetery and the

New Castle Road. The location is also described as being at the end of Fourth Street overlooking

Grove Cemetery. This was the first church of any denomination to be built in New Brighton

though the town of New Brighton was not officially formed until 1838. At this time, the

church’s name changed to New Bethel, though the name “seceder church” was also commonly

used. This church location later became a home. The building is also referred to as “The

Church in the Wildwood.”

Thomas Kennedy in his letter for the 100th anniversary leaves the best description we

have of that worship space:

To return to the old meeting house, the furnishings of the interior were of a very primitivecharacter, to be sure there was quite a respectable pulpit at the end opposite the entrance,this was rather high and entered by steps on one side, but as to pews there were none,instead there were rough benches made of plank with holes bored at either end for the

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insertion of legs, a back made of a couple of slats running lengthwise, fastened to supportsand rudely constructed ends. This seating served the purpose all the time that thecongregation occupied the old church and was subsequently brought in to the new churchon the hill at Tenth St. and was used there until a modern system of pews was installed.The only other furniture was a few chairs in front of the pulpit and the Communion tablesand seating which later were stored in the left of the building through a small door abovethe entrance.

Thomas Kennedy also recalls vividly his impressions of Reverend Benjamin Sawyer who

pastored 1844-1858:

Rev. Sawyer was in many ways a rather odd character, he must have been over sixfeet in height with strong features, a large frame spare and angular, his movements weresomewhat awkward. He was of an exceedingly nervous temperament of a genialdisposition with a vein of humor in his composition which some of his older more seriousminded parishioners were rather inclined to criticize.

In the pulpit, he possessed a good command of language, was a fluent speaker, butnot an orator. He made no gestures but with his nervous temperament he seemed to cravesome employment for his hands while speaking. I have seen him deliver a long sermonwith a little pocket bible grasped in both hands twisting it and turning it over and over untilI wondered what held it together, all the while speaking in a straight forward way to hisaudience. Rev. Sawyer was singular in many ways, but he was a man of no meanattainments. As a boy I only took note of the length of his sermons, but in later years therecame into my possession one of his sermons that had been printed for circulation. The textwas taken from the 47 chapter of Ezekiel, the swelling waters, etc. and I was surprisedbeyond measure at the excellence of this exposition of our unusual text, it was far abovethe ordinary in literary style and originality of thought. I only regret that I had not preservedthis copy or that one could not have obtained for the anniversary.

A second church was built by the

Seceders north of Tenth Street at the top of the

hill by 1859. At the time it was the corner of

Tenth Street and Cherry Alley but it is now

the corner of Tenth Street and Eighth Avenue.

This church was known as “The White Tower

Church” because it had a square white tower

on the point of its roof. Started in 1854 and

finished in 1858. It was a red brick structure and

cost $2,700 to build including the lot.

This is the only known picture of the 10th

street location. It is from a panoramicpainting of New Brighton in 1883.

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The Associate Reformed Church

Preaching for the Associate Reformed Church began at the falls of the Beaver under a

famous old elm tree that stood until 1880. This was at the foot of Ross Hill close to where the

old Patterson Heights incline was located. At first they met in a tent in the summers for Bible

study. In the winter they would move to James Patterson’s woolen mill that was located nearby.

The church later met in in a school house in New Brighton where the Church of God stands.

In 1837 the church began plans to build their own worship space. They completed a

building in 1840 on what is now Seventh Avenue and across from what was the Third Ward

school house. Today it would be the block of Seventh Avenue between Sixth and Seventh

Streets. It was brick and had a round roof so it was often called the “bake oven” church. It was

later sold to the Roman Catholic Parish and later burned to the ground.

The term “reformed” refers specifically to a tradition of theology (study of God) and

ecclesiology (study of the church) that began at the reformation. In 1517 Martin Luther, a

Catholic monk, posted his 95 Theses on the door to the church in Wittenberg, Germany. These

comments were meant for academic debate, but ended up being a match that began a fire that

changed Christianity forever. Luther and the growing group of people that wanted to change the

church ended up being forced to begin their own church. There were a great number of

reformation churches that would generally be labeled as “protestant.” There was a core group

led by Luther and later by John Calvin in Geneva that were theologically called “reformed.” The

Reformed tradition is marked by 2 distinctions. First, we would emphasize the sovereignty of

God and His choice in our salvation over any concept of free-will or personal choice. Second

and related to it, we have a strong emphasis on the sacraments as the church’s way of affirming

God’s work in a person’s life. We call baptism and communion each a “sign” or a “seal” of what

we believe God is doing in the life of a believer. This also means we tend to like regular

communion as a focal point of the worship service and we emphasize infant baptism.

