First Presbyterian Church, Verona NY

                         Sunday, August 3, 2003 2:00pm

      Bicentennial Celebration     Verona First...200 years and beyond

 

Rev. John Paust

Rev. John Morris                                 Vincent Guarneiri, Organist

Rev. D. Richard Will                                      Tim Crofton, Bagpiper

 

Prelude:                  “Prelude in C Major”                             J.S. Bach

 

Call to Worship:                                                  Psalms 118: 19-24
Leader:  Open for me the gates of righteousness;
              I will enter and give thanks to the LORD .
People:  This is the gate of the LORD
              through which the righteous may enter.
Leader:  I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
              you have become my salvation.
People:  The stone the builders rejected
              has become the capstone;
Leader:  The LORD has done this,
              and it is marvelous in our eyes.
ALL:    This is the day the LORD has made;
              let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 

*Processional                                                Tim Crofton, Bagpiper

 

*Hymn #441                                      “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord”

 

Welcome & Opening remarks                                           Rev. Will

 

Opening Prayer                                                               Rev. Paust

 

Recognition of dignitaries                                      Phil Marmelstein

 

Recognition of clergy

 

Verona First Bicentennial Year 2003                           Brent Collins

 

Bicentennial solo                                                            Clara Meier

 

Scriptural Reading -I Corinthians 12: 4-11, 27-31         Rev. Morris

            Pastoral reflection of Rev. Morris

 

Bagpipe solo                                                        “Amazing Grace”

Pastoral reflection                                                           Rev. Paust

 

Recognition of 50 year members                           Phil Marmelstein

 

Reminisce                                          Church Member Recollections

            Brian Buchanan, Arlene Jones, Sheila Marmelstein

 

Pastors in the history of the Church:

            Rev. Will, Rev. Morris, Rev. Paust and Brent Collins

 

The Beginning                                Lisa Buchanan, Kaye Sarandrea

 

Pastoral Reflection                                                            Rev. Will

 

*Hymn #371                                                   “Lift High the Cross”

 

Closing prayer                                                                   Rev. Will

 

Recessional                                                  Tim Crofton, Bagpiper

Postlude:            “Nun Daket Alle Gott”             Sigfreid Kard Elert

 

                                 *Those who are able may stand

 

                                       ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

-Please sign the Guest Register in the Narthex

-Refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall

-Tuesday, August 5:

                4:15 Bicentennial Observance will be held at the Church

                4:30 - 7:00 Ice Cream Social in the Fellowship Hall

                5:00 - 7:00 Wagon rides drawn by Croft’s Belgian mules.

 

 

 

 

                   22 Original Members of the Church in 1803

 

Ithamar Day

Martin Langdon

Lydia Langdon

Samuel Whaley

Olive Whaley

Elisha Devereaux

-------Devereaux

Solomon Bishop

David Fancher

Phebe Langdon

Polly Fancher

Cyrus Thompson

James Shearer

Rebecca Shearer

Stephen Stillson

--------- Starr

Mercy Starr

Stephen Baxter

Calvin Adams

Thankful Hitchcock

Samuel Pratt

Hannah Pratt

 

                                       Pastors since 1803

 

Israel Brainerd (1st Pastor)1807

Luther Myrick 1830-1832

Eliphalet Spencer 1832-1834

Clement Lewis 1834-1835

Norris Day 1835-1837

Benjamin Lockwood 1837-1838

Charles F. Butler1 839-1842

Washington Stickney 1843-1844

Henry Kendall 1844-1848

Nathan Bosworth1849-1850

Sidney H. Barteau 1850-1853

Charles Machin 1853-1857

John Wesley Whitfield 1859-1861

Mr. Rollo 1861-1862

Benjamin F. Willoughby 1862-1865

Abel S. Wood 1865-1867

David I. Biggar 1868-1877

Charles F. Janes 1878-1882

William C. Taylor 1883-1888

Martin Grant 1889-1891

Walter Mitchell 1891-1893

Donald A. McLeon 1893-1895

Frank W. West 1895-1900

Oliver P. Devin 1901-1904

Aaron C. Stuart 1905-1912

John W. Dennis 1912-1916

Charles F. Luther 1917-1919

Robert Grant 1919-1920

Wilbur Augustus Wagar 1921-1924

George Edward Davies 1924-1925

John Hugh Stewart 1925-1927

W. J. A. Graham 1927-1936

Eugene Doane 1937-1940

Thomas Glenn Cannen 1940-1944

Samuel Southern 1945-1958

F. David Pudsell 1959-1961

John Morris 1961& 1962

John R. Paust 1962-1966

Clifford Weber 1966-1970

Robert Stover 1971-1973

Richard A. Geiger 1974-1984

P. Arthur Brindisi 1984-1991

D. Richard Will 1991-2003

 

 

Thanks to the Session, Deacons, and Womens Association for their help with the Bicentennial.  Thank you to our visiting Pastors for their participation and to Clara Meier, Vince Guarneiri and Tim Crofton.

 

“A Church is not measured in greatness by the beauty of its architecture or the ability of its ministry, but by the people who truly love and faithfully serve that for which it stands.”          -John Bunyan

 [Comment1]Per Rev. Will: What comes to mind for scripture (and this will change day to day!) for the commemerative service is Body of Christ.  As we (the church) are called the Body of Christ it mght be appropriate to consider Paul's description of gifts and  the body--I Corinthians 12.  Some parts of this chapter could be quite poignant, specifically vs 4-11 and 27-31.