100th Anniversary History of Community Presbyterian Church

Taken From "History of Community Presbyterian Church"
By Mary Houston

and from
The Session Records of the Church


Edited by Pastor Rodger L. Pettichord, November 1992

In the year 1890, the Reverend R.N. Toms began to lead worship services for interested Buckley residents. Reverend Toms also conducted services in Burnett and in Boise, traveling by horse and buggy and by train to make his circuit, and meeting with his various congregations on alternating Sundays. The Buckley congregations met in Ewing Hall, a frame building on east Main.

In May of 1892, the town of Buckley was hit by a major fire which destroyed the business district along East Main Street. Ewing Hall was one of the buildings destroyed. Merchants began to rebuild at once, using locally made brick, and one of the new buildings became the new meeting place for Reverend Toms' Sunday services. The congregation's new home was a furniture store on the corner of Main and Cottage Street, the second floor of which was a large meeting hall named "Columbia Hall." Worship was held there from 1892 to 1894.

The congregation worshipping with Reverend Toms decided to join the Presbyterian denomination, whose missionary and educational efforts were widespread in the Pacific Northwest. A committee from the Olympia Presbytery met with representatives of the congregation, and approval was given for the formation of the First Presbyterian Church of Buckley. Arrangements were completed by late 1892, and on November 11th the congregation was officially brought into being, with the dedication worship service taking place on November 19th. On the 19th, communion was shared, and the Reverend Toms gave a farewell address thanking the congregation for his time with them.

Although records of the time are incomplete, it seems that there were supply pastors for several months after the congregation was formed. Finally, an arrangement was made to share pastoral services with the Presbyterian church in Enumclaw. A Reverend Garretson apparently served in this dual role, although their years of service are unknown. In those early years, the First Presbyterian Church of Buckley was a Home Missions congregations under care of the presbytery and the Home Missions Board of the denomination. As such, it received financial support and other aid, being considered a Far West mission point.

By mid 1893, the congregation had raised enough money to buy a separate structure for its use. With funding help from the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, the congregation bought the old Spaulding Building, which stood where the present church building now stands. This building was dedicated for worship in December of 1894 after considerable remodeling by two carpenters assisted by worker from the congregation. The Spaulding Building served in this fashion until 1908, when it was moved to the corner of Main and "A" Street, where it became a funeral home. Most Buckley residents today still know the building as the "Whitmore Funeral Home," although the building has housed an antique shop for the last several years.

By 1907, the congregation had grown to the point where it was decided that a new building was needed, this time a "real" church building. In April of 1907, a committee was formed to draw up plans. This committee soon was introduced to a publication titled, "Carpenter's Gothic," an architectural guide being promoted by the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions for use in new church development. Plans were selected from this resource, and work was begun. We might note that many Presbyterian churches built in those years show the influence of this guide, which was written by the builder of Trinity Church in New York City.

By late 1908, the building was ready for use. Its formal dedication ceremony took place on September 27th, 1908, with speaker from the Presbytery and other local Presbyterian institutions taking part. The cost of the project is recorded as about $4,000, which did not include a bell for the tower. It would take considerable effort by the Ladies Aid to raise the funds for the bell, which was finally purchased around 1912.

The new church was L-shaped, with a high steeple and bell tower, a partial basement, and a large, arched, frosted glass windows. The interior was a very modern design for the times, with 125 individual seats in three sections facing west toward tow wide, arched areas, one for the pulpit and pulpit chairs, and one for the choir and piano. One of those pulpit chairs is still used as the pastor's chancel chair today.

The present overflow area, then to the rear of the main seating section, was also then used for overflow seating, although its primary use was as a Sunday School meeting area. The church was heated by warm air from a coal furnace in the basement and by a wood burning stove in the upstairs overflow area.

The ministers lived in a manse next to the church on the site of the present parking lot. The manse had been built in 1900 and featured a minister's study with a large bay window on the south side from which the minister could keep an eye on the church building.

In those early years, nearly all the members walked to church. Even those who owned the first automobiles rarely drove the few blocks in town, so the church did not have a parking lot. There were, however, two hitching posts in front of the church on Cottage Street to accommodate horse and buggy riders. Cottage Street itself was unpaved, and there was a board sidewalk--typical of the situation throughout Buckley at the time.

The new building brought new members, and soon things were filling up. Sunday School especially put a strain on the new facilities. Pre-school through third grade all met in the Sunday School Room (the sanctuary over-flow area), and older classes mostly spread out around the sanctuary, although one class soon appropriated the minister's tiny Quiet Room next to the pulpit. Finally, it was decided to use the basement for classes, although it so often flooded during the rainy seasons that platforms were built at the north and south ends to keep the piano an other furniture dry. Eventually, one Sunday School class ended up meeting in the furnace room next to the coal bin.

The church basement was gradually improved so that it could be used for a dining room and a meeting room. A small kitchen was constructed, but without running water or plumbing. A three-burner kerosene stove served for cooking, and dishes were washed in dishpans with water carried in from outside. Despite the inconvenience, the ladies of the congregation were said to provide great church dinners.