The Associate Reformed Church also has its ties back to Scotland as well. Some of them

were “seceders” while most were called “covenanters.” In response to conflict in the Church of

Scotland, the British House of Commons called for the church to settle their differences.

Ministers met at Westminster Abbey and over time created what would be the Westminster

Confession of Faith and its accompanying catechisms. After the Westminster Confession was

signed in 1643 a number of churches left the Church of Scotland for the New World because

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they did not want to be forced to swear an oath to the monarch. Since the Associate Church was

specifically called the “seceder” church it is quite possible that the Associate Reformed Church

was of the covenanter tradition, though there is not record of this designation. If it is true,

however, it is quite ironic that a church that was started by people who left Europe to avoid an

oath regarding the Westminster Confession of Faith was later renamed Westminster.

Churches Join

In 1858, at a meeting in Old City Hall in Pittburgh, PA, the North branch of the Associate

Reformed Presbyterian Church and the Associate Presbyterian Church joined to form the United

Presbyterian Church in North America. The churches had already begun to meet together

sometime in the 2 years prior to denominational merger and they themselves merged in that same

year. A group from the Associate Congregation rejected the merger and kept up their own

gathering. In 1898 they purchased Grace Chapel on 13th Avenue.

It may seem to be an abrupt change to suddenly become “Presbyterian,” but in reality

both these denomination belonged to the Presbyterian tradition. A man named John Calvin did

much in the 1500’s to lead the reformation after Martin Luther. Calvin’s idea for leadership was

for it to be led be elders elected from the people. This form of government was called

Presbyterian based on the Greek word presbuteros meaning elder. This idea fit within the

reformation call for “the priesthood of all believers.” Since all are saved by Christ, all are called

to ministry. Therefore the church should not be controlled by the priests or pastors but the

leadership should be shared by all. This form of representative government would later be used

in the New World by Presbyterians who helped establish the United States of America.

A man named John Knox was forced to flee from his native Scotland and ended up

spending time at Geneva and studying with John Calvin. He later returned to Scotland to

establish a protestant church there called the Church of Scotland. This Scottish protestant church

was run using Presbyterian government and reformed theology. As members of the Church of

Scotland moved to the New World, they established churches under the term Presbyterian more

than the term had been used in Europe.

The Presbyterian tradition has sometimes been defined by the 3 C’s of Confessional,

Constitutional, and Connectional. Our constitution represents these well. Part I of the

Presbyterian Church (USA) constitution is the Book of Confessions. It includes great statements

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of church history to which we adhere and on which our decisions are to be made. They are

considered good interpretation and expressions of the truths of Scripture. Part II of our

constitution is the Book of Order. It represents the Constitutional nature of Presbyterians where

we are guided by order and discipline. Churches and pastors are to be accountable to one

another and to the tradition. Finally, this structure of government is Connection. This means

that we are not congregational where each church is independent. It also means that we are not

hierarchical where we are controlled by higher governing bodies or a series of bishops or popes.

We are intentionally connected to one another for the purpose of serving God’s Kingdom on a

larger scale and for strengthening the individual congregations.

Worship in the 1800’sWorship looked and sounded very different in the early days of the church.

Because communication and travel were so difficult and because church was usually the center

of social life, church was an all day affair with morning worship, a lunch break, and more

worship in the afternoon. Thomas Kennedy recounts the Sabbath schedule:

With a congregation whose members were so widely scattered, and the means ofcommunication so few, it may well be imagined that the Sabbath was an eventful day, notalone as the day for rest and worship but also as a time for social intercourse. The religiousexercises consisted of two services each of generous length one in the morning and theother in the afternoon with an intermission of a half or three quarters of an hour between,affording time for a lunch and a season of social intercourse. In times of pleasant weatherespecially there was always a full turn out and it was truly the best day of the weekanticipated and enjoyed by all.

Singing was a major part of worship, but functioned very differently. Not only were

there no powerpoint slides, there were no hymnals. There were no bulletins and no instruments

either. Songs were mainly Psalms with some hymns mixed in as well. A leader would have to

stand in front of the congregation to share the lines and lead the tune. Thomas Sawyer

remembers how the practice went and the outrageous day that the congregation moved to

continuous singing:

The congregational singing was conducted by a presenter who took his place before thepulpit when the psalm had been given out. He read out the first two lines immediatelystarting into the tune the congregation followed with him singing the two lines read. Hedoled out two lines more and so on until the entire selection had been sung. Of course thiscustom originated at an early day when there was a scarcity of book but it had a strong hold

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on the older members and they strenuously opposed any change. The custom of lining outwas discontinued in the Associate Presbyterian Church before the union, in Rev. Sawyer’stime, as I recall the event it was a rather unexpected move and created quite a bitter feelingin the congregation.

