199 N. Columbus Ave

   Mount Vernon, New York 10553

        Phone 914-664-0623

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

A BRIEF HISTORY

The FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Mount Vernon, New York was organized by the Presbytery of Westchester on June 23rd, 1887 with a membership of seventy-three (73). For the first three years the congregation held worship services in Union Hall, located at the southwest corner of South Sixth Avenue and West First Street.

One year after organizing, the congregation purchased land on South Sixth Avenue and later built a new church on that site. On Sunday, September 9th, 1890 the first worship services were held - in this the largest church sanctuary in the city at that time.

The congregation remained at that location until 1933, when it moved to the corner of East Lincoln and North Columbus Avenues. Dedication of the Educational and Parish Hall Building was held on May 7th, 1933 and the congregation held worship services in the Parish Hall for nineteen years.

After many years of negotiating with various organizations, the South Sixth Avenue building was sold to the Grace Baptist Church in December 1943. That congregation continues to worship in the building to this date.

In 1944 the congregation embarked on a plan to raise funds to build a church sanctuary. That effort took eight years and the present sanctuary was dedicated on May 18th, 1952.

Over the years the congregation supported and was represented on many organizations that addressed the social issues of its time. These included the Boys Club; Missionaries in Asia and in Leeds, Maine; sponsoring of a displaced European Family; groups to improve representation on the Mount Vernon School Board.

The congregation has opened its doors for Tenant & Neighborhood Organization meetings, a Meals on Wheels program,  Naomi House (a women's shelter), Boy & Girl Scout Troop meetings, and a Youth Summer Camp, to name a few. Music has been an important part of the congregational life in worship services and community outreach. Affordable music lessons at the Mount Vernon Music Academy were given weekly for many years and the Jazz Society continues to present monthly concerts in the Parish Hall.

The Rev. Charles Stoddard Lane      1888-1910

The Rev. Joseph Hillman Hollister      1911-1926

The Rev. Ernest John Houghton       1926-1943

The Rev. Melvin J. Joachim        1944-1957

Assistants

The Rev. J. L. Inglis      1948

The Rev. James C. Blackie    1951

The Rev. W. J. Green     1952-1953

The Rev. George Beimler    1954-1956

The Rev. Paul Altaner     1956-1958

The Rev. A. Kenneth Magner        1958-1962

Assistant

The Rev. Robert Stewart Garner  1959-1962

The Rev. F. Morgan Roberts        1962-1967

Assistants

The Rev. Howard B. Warren   1963-1965

The Rev. G. Barrett Rich    1966

The Rev. G. Barrett Rich (Interim Pastor)     1967

The Rev. William H. Edwards III       1968-1974

Assistant

The Rev. James Walkup     1970-1974

The Rev. Frank N. Watson (Interim Pastor)    1974-1975

The Rev. Clinton C. Glenn Jr.        1975-1990

Associates

The Rev. Mary M. Thies    1977-1978

The Rev. Debra P. Given    1979-1985

The Rev. Barbara Horner-Ibler   1986-1987

The Rev. Robert W. Hare (Interim Pastor)     1990-1992

The Rev. Charlotte H. Lohrenz        1992-1995

The Rev. Rose E. Niles-McCrary       1996-2007

Parish Associates

The Rev. Eleanor Moody Shepherd  The Rev Laura Porter

The Rev. Nancy Fields     The Rev. Dan Mena

The Rev. Gilbert McKenzie (Interim Pastor)     2008-2011

The Rev.Betty J. Griffin                                    2011-Present

      CHRONOLOGY OF PASTORS