A History of
Presbyterian Faith in
West Newton, Pennsylvania
The history of the West Newton United
Presbyterian Church is a story that spans over 150 years, two
congregations, and four buildings. It is a shining example of
servitude to the Lord, and to the community. Upon reading the
following text, one will find that our Church is steeped in
history and tradition, yet it has continuously adapted and
changed to insure that His message touches the people of His
community.
The
History of the United Presbyterian
Church
of West Newton:
The following is taken from the
Official Record of the organization of the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church,
West Newton, Pa. November 5, 1850:
By
order of the Presbytery, the Session by them appointed met at
the Associate Reformed Church in West
Newton. The members were Pastor Samuel Jamieson,
Pastor of the Bethesda
Church
Allegheny
County, John Pinkerton, John Wallace,
Mungo D. Campbell,
and John Gaut, elders of the Sewickley (Dick) Associate Reformed
Church.
The 42 original members that
would transfer to form the new infant church would all come from
the previously mentioned Sewickley (Dick) Associate Reformed
Church. On the same day November 5, 1850 the following gentlemen
were nominated and elected to be ruling elders of the West
Newton Associated Reformed Church; George Coulter, Joseph
McMillan, Robert Patterson, and Henry T. Hanna. On November 23,
1850 at a service conducted by the Rev. Jamison three of the
elders elected were ordained and installed until September 13,
1851. On the fourth Sabbath of 1851, the Session recorded infant
and adult baptisms and deaths.
The Reverend Alexander Gilfillan Fergus,
the first pastor of this congregation was born on November 18,
1823, at
Elizabeth, Allegheny County.
He was educated at Washington (now W&J) College, and Allegheny
(now Pittsburgh) Seminary.
He was licensed by the Blairsville Presbytery in the
joint charge of West Newton
and Sewickley, September 2, 1851. He died that same month on
September 30, 1851.
The United Presbyterian General Assembly
was constituted in 1858 by the Associate Presbyterian and
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Synods for closer cooperation in
their common work and the advancement of their common faith.
The congregation erected its
first church building on the corner of Sixth and Vine Streets
and dedicated it free of debt in 1850.
It worshipped there until a building of gothic
architecture was erected in 1883. This second building was
located on the corner of Main
and North Third Streets, and was also dedicated free of debt. A
key financial supporter of this holy venture was the Weimer
family, who owned and operated the largest mercantile store in
Westmoreland
County.
Nine ministers served the
congregation, most notably the Reverend Thomas Mckee, who served
the congregation for 54 years. Pastor McKee retired on October
4, 1959, where the congregation bestowed upon him the honor of
pastor emeritus. Earlier that same year the Presbyterian Church
U.S.A. and the
United Presbyterian Church of North America
joined to form the United Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. This
union resulted in two congregations of the same denomination in
the same town, occupying buildings directly across the street
from one another. As a result of the action of the two
congregations meeting separately on June 2, 1960 each voted for
merger, and the United Presbyterian Church of West Newton was
born. The formal merger service was held on Sunday July 10,
1960. For a year and a half the new congregation was without a
pastor, until Reverend Arthur R. Day Jr., was installed in
January of 1962.
The
History of the First Presbyterian
Church
of West Newton:
As early as 1822 the
Presbyterians had organized a Sunday School in
West Newton. This was the first concerted effort to
establish the Presbyterian faith in the borough limits.
In
the year 1835 some liberal-minded Presbyterians living in, or
near West Newton determined to
erect a house of worship. Since they were unable to finance such
a project alone, the Evangelical Lutherans proposed to join them
in this enterprise, the Lutherans to hold a one fourth interest,
and the right to have a specific part of the time for holding
public worship.
During this same period of time
the Presbyterians living in West Newton remained part of the
Sewickley (Stone) Church, whose house of worship was located
four miles from West Newton. This mother Church is the oldest Presbyterian
Church west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Difficulties arising in the prosecution of cooperative
work caused the Presbyterians living in
West Newton to request the Presbytery of Redstone
for the organization of a church of their own within the borough
limits.