By 1917, the Reverend Fred Eastman, a Canadian, was presiding over an active, growing congregation. There were two worship services, one in the morning and one in the evening (a popular convention at the time), a sizable Sunday School and Youth Program, and a full calendar of congregational events.

In about 1918, the church experienced a major change when youth returned from a youth conference in Seattle excited about the individual communion cups they had seen in use there. At their urging and after considerable discussion, the church invested in communion trays and small glasses for individual use. Prior to that time, the congregation had used a common cup, drinking from the silver chalice it had received--along with a matching silver pitcher--as a mission gift from the Sunday School of Grace Presbyterian Church in Oswego, New York. The original chalice and pitcher, received in the 1890s, are still used in our monthly communion service today.

In 1928, the First Presbyterian Church of Buckley and the Buckley Methodist Episcopal Church joined together as the Buckley Federated Church. The Presbyterian building was used as the meeting place. The plan was that the two congregations would share a common minister (called alternately from the two denominations) and worship service, but would retain separate property, identity, and polity. Benevolences would be divided evenly between the two denominations.

This arrangement continued for nearly two decades. Eventually, however, it proved unsuitable. The Federated Church had no difficulty integrating the diverse membership, but the two forms of church government proved to present too many problems concerning records, reports, pastoral assignments, and so forth, so the Federated Church was dissolved in 1947, and the Presbyterians took up their separate identity again. The October 1947 Session minutes show the minister, the Reverend Fred Darley, and the Elders making the decision to rename the church from its original "First Presbyterian Church of Buckley" to the present "Buckley Community Presbyterian Church," the intent being to be named in a way that would welcome the variety of persons seeking a church home in Buckley.

It is worth mentioning that the 1928 federation had taken place originally as a financial strategy. The economic depression of the late twenties and the thirties forced many a church to make similar adaptations in order to survive, and Buckley was no exception. Remembrances of the time, however, paint a picture of a church vital in its witness to Christ, probably because of the steadfast local leadership and such ministers as the Reverend W. O. Benadom. This minister and his wife Lela were just right for those hard times. Reverend Benadom in his youth had been a cowboy in the tough eastern Oregon cattle country. He had converted to Christ at a Methodist outdoor camp meeting and had decided to become a minister. As an older, settled man used to hardships, Reverend Benadom helped guide the congregation through the years of the Great Depression.

Church finances were meager in those years, but there was plenty of volunteer help. People donated lumber, paint, nails and tools to build cupboards for the kitchen and benches and chairs for the small children in Sunday School. Church dinners were a time of glad togetherness, even if the main dishes were inexpensive casseroles and garden produce instead of "store-bought" foodstuffs. Pianist, choir director, janitor, and secretary all donated their time (we are able to offer a small compensation to our organist and custodian these days). Girls took care of the nursery, and boys helped with the yard work. As time went by, people even managed to chip in a bit here and there to replace the old frosted-glass sanctuary windows with new, quality stained glass. If the times were sick, the church was an antidote, and many of our older members today have very fond memories of that church of their youth.

Finally, of course, World War II replaced the worries of the Great Depression with worries of another sort. Records show, though, that the war years also brought out the best in the congregation. The Reverend Orr Cheek and his wife Hazel enjoyed a warm ministry during the war years, and the Reverend Herman Bailey and his wife Anna Mary continued that tone as the war ended. During the forties, the church had many active fellowship programs, a thriving youth group, and a dedicated war-related mission effort. When the Presbyterian church in 1946 began its five-year Restoration Fund to help rebuild the churches, schools, and hospitals of war-ravaged Europe, Buckley Community Presbyterian Church was actively involved.

In 1950, a tragedy struck the church. In 1948, the Reverend Alexander Ogston had come to the church. In the autumn of 1950, while conducting a wedding rehearsal, he suddenly died, leaving behind a widow and a five year old son. The congregation helped the family through the difficulty, but the life of the church itself suffered in the confusion. To make things worse, the church was unable to secure a minister for some time, so there were times when even worship services had to be canceled. Many credit the lay leadership of that time with holding things together despite the trauma, feeling that without their dedication, the church might not have made it.

In the fall of 1951, the Reverend Joseph Swank and his wife Beatrice accepted a call, and soon things were back on track again. Church membership increased, Sunday School activities expanded, and the new west wing addition was planned and begun, with Bill Schwab as chair of the building committee. Bill continued to be an active part of the congregation until his death in 1991 at the age or 101.

In 1954, the Reverend Luther Wills and his wife Edwina came to Community Presbyterian Church. His skills at carpentry and cabinet making were handy as the church finished the east wing. The new addition added much needed room and also gave us the present side entrance to the church basement. A proud new illuminated church signboard was build and mounted on the front of the church (the same sign now on the north side).

