Wekiva Presbyterian Church and the Glory to God Hymnals

We are getting to know the new Presbyterian Church USA) hymnals which the congregation dedicated the first Sunday in May. Now, two months into singing from them, they feel as if we have had them much longer. They function beautifully in worship, whether we are singing someting old or something new.

We served as a test congregation for the hymnal, so many of the new songs that found their way into the book were first sung here at Wekiva Presbyterian Church when they were being considered by the editorial committee. Three members of the congregation were asked to provide detailed responses to how the worshipers responded to each of the hymns.

On the Sunday we dedicated the new hymnals, I told the congregation that if we were to sing three hymns each Sunday without repeating any of them, it would take is a full five years to sing them all. So, we've only just begun! Come and sing some of them with us!

175 Years of Presbyterian World Mission

Did you know...
We are celebrating 175 years of Presbyterian World Mission this year?

You can read a fascinating history of Presbyterian World Mission, here:

175 Years of Presbyterian World Mission

And another excellent article on the World Mission emphasis of our Presbyterian Church, here:

"Better Together"

"The story of Presbyterian mission is a long and beautiful one, for Presbyterians have been establishing and faithfully supporting mission societies since the 1790s. In 1813, the Female Missionary Society supported a traveling missionary, and the Female Domestic Missionary Society was formed three years later at Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.  By 1831, the Synod of Pittsburgh formed the Western Foreign Missionary Society. Finally, in 1837—exactly 175 years ago—the General Assembly agreed, at Pittsburgh’s urging, to assume the responsibilities of the society and its 44 missionaries, creating the Board of Foreign Missions. Missionaries went into the world to preach, teach, heal, and plant churches in places like Brazil, Congo, Egypt, and China."

Remembering Louise and Ralph, Who Remembered Wekiva Presbyterian Church

Longtime Wekiva Presbyterian Church members will remember Ralph and Louise Humphrey, who joined this church in 1987, having moved to the Village on the Green from Leesburg at that time.  For many years, they were actively involved in the ongoing life of the congregation, in worship and other activities.  Ralph died in 2000 at age 90; Louise died in April of this year at the age of 98.  More recent members of the congregation probably never had an opportunity to know either of them.  It is, we think, appropriate to say a few words about Ralph and Louise, at this time.

Ralph Calvin Humphrey was born in Butler County, Pennsylvania, the son of J. Roy and Nellie Humphrey.  He was a 1937 graduate of Geneva College, in Beaver Falls, PA.  A longtime employee of the New Castle School District, Ralph taught metal shop at the senior high school.   Louise Studebaker Humphrey was the daughter of James J. and Jessie M. Gilfillan Studebaker.  She lived much of her life in New Castle, Pennsylvania, graduated with honors from high school in Tarentum, PA, and received a bachelor's degree from Westminster College, New Wilmington, a PC(USA) related college.  Louise was an elementary teacher of English, speech and drama for 38 years and a directing teacher for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.  She inspired and motivated her schoolchildren by her love for and interest in them, was active in various organizations of the Presbyterian Church, and served as an officer in the Woman's Club. 

Ralph and Louise had no children of their own.  They were not related to anyone else in the Wekiva Presbyterian congregation, or in Central Florida.  Louise was survived by nieces and nephews, all of whom live in the northeast. 

Ralph and Louise made a conscious choice to remember the ones they loved in their wills; Wekiva Presbyterian Church was among their loved ones.  After her death, the church learned that Louise and Ralph had made provision for the congregation they were so much a part of, as if we were one more of their nephews and nieces.  They directed that twenty per cent of their estate be given to Wekiva Presbyterian Church.

In December of 2000 a service in memory of Ralph occurred, and in April of this year a service in memory of Louise was held—each time, in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.  Today, we are remembering Ralph and Louise in Longwood, Florida—giving thanks for their lives, as well as their gracious generosity to those who will come after them in this place of worship, learning and service in Jesus’ name.

It may be that you are thinking about drawing up your own will.  May the example of Ralph and Louise Humphrey serve to inspire you, as you do.

The Three Acres Have Sold

In 2008, the congregation of Wekiva Presbyterian Church voted to sell the three acres on the far side of the Bank of America that were purchased from what was then Barnett Bank in the early 1990s;  the land was marketed with the concurrence of Central Florida Presbytery, in whose name the church holds all of its property, in trust.

On Wednesday, June 13, 2012, the closing took place. 

