History Document AEPC.pub
Transcription
History Document AEPC.pub
History of Ashland Evangelical Presbyterian Church February 17, 1907 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William McFadden twenty (20) people came together to organize a Sunday school and church. Mr. William McFadden was chosen chairman, Charles F. Linn was chosen secretary and Mr. Aaron D. Plank was chosen treasurer. As the result of that meeting they organized a Union Sunday School and decided to hold Sunday night services. They planned eventually, to merge into a church to be under the jurisdiction of some denomination. Upon invitation of Mr. William McFadden the services for Sunday school and church were held in his home. Home of Mr. and Mrs. William McFadden Mr. William McFadden and Mr. Aaron D. Plank began going to neighboring churches for financial help. They went to Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian Churches. April 15, 1907 a parcel of land on Evesham Road was donated by the Ebert Brothers for the building of the new church. June 23, 1907 Reverend William Allen of The First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield constituted Ashland Chapel with 14 people in membership, who were received into full communion with them. November 30, 1907 the cornerstone for the new church was laid by Mr. Aaron D. Plank. Fifty to seventy-five (50 - 75) people attended and Reverend William Allen of the Haddonfield Presbyterian Church presided over the service. April 18, 1908 Ashland Presbyterian Chapel dedication service was held. Through the years Ashland Chapel grew financially and spiritually. January 18, 1916 Ashland Chapel petitioned Presbytery to be a separate congregation. January 31, 1916 the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland was organized by Presbytery. April 16, 1918 after having financial difficulties and a need for guidance from the Haddonfield Church, First Presbyterian Church of Ashland unanimously petitioned Presbytery to reunite with the Haddonfield Church. May 12, 1918 forty-nine (49) members of First Presbyterian Church of Ashland rejoined the First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield. Services were still held at the Ashland Church. July 21, 1924 after a visit from Presbytery the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland was reorganized as an independent congregation with sixty-five (65) members. Up until April 1926 ministers came from Princeton Theological Seminary to preach each Sunday. They conducted two (2) services on Sunday evenings and would stay the weekend at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Plank and family. April 6, 1926 Reverend Parks W. Wilson became the first pastor of Ashland Church. The church grew - a Boy Scout troop was organized. The Sunday school attendance grew and they had to move to the local fire hall. February 14 - 19, 1928 Twenty-Fifth (20th) Anniversary services were held initializing a building fund campaign for the purposes of enlarging the church. In 1939 a contract was signed with Hezenthell Builders to build an addition to the church. It would double the size of the sanctuary, Sunday school and put in a new kitchen and heating unit. Sherwood Githens, William Henry, Aaron Plank, William McFadden, Charles Lynn, Charles A. Peters - February 19,1928 - 20th anniversary - these were superintendents of the Sunday School. January 26, 1951 Reverend Ernest Palmer was installed as the tenth (10th) pastor of Ashland Church. In 1953 Reverend Andrew Layman, Synod Field Executive recommended relocating Ashland Church to a more strategic site in the township. This was to accommodate the growing congregation and Sunday school. Mr. Matlack, Pastor Palmer, Mr. Peters ground breaking. In the spring of 1954 Ashland Church voted unanimously to relocate and to conduct a campaign to raise money to build a new church and Sunday school, if able to locate a suitable site with the approval of the Board of National Missions for aid from the Capital Building Funds. In 1955 the Ashland Church purchased about 3 acres from Serody and Serody, builders of Greenridge housing development. George H. Savage of Philadelphia was hired as the architect to draw up the plans for the church and Sunday school and to oversee the construction of this building. The funds were raised and the new building costing $175,000.00 was built. Groundbreaking took place on June 24, 1956. May 6, 1957 the cornerstone was laid by Charles A. Peters, John E. Matlack, Reverend Ernest Palmer and Richard S. Mitchell, Sr. August 4, 1957 a dedication service was held at the new church. The east wing (where the chapel and Sunday school rooms are now) was not completed at the time of the dedication so several members of the church helped finish the construction. January 1, 1967 Reverend Ernest Palmer retired as pastor of Ashland Church. Richard Mitchell and Pastor Palmer 1957 August, 1967 Reverend C. Lowry Horner was installed as the eleventh (11th) pastor of Ashland Church. January 29, 1981 at the annual Congregational Meeting the congregation of Ashland Church unanimously voted to withdraw from UPUSA following the acceptance of a United Church of Christ minister as UPUSA member minister despite his repeated denial of the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, the sinless nature of Christ and the finality of Christ’s atoning sacrifice of our sins and our resulting salvation. Rev C. Lowry, and Grace Horner March 9, 1981 after a series of meetings the Presbytery of West Jersey dissolved the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland as a UPUSA congregation and subsequently instituting suit against the congregation and property which was still being utilized by the congregation. The church was functioning then as a non-profit church corporation called Evesham Avenue Church of Ashland. August 30, 1981 by unanimous vote the congregation voted to become a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, a denomination of some 25,000 members and composed mostly of former UPUSA congregations. January 1, 1982 First Presbyterian Church of Ashland changed it’s name to Ashland Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Legal issues between Ashland church and the West Jersey Presbytery of UPUSA were settled out of court with the congregation’s purchase of the property for $150,000.00. April 26, 1992 Reverend C. Lowry Horner retired after twenty-five (25) years of service. August 2, 1992 Reverend Ian D. Lamont became the twelfth (12th) pastor of Ashland Church. February 9, 1997 an Anniversary Recital and Organ Dedication service was held. Celebrating the ninetieth (90th) anniversary of Ashland Church and the dedication of a new organ. January 31, 1999 Mr. James Bates became Assistant Pastor of Ashland Church. He left in 2000. September 27, 2001 Reverend Ian Lamont left as pastor of Ashland Church to become the pastor of a church in Florida. The elders of the church then preached while a new pastor was being sought. October 13, 2002 Reverend Jamie Cupschalk became the thirteen (13th) pastor of Ashland Church. Several members of Ashland Church have been attending the church for over seventy (70) years: Mr. Oscar Hillman, Mrs. Alma (Frantz) Christensen, Mr. Gene Huth, Mrs. Joan (Kent) Kline, Mrs. Barbara (Letts) Connor, Mrs. Mildred (Reeves) Buck, Mrs. Jean (Perkins) Fitzgerald, Mrs. Dorothy (Plank) Kerth, Mrs. Joan (Plank) Callaway, Mrs. Loretta (Charbat) Simpson, Mr. Walt Searles (deceased 2007) and Mr. Albert Hillman (deceased 2007). Reflections from the Pastor One hundred years ago a small group of people had a vision for a church in the Ashland area. This group of families began to meet together, holding studies in a home owned by the McFaddon family. From those meetings, the church began to grow. The first building was built in 1908 and then 49 years later the current building. Since then, Ashland has continually been a light in the community sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. What always strikes me as I think back on those times before us, is the vision that God gave to those men and women, some of whose descendents still worship at Ashland Church. These people had a vision beyond themselves; beyond their own ability to imagine. They had the faith to see things which were not yet, and lived out that faith in front of those who would follow them. Their desire was to live their lives, and give in such a way that they would have an impact on generations to come. As it turns out, the impact they had in living out their vision would reach even further then they could dream. I believe that God has called us to be a visionary people, and that he has placed before us a Vision and Mission that will have eternal impact. We need to continually look beyond what we can achieve on our own, and ask what God wants to accomplish today through us. We stand on a good foundation, left by those who precede us, and I pray that we will continue to be a light in our surrounding community and throughout the world for generations to come. May we be those who leave a legacy to our children and our children’s children, continuing to be the covenant family that God has called us to be, living out our lives together, loving one another, and sharing the hope of the Gospel. Rev. Jamie Cupschalk Pastor MINISTERS WHO HAVE SERVED AT ASHLAND CHURCH Princeton Theological Seminary Student - Until 1926 Rev. Parks W. Wilson - Installed May 26, 1926 - resigned October 31, 1926 Rev. Frank Rohrer Lefever - June 1, 1927 to March 1, 1931 Rev. Theron Hewitt (Stated Supply Pastor) - September 28, 1931 to October 22, 1933 Rev. J. Charles McKirachan - March 4, 1934 to June 1935 Rev. Howell Forgy (Stated Supply Pastor) - July 7, 1935 to July 1937 Rev. H. Paul Janes (Stated Supply Pastor) - October 25, 1937 to September 28, 1941 Rev. Thomas Whyte - October 27, 1942 to August 18, 1946 Rev. George Rentschler - January 27, 1947 to June 13, 1948 Rev. Charles VanHorn, Jr. - October 17, 1948 to September 12, 1949 Rev. Ernest Palmer - January 25, 1951 to January 1, 1967 (retired) Rev. C. Lowry Horner - August, 1967 to April, 1992 (retired) Rev. Ian D. Lamont - August 2, 1992 to September 27, 2001 Rev. Jamie Cupschalk - October 13, 2002 - Current