I well remember the Sabbath when the session of the church having held ameeting during the time of intermission decided to abandon the practice of lining out, andto inaugurate the change at the afternoon service that day. Without any notice to thecongregation the presenter proceeded to carry the first psalm right through, the effect wasalmost electrical, one and another of the elderly men of the congregation grabbed theirhats and hurried out of the house to return when the singing was concluded. Theyrespected this procedure for some time afterward, but finally became in a measuremollified but some were never fully reconciled to the change. I recall a visit to our homemade by a distant relative of my father about this time or perhaps earlier, the sole objectof a trip on horseback from Mount Jackson to New Brighton being to consult father inregard to a serious innovation in choir church as they had discontinued lining out thepsalm one line at a time and were lining out two.

The first organ for our church was placed early in the pastorate of Rev. Robert L. Hay

between 1892 and 1911. In those days, organs had to be manually pumped with air while being

played. The history from the 125th anniversary recounts the process to run the early organ:

As it was necessary in the early days of the instrument to pump compressed air from thebellows, young men in the congregation were engaged as official “pumpers…” As theseassistants usually had a chair in back of the organ out of the view of both minister andcongregation, on more than one occasion when the time came for the singing of theclosing Psalm at the evening service, there would be no response from the bellow and theoperator would be found to be safe in the arms of Morpheus. (aka asleep)

The sacrament of communion has always been important to Presbyterians. Many

churches, including our own, took part in the practice of communion tokens. This practice was

suggested in 1560 by John Calvin and Pierre Viret in Geneva under the thought that Christians

should be prepared for communion. The fear was that people would profane the table if they

partook without being worthy. The practice developed for elders to meet with congregants in the

days leading up to communion. If you were found to be in good standing with regards to your

faith and conduct, you would be issued a metal token. When you came forward for communion

you had to bring your token and give it to an elder. The history from our 125th Anniversary

recounts the practice:

Preparatory services for Communion were held Thursday, Friday and Saturdayafternoons and on the last named day the tokens, small pieces of metal, were given tothose who were considered worthy to come to the Communion table. On Sabbath themembers of the congregation, singing a psalm, filed to the tables, made of long boards

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and placed in front of the church and sometimes down the aisles, handing to the eldersthe tokens which had been given to them the day before.

The practice of communion tokens was discontinued during the pastorate of Rev. A.G.

Wallace 1868-1884. During his time a new version of the Psalms was used for the first time. It

was not until after 1890 that the communion elements were brought to people in the pews. Until

that point communion was always served up front. During prayer, at least in the Sabbath School

if not the church services, you remained standing. You would only be allowed to sit in case of

illness

Moving to Third Avenue

When the two churches joined in 1858, they used The Associate Church’s recently

finished “White Tower Church” on 10th Street. The church outgrew their 10th Street location, and

in 1886 completed a building on what is now 3rd Avenue. At the time, Main Street (now 3rd

Avenue) was the happening place to be. The Beaver Canal had followed along the river and

eventually hooked up with the Erie Canal. The trade along the canal had pushed the creation and

growth of river towns like New Brighton. When the canal

opened in New Brighton in 1834 the town saw a boost in

prosperity. The area downtown was where the commerce

was and where the paved roads were.

While the church moved in 1886 during the

pastorate of Dr. William Barr, the plan to move had begun

in 1870. The plot of ground was between what is now

Under the Gun Tattoo Parlor (and McNutt’s) and First

National Bank and was given by Matthew and Samuel

Kennedy and deeded to the church by the Harmonie

Society in Ambridge. Total cost of the building was

$18,000 which was all pledged in February of 1887. When

completed, it was considered one of the most modern and best equipped churches in the entire

United Presbyterian denomination.

Here is the description as giving in the New Brighton News July 21, 1886

The church on 3rd Avenue

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The corner stone was laid today, July 21, 1886. The building is to be completedDecember 15, 1886 at a cost of $13,000. All the contractors are from New Brightonexcept Robert McClain, of Rochester.

The Building will be one of the handsomest and most convenient in the county, agreat ornament to Broadway, the fine street on which it is being built. The work beingdone is first class, and the gentlemen and firms having the contract for the several parts ofthe work, are a sure guarantee of the best work throughout. The Society is in a veryflourishing condition, the best of feeling existing, and every one doing his best to hold uphis hands and aid their efficient pastor in his work. The increase of the past year showsthe faithful work that is being done by pastor and congregation.

The laying of the cornerstone was accomplished quietly, under the most favorableauspices, and every condition exists for a future of prosperity for this church. We trustthat its growth may be a continuous one, and that it may be the means of great blessing toour town and community.

Several members at the time of this writing have fond memories of the 3rd Avenue

location. The building was big for its time, with a sloped floor and individual seats. Early on the

church had a big chandelier that was later removed. The prominent feature was the large organ

pipes on the wall in the front of the church.