The process of selling the property was spearheaded by a committee appointed by the Session, led by our church member Gary Adams, with the help of church members Ken Moseley, Janet Everett and Bruce Rogers, with Dr. Dalles serving as the staff support person.  They have been working consistently since 2008; with changes in the economy, the marketing and sale of the land has taken longer than anyone anticipated.  Without Gary Adams' leadership, it is probable that the land would still be on the markt; the church is blessed because of his labor of love on our behalf.  The church was also greatly assisted by James Barks, an attorney in Sanford, who provided legal services for the church pro bono.  Jim is an active member of our sister PC (USA) congregation, Markham Woods Presbyterian Church. 

The new owners, who are franchisees of Primrose Schools, have already begun clearing the land, as you can see if you take a look at the property.  What was until Tuesday of this week a three acre woodland that perhaps had never been built upon, is now being prepared for the new educational child care complex, access driveway off of 434 and parking.  You can see some of what is happening from the road, or from the Bank of America drive up window lanes.


The back story of the land is interesting, to say the least.  It was part of a development that was only partially completed, of which the next streets over, Briar Cliff Drive and Meadowfield Lane, are a part,  That small development was brought to completion as you see it now, many years ago.  In the early 90s the bank, sold most of the parcel that wraps around their branch office to our church, keeping a section of land that made the new three acres non-contiguous to the church's main property.  The agreement was that an easement would exist over that still-bank-owned sliver, once the church moved an existing retention pond.  Down the decades, as the bank was acquired and went from being local to regional to a national bank (first Barnett Bank, then Nations Bank, and currently Bank of America), it was difficult to discover who in their corporate structure might be able to offer permissions when the church sought, at various times, to perfect that easement.

Photos of that retention pond, which I have dubbed "Lake ..." follow:

 

It was in 2008 that, having more or less exhausted all other avenues, the Session and Deacons discussed and then recommended to the congregation that the church no longer keep this land, since it seemed unlikely that the church would ever be able to use it.  The congregation and the presbytery both concurred with this plan at that time.


Long time church members will recall that Ron Tyo and Don Blackadar were instrumental in our purchasing the property in the early 1990s; we are grateful to them for their efforts, as well as to all who helped to pay for the land by their donations (the church paid off the mortgage for that parcel of land in 1998).


For the second time in the past fifteen years that I have served as its pastor, Wekiva Presbyterian Church is essentially debt free.  For the first time in its young 35 years, the church has a sizeable endowment fund.  God has done marvelous things and it is wondrous in our eyes. 

All who have been involved in this process, from start to finish, richly deserve the congregation's thanks and appreciation, as do all who have prayed for the sale to occur. 

"Do You Ever Imagine Things?" Mr. Rogers Goes Viral

As many of you know, I admired Fred Rogers greatly, and continue to do so in these years since he has entered the Church Triumphant and is no longer among us. 

Fred was a remarkable Presbyterian pastor whose pulpit was the medium of television and whose congregation, via "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", was as big as the globe.  I was so blessed to be numbered among his many friends and treasure his wise and caring influence in my life.  I am so grateful for the conversations we had over lunch or dinner, and the thoughtful letters he wrote (always handwritten) to our family, such as the one you see in the photo above. 

Fred is greatly missed by his friends and his fans all over the world, who saw in him the good neighbor that he was.   

I thought of Fred as we sang "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" this Tuesday in the meeting of Central Florida Presbytery's worship service.  Fred preached on Martin Luther's great hymn, during my Pittsburgh Theological Seminary doctoral graduation in 1994, at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church.  Whenever I hear the hymn, Fred's insights from that day, return anew. 

PBS has recently released a new video that is based upon Fred's positive impact on the world.    It is a montage of moments from his television show, featuring one of his own songs, in which he reminds us that we can grow many things in the garden of our minds.

It may bring a smile and perhaps a tear as well.  You can see it here:

Garden of Your Mind

June Meeting of Central Florida Presbytery

Central Florida Presbytery held its June meeting yesterday, and among the events of the day, we said farewell to the Rev. Dr. Paige M. McRight who is retiring as our Executive Presbyter.  When the committee in charge of marking this occasion sent out an email asking for contributions to a Memory Book, I wrote a hymn in honor of Paige, which we sang as the closing hymn of the worship service.  The commissioners and guests (of which there were more than 300) did a wonderful job of singing it, to the tune KELVINGROVE. 

I have posted the bulletin  here and the words in more easily read form in the previous post.  The organist at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Barbara, and the Director of Christian Education, Candy, did a great job of hunting down a copy of the tune so that the worshiping congregation would be ready and able to sing when the time came. 

You all know how much I love the good people at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.  One of my happiest duties as a Presbyterian pastor was to have served as the chairperson for the merger commission for Grace Covenant and Conway Presbyterian Churches.  They are among the shining lights of our Central Florida Presbyterian congregations, and it is always a joy to be with them.  Here are a few other photos I made while at the Presbytery meeting: