|
On the last day of
the year 1905, Dr. H. F. Hoyt, by authority of Athens Presbytery organized
the First Presbyterian Church of Cornelia with twenty-two charter members.
The Trustees were T. H. Little, W. S. Erwin, and Ralph Carson. Dr. Hoyt
was seventy-two years of age at this time, most loved by the church members, and
an outstanding man in the ministry.
A resolution was adopted to build a church building on August 19, 1906. A
lot was secured at what was then the end of Chattahoochee Street. The
building was ready for occupancy in April of 1907. It was a wooden
structure consisting of only one room. In November of 1907, Dr. Hoyt
became the first pastor of this church at age seventy-four and served the church
until his death in 1912. The final payment of $13.40 on the church debt was
made in 1907. At this time, the number of communicants listed was
fifty-four. The Ladies Aid and Missionary Society had a membership of
twenty-two and in 1921, its name was changed to the Woman's Auxiliary.
During 1946, the church became self-supporting and was able to call C. C. West
as its first full-time minister. The first manse owned by the church,
also on Chattahoochee Street, was purchased. The membership grew to
sixty. The men of the church officially organized the Daily Vacation Bible
School. At its first meeting, the young people formed the Boosters
Club.
A congregational meeting approved plans to build a new church on the corner of
Pine and Etta Streets during 1949 and a contract for $35,000 was approved.
On July 4, 1950, groundbreaking ceremonies were held with the Rev. Paul Bohm
presiding and all officers and organizations taking part. Dedication
services were held in the new church on April 8, 1951. Dr. Felix Gear, our
then interim pastor, and Dr. Wallace B. Alston, president of Agnes Scott College
in Decatur, GA, were the main speakers. Others present included two former
sons of the church, the Rev. Charles Gibbs and the Rev. Burns Gibbs. The
success of the building program was directly due to the efforts of the Finance
Committee and especially its Chairman, M. O. Schaap. Membership now
numbered sixty-seven. A choir was formed in 1952 under the leadership of
Howard Davis, and the Women of the Synod of Georgia were entertained in the
First Presbyterian Church of Cornelia.
In 1953, the Rotary System for church officers was adopted, the Junior
Presbyterian Youth Fellowship was organized, and the church accepted partial
support of a missionary to Brazil. The year 1955 marked the 50th
Anniversary of the church. The congregation voted to observe this with the
publishing of a history, an Annual Homecoming, and a city-wide observance.
The final payment on the church debt was made in 1959. By then, the
programs and activities of the church had expanded considerably. There
were active Men of the Church and Women of the Church organizations, a
Presbyterian Youth Fellowship, and Sunday Schools for all age groups.
In 1965, membership increased to one hundred thirty-five and the budget was
$14,530. Women were elected to serve as church officers for the first time
in 1972. Jewell H. Schwager was elected elder, and Mignon H. Bruce was
elected deacon. In December of 1975, the Rev. Richard L. Scoggins,
with his lovely wife Sara, began his ministry at the First Presbyterian Church
of Cornelia, Georgia.
Membership reached two hundred in 1977. Also that year, it was our
privilege to have Dr. Louis H. Evens, Sr., distinguished clergyman from
Pasadena, California, conduct a week of spiritual renewal services.
During 1978, the Annex on Etta was purchased. At that time it was used for
the church office, a nursery, and additional Sunday School rooms. The
membership of the Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church was transferred to First Presbyterian
Church and the Mt. Airy Church was dissolved by the Athens Presbytery. The old
Mt. Airy church has since been maintained as a chapel of the First Presbyterian
Church. Also that year, membership grew to two hundred twenty-one, and the
Strugglers Sunday School Class adopted a Laotian refugee family.
Indebtedness on the Annex was paid off in 1980. The church was now debt free,
and membership totaled two hundred forty-six. Also, Dr Louis Evens
returned for four days of spiritual enrichment.
A committee composed of J. L. Bruce, Walter Looney, Teresa Dean, and Kelly
Parker was appointed in 1983 to address improvement and expansion of church
facilities. In 1984, this committee presented plans incorporating
suggestions from members and groups within the church, and in 1985, the
congregation voted to approve a contract for building a fellowship hall, an
education building and for road work. Three years of planning culminated
with the congregation voting on April 13, 1986 to proceed with the building
program. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on May 25, 1986.
1987 marked the dedication of the new building addition, and the naming of the
new fellowship hall for Richard and Sara Scoggins. Rev. Scoggins retired
on July 1, 1988, after serving the church for twelve and a half years.
During this time, membership tripled and the annual church budget
quadrupled. On October 22, 1989 the congregation voted to call the Rev.
Paul J. Kirbas. It would be seventy-eight weeks from the date of Richard
Scoggins retirement until Paul Kirbas with his wife Jennifer, would arrive to be
our new minister.
On the first Sunday in May 1990, the early 8:30 a.m. service was begun.
Agape Fellowship deserves a special place in our history as it continues to meet
each Sunday evening.
At the end of 1991, the church purchased the First National Bank's drive-thru
property on Main Street. The church offices were moved from the
Westminster House into this new facility in 1992. Also, in 1992, Sunday
early morning service was changed to 9:00 a.m.
In May 1993, Paul Kirbas accepted a call to be Senior Minister at Druid Hills
Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Dr. Jan Blisett became interim
pastor. At the end of 1993, the Session approved the office of Youth
Director. In September of 1994, Julia Gasaway was commissioned to service
in a mission school in Ethiopia.
The Rev. Blaine Walker arrived as our new minister on May 1, 1995. His wife
Amy and his daughter Laura joined him on June 17th. Ninety years had
passed since the organization of Cornelia First Presbyterian Church. The
membership had increased to approximately 330.
This
brief history compiled by Gloria Schwager Crawford.
|