The 1960's saw extensive activity in the church. The Reverend Donald Davis and his wife Joanne arrived in 1961, his tenure coinciding with a very actives Men's Club which spearheaded major improvements, including replacement of the old church steeple with the present enclosed structure. Funds also were raised to purchase "Shangri-la," a former school house in Upper Fairfax, which was renovated for use as a retreat and conference center. Shangri-la was used for a number of years until being sold in 1979.

In 1962, an opportunity to buy good used pews from a church in Tacoma led to the decision to replace the old individual sanctuary seats with pews. Later, pads would be added , and in 1989 the pews were refinished to their present appearance following damage from a steam pipe break.

In 1966, the Reverend Frank Woodward and his wife Jean arrived on a one-year assignment at Community Presbyterian. They were Presbyterian missionaries on leave of absence from their ministry in Iran. Reverend Woodward brought considerable administrative gifts to our church and helped institute better rolls and record keeping procedures. He also helped move our church into a more active engagement with the larger Presbyterian system, an engagement which continues to this day. The Woodward’s were the first to move into the present manse at 155 "A" Street. The manse was built in large part by the people of the congregation and was located on property donated by the Whitmore family.

1972 saw Community Presbyterian celebrate its 75th anniversary. Special services were held to commemorate the event, a highlight of which was the use of the old organ from the Whitmore Funeral Home, which had been the Presbyterian Church building from 1894 - 1908.

In late 1972, the Reverend Darryl Udd and his wife Cheryl received the Buckley call. During Reverend Udd's tenure, the church built up an active youth ministry, including midweek youth meetings. Extensive remodeling of the sanctuary also took place at this time, with the pews and chancel being relocated so that the sanctuary faced south instead of east. The sloping floor was removed, and the west wall was reconfigured. New chandeliers were installed, and false beams and a new wood ceiling were put up. The walls were repaired and re-plastered. Carpeting was installed, and matching pew padding was ordered. By the end of this effort, Community Presbyterian Church had taken on much of the appearance that is familiar to us at this 100th anniversary time. The church also then took on an active community service role, offering counseling services and hosting various service and fellowship groups from the community.

Following Reverend Udd's departure in 1978, the church was without a permanent pastor for over a year. Finally, the Reverend Louis Born, who had acted as a stated supply for much of the interim, was called to the full-time position. Reverend Born, a native of the Netherlands, brought to the church a professional level of expertise in music and is remembered for his great talent in this area.

Community Presbyterian Church celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 1982. For the occasion, member Mary Houston researched and wrote a "History of Community Presbyterian Church," from which most of this current brief history is taken. The History, which includes many interesting details about the Buckley area, is a valued part of many member's libraries.

When the Born’s left in 1986, Interim Pastor Aaron Carland filled the pulpit while the pastoral search committee did its work. Reverend Carland helped church leaders prepare the congregation for a new pastor and did a good job of helping the church anticipate its new course.

In 1988, the Reverend Rodger Pettichord and his wife Trudy were called to Buckley. Charged with the task of renewal and renovation, this ministry has helped the church improve its physical appearance, straighten out its administrative and financial procedures, re-institute its programs, and plan for the future. At the same time, a new stress on Bible study and faith development has helped the congregation enjoy something of a spiritual renaissance.

Future generations may be interested to note that the parking lot was finally paved in 1988. The fiberglass Celtic Cross on the steeple was designed and installed in 1989 after a wind storm destroyed the old plywood one. 1989 also saw the carpeting of the upstairs fellowship area and the classroom, and the carpeting of the downstairs east wing classrooms. That year also saw the addition of the baptismal fount, which was built by Dick Bagnall, who had earlier built the pulpit and the cross and menorah on the chancel wall. 1991 added a new sound system. Plans are currently underway to improve the sanctuary lighting, hopefully in this centennial year. We continue to look for ways to make this a more attractive house of God, and we have every confidence that we will pass it to future generations in good shape.

We therefore close our brief history on a positive note. The past ten decades have seen many cycles for our church and its people. We have seen times when there was harmony and hope, and we have seen times when there was dissention and discouragement. We have seen pastors who have led us in the way of the Lord, and we have seen pastors who seemed to have lost their way. We have ourselves often been faithful and loving and sometimes sinful and mean. In short, for 100 years, Community Presbyterian Church has been part of the divine drama, and we have been thoroughly human, with all the ups and downs which that fact implies.

But throughout our 100 years, even in the most difficult moments, we have understood that Jesus Christ is Lord and that it is our purpose to bring honor to His name. When we have failed to do so, we have repented and sought Christ's forgiveness. When we have indeed properly glorified our Lord, we have been glad and given thanks to Him.

As we begin our second century, we do so with a renewed commitment to Christ, with a spirit of optimism, and with a determination to continue the witness demonstrated by the best of our forebears over these 100 years In turn, we wish God's blessings upon you of future generations who read these words. Please remember that in the year 1992 there was the same feeling of excitement and anticipation in Christ that marked the beginning of this church in the year 1892. May you also find the life and work of Community Presbyterian Church to be precious, and may God Bless you as you serve Him in your time.