175th Church Birthday
Members of our congregation celebrated our 175th birthday three years ago.
The First Presbyterian Church of Horseheads was the first church in Horseheads to worship in its own building. First Pres had more than 1,000 members during the area's industrial boom of the '6o's.
But it couldn't escape loss of membership when the boom fizzled.
Through it all, our church supported faith and fellowship for its families.
They returned that support with monetary gifts, elegant stained glass window memorials and in one case, a new church.
"Those are the staples that promote long life in a church - holiness alone won't do it" said First Pres pastor Jonathan B. Knight.
"There is nothing more fake than a church that tries to give the appearance of being holy all the time", said Knight. "It is downright boring".
"The church reflects the ups and downs of the people it serves", he said. "In other words, life within this congregation has been real life".
Evidence shows the ups outnumber the downs.
Children raised in our church do us proud.
Friendships formed generations ago continue today.
Ancestors of some present members go back six generations.
We know a lot about the church's past through a history written by Beverly Selby on its 150th birthday in 1982.
The history tells us that First Pres was organized in 1832 and move to Broad Street and Grand Central Avenue in 1849.
Presbyterians toed the line in those days or faced a committee of stern church leaders. Two women were charged with dancing in 1858 - 75 years before it was allowed in the clubhouse.
One woman was denied entry into the ministry in 1912 and it was 1957 before Anna Drury became the first female elder at First Pres.
Yet, it was a woman who donated a $3,000 stained glass window in 1888.
Her son donated a second stained glass window in 1912.
Construction of the present church was approved in 1963 with $250,000 donated by Belle Johnson in memory of her husband, Ben.
First Pres lists about 196 members today.
"The lives of our members reflect those in the Bible", said Pastor Knight. "For the Bible is full of people in conflict with one another and in conflict with God."
"Let's celebrate the joy and laughter and the pain and tears. Let's celebrate it all for God has been and continues to be in the midst of it all", he said.
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