The kitchen was in the

basement of the church but the

parlor where events and dinners

were held was upstairs. Food had

to be carried up a flight of stairs.

At some point the basement was

dug out by hand to make the

basement into a modern social area

with a dining room, kitchen, and

class room.

At a meeting in Pittsburgh,

PA the church’s denomination of The

United Presbyterian Church of North

America joined with The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. The newly

formed denomination was called The United Presbyterian Church in the United States of

America. Westminster remained United Presbyterian but the denominational name had changed

slightly.

Rev. Spotts poses with the choir in front ofthe prominent organ pipes on 3rd Avenue.

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That same year, the church began looking for a new location. The building that had been

so cutting edge in 1886 was now old and in need of updates. There was little parking downtown

and the street parking was shared by several churches. The church also wanted to move away

from the railroad tracks that had replaced the canal. People can recall Sundays when a train

would pass in the middle of the sermon and the pastor had to stop because he could not be heard.

During the research phase, the church

also explored the name of the church. No

record could be found in state or

denominational records of the church

officially changing its name to First United

Presbyterian Church of New Brighton. Since

the church was considering a location change

they needed to firm up their legal name for

property purposes. They decided to rename

the church to Westminster United Presbyterian

Church of New Brighton.

Westminster is a city in London that had a critical role in the reformation of Britain. In

1643 the English Parliament called together the church leaders to Westminster Abbey in order to

develop standards for the Church of England. What came out of those gatherings was a

document in 1646 called the Westminster Confession of Faith. This was followed by 2

documents for teaching the Confession called the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. These became

the standards for the Church of Scotland from which American Presbyterianism comes.

A Church Burns

October 20, 1963 was supposed to be an exciting Sunday. A committee had been visiting

church members to secure pledges for the new church location and were prepared to share their

results. But services were not held that morning. Around 5 am a fire began that soon engulfed

Westminster. A Bible study that met on Saturday night worried that they had started the fire, but

the fire began in Christner’s Bible Bookstore next door to the church.

John and Don Hickey ran in before the flames got too high and grabbed several items

including the pulpit Bible, a Bible holder, and the offering plates that we still use to this day.

The brochure cover for the capitalcampaign to move to Oak Hill.

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Don Hickey recounts that due to the heat the paint

was pealing off the walls and it almost looked like

it was snowing inside as it fell to the floor off the

ceiling.

The session met on the corner opposite the

flaming church and voted to hold worship at the

New Brighton High School Auditorium that

morning. One of the session members was on the

school board and had access to the facility. After

the service much of the church joined the rest of

the community as much of New Brighton turned

out to watch the fire. The fire was announced in all of

the churches. Most members who were alive and in

town that day can give you a firsthand account of the fire.

It took a lot of effort to get the fire put out. Essentially, it burned from the top of the

building down. This left rubble in the church to catch fire again. Later that day the fire was

restarted and the gas company continually checked the area.

In the end, the window prominent at the front of the church stood. Also left standing was

a chimney that people had complained was not up to fire code. A sign that honored veterans of

World War I was left warped. The church has a safe to this day that survived the fire and was

removed from the rubble by a crane. The fire also left the cornerstone of the old building was

exposed. Church members got to see a number of newspaper articles from the early church.

Perhaps those most harmed by the fire were the pigeons. The newspaper reported this in

a section titled “Pigeons Stay on Hot Roost”:

Pigeons living in the steeple of the Westminster United Presbyterian Church, which wasdestroyed by fire early Sunday in New Brighton, were determined not to give up theirroost in spite of the fire. Firemen reported seeing some of the birds flying with their wingand tail feathers flaming, and another perched on a TV antenna on the burning GospelTabernacle gave up his hot perch at the last minute, only to fly to the church steeple.After the fire was out pigeons were flying back to the steeple, but soon were evicted bythe wrecker’s crane, which knocked down their condemned home.

The church was well insured for up to $46,000. Unfortunately, the organ which was

valued at $20,000 was not under the insurance. Yet the church almost got no insurance money

Perry Porter snapped this photo ofthe fire on his polaroid camera.

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from the fire. A contract was drawn up to sell the 3rd Avenue building to Wayman Chapel

African Methodist Episcopal Church for the sum of $10,000. The document was never signed

and the negotiations were never completed. Had the deal been done, it would have been

Wayman Chapel to collect the insurance claim and not Westminster.

Immediately after the fire both Calvary United Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls and

First Presbyterian Church of New Brighton offered their church buildings as a home for

Westminster until the building could be completed. Though Westminster would like to have had

their own space, they did accept the offer of First Presbyterian and met there for over a year as

the new building was being built.

A Church on Oak Hill

Plans were already begun for the new

building. Armed with the insurance money, the

commitments from the campaign, and the

motivation of keeping the church alive, the

members got to work building on Oak Hill.

Westminster originally purchased the property

where Christian Assembly is now. Before building

began, the property where we are currently located

came up for sale.

The church broke ground April 4, 1964.

The cornerstone was laid July 26. The following

items were placed in the cornerstone:

List of members and officers Newspaper clippings of the groundbreaking Newspaper picture and story from the fire Picture of the old church on 3rd Avenue Picture of the Old Church on 10th Street Program from the 100th Anniversary Program and history from the 125th

Anniversary Building fund brochure from October 13, 1963 Bulletins showing reference to the new building Program of the Corner Stone Laying Service

The sanctuary with its familiarcross at the center.

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The Steeple was put on the church on October 16. Many from town came to see the event.

The steeple was built in once piece and had to be lifted by crane onto the 4 bolts that hold it up.

The plates can still be seen on the ceiling in the sanctuary. The cross had to be carried by a

person sitting on a bosun’s chair. It had to be screwed to the cables that run through the steeple

so that it can act as a lightning rod for the church. There is a great newspaper article showing a

picture of the raising of the steeple by crane almost a year to the day from another picture of a

burnt steeple being taken down by crane.

The first service and communion was held December 6, 1964. The building was formally

dedicated on February 14, 1965. From then on the church was totally located on Oak Hill with

regular services were held in the new building. This is where Westminster is to this day. A

special Watchnight Service was held on December 31, 1970. Church members worshipped

together until midnight when the mortgage for the new building was burned.

The building and its design is expressed well in the Visitor’s Guide that was made soon

after the church was finished:

The primary purpose of a church building is the worship of God. Good design isdirected to this end. In so far as possible, all facets of worship – preaching, teaching,music, stewardship, baptism, communion, informal fellowship, marriage services, funeralservices – should be recognized. An attempt must be made to keep all parts of the life ofa Christian community in balance. This attempt has been made.

This building is far from being a million-dollar structure. For a comparativelysmall structure, many advantages have been incorporated: no more steps than necessaryfor the elderly on Sunday morning; sufficient restroom facilities upstairs and down; easymovement in the church – up or down, right to left, front to back; compactness with afeeling of spaciousness. Beauty, simplicity and practicality have been blended.

The building is in the form of a “T”. The entrance to the stem of the “T” beingthe starting point, one comes to the narthex, then the nave, then the chancel. Behind thechancel is a passageway from the wings of the “T”. Between the nave and the chancel isan aisle that leads from wing to wing. The wing to the right has two rooms; one large andone small (a utility room). The wing to the left has a stairway down, two restrooms andthe pastor’s study. Returning to the narthex and going down the stairway to thebasement, one follows a corridor, flanked by a number of quiet study rooms, and entersan adequate fellowship room. To the right of the fellowship room is a kitchen on theother side of a small hallway marked by a small restroom, a storage room, a furnaceroom. To the left of the fellowship room is the stairway up to a large study and choirroom. A child’s restroom is located in the first study room at the base of the stairwayfrom the narthex. Drinking fountains are found in the fellowship room and near thepastor’s study.

Sitting in the nave of the building, you see that the chancel area is a bit differentfrom anything you may have seen. You will notice first that the sacraments of baptism

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and the Lord’s Supper or Communion are not located according to tradition, that they arepoints of the base of an imaginary triangle that has the central cross as its apex. But let’sbegin at the apex to catch a view of the theme of the chancel.

The cross speaks of the historical Word, God speaking to men in His Son. Thelectern and pulpit speak of the written Word, the historic Word made present in language.The two sacraments at the base points of the triangle speak of the dramatic Word, thehistorical Word made meaningful in the simplicity of child-like drama and the writtenword declared in its central theme: God’s coming to man to save Him from his sins andfrom himself.

The baptismal area attempts to catch the consistent flavor of baptism as depictedin the Bible. This particular area attempts to symbolize the children of Israel crossing theRed Sea from sin’s bondage to the salvation of God. With water on each side, theycrossed over on dry land. God judged the Egyptians (a figure of Israel’s sins) anddelivered the Israelites (a figure of Christ’s salvation).

The Communion table is split-level in nature. It is a meaningful attempt tocommunicate between the chancel and the nave.

The large open area in the triangle was developed primarily to increase the beautyof a marriage service and to provide adequate space for a church funeral service. SundaySchool educational emphases may be expressed here also.

The church property has continued to change as time has passed. The lot next to the

church was purchased in 1999. That same year a set of hand bells were purchased. The bell

choir was called the “Westminster Memorial Bell Choir” and nicknamed “The Ding-A-Lings.”