The following is an extract
from the minutes of the Presbytery of Redstone:
Session of the Presbytery of Redstone,
West Newton, October 2, 1850, the action expressed
in the following minute was had:
A
memorial from certain persons residing in West Newton and
vicinity, asking for the organization of a church in West Newton was presented and read. On motion was resolved
that the requests of the memorialists be granted and that Mr. R.
Stevenson, and Mr. J. R. Hughes be a committee to organize the
said church on the 8th day of January, 1851.
At the sessions of the
Presbytery In Connellsville, April 8, 1951 the following record
was made:
The
committee appointed at the last meeting to organize a church at
West Newton reported that they had organized a said church at
West Newton with four elders and seventy-one
members.
After the new infant
congregation received kind sentiments, and more importantly
approval from their mother church to break free, the following
was recorded about their situation:
Resolved
inn as much as the walls of our church are spongy, and
considerably cracked, the painting defaced and almost destroyed,
and the roof of the said housing been on nearly fifteen years
there is of necessity repairs wanting to make this house as it
was when first finished and in as much as out Lutheran Brethren
to keep up one fourth of the repairs of said house
the committees are instructed to
make fair estimate of repairs to the wear and toil of
said house the
fourth of which shall be justly applicable towards the payment
of the original investment made by our Lutheran Brethren
The Lutheran investment in the building was purchased for
the sum of $650.
At a meeting on January 23rd,
1875, the congregation voted to purchase the William Lynn
property, on the corner of Main
and South Third Streets as a site for a new church edifice, and
to proceed to build the same year. A key funder of the project
was George Plumer, who was a descendent of a prominent pioneer
family in West Newton.
The local newspaper referred to George as a
“noble Zion of worthy stock.” He
held every public office in the town, and was also very generous
to the Church, and to the poor people of
West Newton during his entire life.
On February 10th,
1877, on motion of the Trustees, an authorization to continue
insurance on the manse and to sell the old church property for
the best possible price, and if necessary extend payments for
three or four years was made.
At a meeting on April 5th,
1877, the congregation approved the sale of the old church
property for the sum of $800 to Joseph McLelland. The house he
built still stands on the corner of Eighth and Vine Streets.
The new church building at the
corner of South Third and Main Streets, was dedicated free of
debt in May of 1879. When the church edifice was erected, the
choir loft was in the rear of the building, and it was said that
it was arranged because the leading soprano refused to sing if
the choir faced the congregation. This recess remained in the
rear of the building from 1879 to 1907.
The modifications made in that year also called for a new
pipe organ, which was partly financed by Andrew Carnegie. The
pulpit was moved to its current location, and the floor received
its current pitch.
The
West Newton United
Presbyterian Church is the result of a merger of the
congregations of the former First United Presbyterian Church,
and the First Presbyterian Church. After the merger their
combined pulpit committees continued to function and upon its
recommendation the new congregation in November of 1961 called
the Rev. Arthur R. Day Jr. to be their pastor. In January of
1962, Rev. Day was installed as the first pastor of this new
congregation.
For a time, both the properties
of both congregations were used. Eventually, the congregation
voted to dispose of the North (U.P.) building, and to add an
educational wing to the south building. On November 13, 1968,
the new addition was dedicated. It included a kitchen area, rest
rooms, classrooms, a pastor’s study, and a chapel.
In 1987, after 25 years in the
pulpit, and a very proactive role within the community, and the
church’s youth, and young people, the Reverend Arthur R. Day Jr.
retired. In 1988, Pastor William Sukolsky received a call to the
church. He would remain pastor for 17 years in
West Newton, and his ministry also had many
highlights, including the founding of the West Newton Unity
Coalition, which helped defeat a new wave of racism in the
community. Reverend Sukolsky
also helped initiate the current Kids for Christ after
school program.
2007 also marked another
milestone in the congregations storied past. In July of last
year the congregation called Reverend Patrick Sileo. He is only
the third minister the congregation has had since 1962. Equipped
with a new minister, in a new century of service, the West
Newton United Presbyterian Church is just as excited about
serving the Lord today, as it was 150 years ago. The Church’s
congregates are well aware that the only way to have another 150
fruitful years, is continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, by
existing as living statements of faith; the result will continue
to be a pillar of hope for the entire community of West Newton.
A special thank you to Ben Markle for his
contributions to this page.