A maintenance building was built on the property in 2001 to hold the tractor and other objects.

The back entrance to the basement, which leaked when it rained, was redone in 2007. The Parlor

upstairs was renovated in 2007 and nicknamed “the Westminster room.” Most recently, in 2011,

Grace Mikita gave her home to the church so that it could be used as a parsonage. The home on

Mercer Avenue just up from the church has been nicknamed “The House of Grace.”

Another major denominational change took place in 1983. The United Presbyterian

Church in the United States of America (to which Westminster belonged) joined with the

Presbyterian Church in the United States (called the Southern Presbyterians) at a meeting in

Atlanta, Georgia. The newly formed denomination was called the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

It is to that denomination that Westminster now belongs, though Westminster never took the

United out of its name.

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Ministry Over the Years

Westminster has a rich history of diverse and changing ministries over the years. A great

many lives have been touched

and changed because of this

church. As ministries lost their

utility new ones rose up to take

their place.

One of the most important

ministries in Westminster’s

history was the Sabbath School

which started in 1848. When the

modern ear hears this, they

immediately associate the term

with was would later be called

Sunday School. The memory that

most have of Sunday School is

not as intense or organized as

Sabbath School was. It was

meant to be a school complete

with a superintendent, committed

teacher, and a developed

curriculum. Pastor McLean was

the first superintendent. Sabbath

School would be a very important

part of our church well into the 1900’s, with the officers prominently listed in the 125 th

anniversary history in 1950.

The Fallston Mission School was organized in 1882 and run by this church. There was a

chapel building in Fallston on the hillside overlooking the 3 road intersection. This was the

chapel for the school but also housed a Sabbath School that we oversaw. On Sunday afternoons

kids from the neighborhood would come to this little house of worship called The Fallston

A Sabbath School program for the Young Men’s Unionin 1887.

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Chapel to learn about the Bible. When it was torn down, some of the wood was used to build

another building.

The Ladies Aid Society was

started in 1870 for the purpose of

raising funds for a new church building.

This group used to sponsor oyster

suppers, strawberry festivals and

quilting parties at least once a week.

They became a more social and

informal group that worked to get the

members of the church together. The

group was later replaced by The Home Workers

in 1899.

The Ladies Missionary Society was started 1877. Their purpose was “helping the poor

and seeking to bring persons into the church.” They were especially valuable in creating boxes

of goods for the freedmen. These were slaves freed after the Civil War who would come North

looking for work and education. This society was still going strong at the 100 year anniversary

in 1925. They also started Light Bearers which was a group for young children and the Junior

Missionary Society for older children.

Over the years Westminster did other ministries as well. A prayer meeting was started in

1840. As was the practice, a number of members were split off from our church in order to start

other churches in neighboring towns where they lived. Our church gave around 30 members for

the start of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls. A group called the Y.P.C.U. was

organized in 1885 as a young people’s prayer meeting.

One of the most important functions of the church was doing funerals and providing care

to families who have had a loss. The death records for our church include some very interesting

and sad notations. They tell of a darker time when many people died of accident and fires.

Some illnesses such as Diphtheria which killed so many in our church are no longer around

today. In the United States, there have only been 2 diagnoses of Diphtheria since 2000. Here is

a sampling of entries from the records:

The Fallston Chapel at the prominentintersection of Fallston.

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January 29-February 2 1872 Elizabeth, Alice, Celicia and Miranda Freed- Children ofWilson and Mary Freed, all burned at one timeFebruary 25 1873 John Knoll=Buckle age 34 Shot through the head at cross roadssupposed suicide.January 22 1879 Geraldine Reed Killed by a fall from a sled, when horses were runningawayDecember 16 1882 Thomas Sloan aged 47 killed in an elevatorMay 30, 1883 Inarece B. Orr age 46 Paralysis from lead poisoningJanuary 6 1884 Mrs. Elleanor Hindman age 68 Died of PneumoniaJanuary 6 1884 Samuel McGowan age 70 died suddenly

Note: Mr. McGowan was the brother of Mrs. Hindman. He was in usual health;had just finished sending notice of her death, when suddenly he died in his chair.They were buried at the same time- January 8, 1884. Mrs. Hindman died at 2 amand Mr. McGowan at 4 pm.

November 27 1890 Miss Eliza Buchanan Age 61 Typhoid FeverJuly 8, 1906 William Magee age 4 DiphtheriaJanuary 4, 1912 Samuel D. Kennedy Killed in millFebruary 20, 1912 Mrs. Jennie McCally Smith Killed of blood poison after operation

Westminster’s ministry today includes the typical worship services and Bible studies.

Vacation Bible School is always a blast in the summer. Since 1992 the church has had a

children’s clothing ministry. Somewhere around 1995 Marilyn Householder led a group from

the church began to make Apple Dumplings. These dumplings are a community favorite. Men

have met for breakfast on the first Saturday of the month since 2002 for good conversation. In

2010 Westminster went on its first mission trip to Christian Children’ Home of Ohio in Wooster.

Westminster has had the opportunity to be light and hope to a great many people over the

years. There have been 1,079 recorded child baptisms since 1868 with several known to be

missing from the records. There have been countless weddings, funerals, dinners, counselling

sessions, parties, and Bible studies.

Conclusion: Westminster Today and Tomorrow

This history is being written for the 50 year anniversary of Westminster’s Oak Hill

location in 2014. The world is changing. Christianity is no longer the dominant voice in the

country. There is no longer social pressure to go to church. Many mainline denominations are

seeing declining memberships.

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Westminster today is on a comeback. Church attendance and giving is on the rise. This

history is being released just as a campaign is started for some much needed renovations.

Whatever the future may hold, God is still mightily at work among the people of Westminster.

As we look to the future of the church, we cannot help but be challenged and motivated

by our past. Here are a few key insights to carry with us into the future:

Westminster has a tradition of being a hard working church.- Westminster was the

middle-class and working-person’s church. Whether it was digging out a basement or

building a garage, this church has always pulled together to get things done.

Westminster has a tradition of financial challenges.-Because this has been a middle-class

church it has always had a shaky financial ground. In the 1950’s, for example, the church

burned through a good portion of its savings because it had more money going out than

was coming in. When the additional lot was purchased in 1999 the church was not

making budget every year.

Westminster has a tradition of changing and adapting.- This church has had so many

names and locations. It has had a number of ministries and responsibilities over the

years. The surest way to break with the tradition of this church is to try to keep it the

same.

Westminster has a tradition of being a strong and close community.- Westminster has

always been a tight group of people that enjoyed each other’s company and offer genuine

care and support of one another. When something happens like a fire this church body

comes together to rise to the challenge.

Westminster has a tradition of learning.- This church has run a Sabbath School and a

missionary school. The pictures from Sabbath school show large groups of people that

cared about learning the Bible.

Westminster has a tradition of missions.- This church has a great legacy of involvement

with missionaries and with work in the community. We have trained, sent, and supported

a number of missionaries over the years.

Like any church, Westminster has at times turned more inward and cared more about

itself. Like any church, Westminster has at times become stagnant and lost its sense of purpose.

Still, underlying everything, God has been at work in and through this body.

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Perhaps you have not gone to this church your whole life. Perhaps your family name is

not found in this history. But if God brought you to Westminster then this is your spiritual

history. Live into it!

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Church Facts

Timeline

(For perspective some major US and World history events have been added in italics.)

1801- The Associate Church meet for the first time in a place called Big Beaver

1803- Members of Associate Church start meeting in a home and under a great tree in what is

now Beaver Falls

1803- Ohio became the 17th state

1812- The War of 1812 begins

1825- Associate Congregation is officially formed

1830- Associate Church is moved to near a brickyard between Grove Cemetery and New Castle

Road and renamed “New Bethel”

1836- The Battle of the Alamo

1838- Associate Reformed Church built a church on what is now 7th Avenue.

1838- The Borough of New Brighton is founded

1840- Tradition of a prayer meeting is started

1848- Associated Reformed Church starts Sabbath School

1848- Geneva College is founded

1854- Associate Church began to build a new location at the top of the hill on Tenth Street and

took on the name “New Brighton Congregation of the Associate Church”

1856 or 1857- Associate Congregation and The Associate Reformed Church begin to worship as

one church at the Tenth Street location.

1858- in Pittsburgh, PA- the North branch of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and

the Associate Presbyterian Church joined to form the United Presbyterian Church in the United

States of America In Old City Hall in Pittsburgh, PA.

1858- The newly formed merger is officially called the “United Presbyterian Church of New

Brighton”

1858- The Associate Reformed Church’s building on 7th Avenue is sold to the Catholic church

and later burns

1860- The Civil War Begins

1863- “Brick Oven” church was sold to St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church for $5,000

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1867- Beaver Falls Church was organized and took 30 members of the New Brighton

congregation (May have been 1869)

1870- 10 or 12 members leave the New Brighton congregation to unite with the new Oakland

Church

1870- Ladies Aid Society was organized

1876- Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone

1877- The Woman’s Missionary Society was formed which later began the Junior Missionary

Society and the Light Bearers

1882- Westminster started The Fallston Mission School

1887- Location on Third Avenue as built for $18,000

Circa. 1890 a tradition began of passing the communion elements to congregants who remained

in the pews

1890/1891- The chapel for The Fallston Mission School was built

Circa. 1895 Organ is bought and placed in the south west corner of the Third Avenue Location

1903- The Ford Motor Company was formed, The Wright brothers made the first powered flight

1912- The Titanic sinks

Circa. 1915 New Organ was purchased and placed behind the pulpit

1917- The United States enters World War I

1925- 100 year anniversary was celebrated

1941- Attack on Pearl Harbor, The United States enters World War II

1950- 125 year anniversary is celebrated

1950- The United States enters the Korean War

1955- The United States first begins to lend military support for what would become the Vietnam

War (First casualties in 1959)

1958 in Pittsburgh PA the United Presbyterian Church of North America joined with the

Presbyterian Church in the United States of America to form the United Presbyterian Church in

the United States of America

1960- Session Approved changing the name from First United Presbyterian Church to the

Westminster United Presbyterian Church of New Brighton

1963- President John F. Kennedy is assassinated

1963- July 11- Congregation met to approve plans to relocate the church to Mercer Avenue

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October 20- A fire broke out that burned the 3rd Ave location down

1964- April 11- Ground-breaking on the new building

July 26- Service of the Cornerstone

October 16- The spire is put on the church with a crane

December 6- First service held at new location

1965- February 14- Formal dedication of the building

1968- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated

1970- A Watchnight Service is held on December 31 where the mortgage was burned

1969- Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the moon

1975- 150 year anniversary was celebrated

1983- The Presbyterian Church in the United States and The United Presbyterian Church in the

United States of American Denomination join to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

1986- Space Shuttle Challenger explode

1991- Operation Desert Storm Begins

1992- Children’s Clothing is begins

Circa. 1995- Apple Dumplings begins

1999- Lot next to the church is purchased

Handbells are purchased. Called the “Westminster Memorial Bell Choir”

and nicknamed “The Ding-A-Lings”

2000- Westminster celebrated 175 years

2001- September 11 Terrorist attack the United States

2001- Maintenance Building is built

2002- Men’s breakfast begins on the first Saturday of every month

2003- Trustees are dissolved and their work is incorporated into the Session

2006- Member Cynthia Majzlik was ordained April 23 at Westminster

Number of session members changed from 9 to 6 members

2007- Back entrance to the church is redone

2009- Parlor is renovated and renamed “The Westminster Room.”

2010- First mission trip to Christian Children’ Home of Wooster, Ohio

2011- “House of Grace” parsonage given to the church by Grace Mikita

2012- Jordan Rimmer is ordained on July 15, 2012

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Names of the Church

The Associate Congregation- 1825-1830

The Associate Reformed Church- circa 1830-1858

New Bethel 1830-1854

Associate Congregation of New Brighton 1854-1858

United Presbyterian Church of New Brighton- 1858- circa 1923 (Sometime between 1921 and

1925)

First United Presbyterian Church of New Brighton- circa 1923-1960 (Though no legal action of

taking on the “First” can be found

Westminster United Presbyterian Church of New Brighton 1958-present

Church Locations

Associate Church

Home of James Kennedy

Near the head of Crow’s Run

Homes of James Brewer, Mr. Moore and Mr. Sloan

“Church in the Wildwood” 1830- -1858

Associate Reformed Church

Big Beaver -Under the large elm tree

James Patterson woolen mill

“Bake Oven” Church Circa 1830-1858

United Presbyterian Church

Tenth Street- “The White Tower Church” 1859-1886

Third Avenue- 1886-1963

Oak Hill- 1964- Present

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Pastors

Associate Church/New Bethel Associate Reformed Church

David Imbrie 1806-1808 Moses Kerr 1828-1830

John France 1825-1841 Thomas Speer 1840-1843

Benjamin Sawyer 1844-1858 John McLean 1848-1855

Churches Joined in 1856 or 1857

Rev. John Glenn 1863-1867

Rev. Alexander G. Wallace 1868-1884

Dr. William B. Barr 1884-1891

Rev. Robert Lamont Hay 1892-1911

Dr. Clarence .J. Williamson 1911-1917

Dr. William F. Rolzter 1918-1939

Dr. E. Joe Vandervort- 1939-1946

Rev. Alfred L. Spotts- 1946-1951

Rev. T. Milton Scott- 1951-1956

Dr. Livingston A. Gordon- 1957-1961

Rev. Charles W. Brightwell- 1962-1967

Dr. William R. Lane- 1968-1978

Rev. Ronald Moslener- 1979-1990

Rev. Joseph A Hill- 1990-1991

Rev. Judith W. McBride- 1991-2001

Rev. Kenneth E. Chorle- 2001-2003

Rev. Douglas E. Gebhard- 2003-2005

Rev. A. Gary Angleberger- 2005-2009

Rev. Jordan S. Rimmer- 2010- Current