Glimpses from the Church's Past

Through the interest of the Home Mission Committee of Kanawha Presbytery, The Rev. M. E. Hansel was sent into Logan County as a missionary in 1906. He was a tireless worker. After laboring for months he succeeded in gathering together 28 Presbyterians, who were formally organized into a church by Kanawha Presbytery on September 26, 1906. Dr. Ernest Thompson, First Presbyterian Church, Charleston, WV, was chairman of the Commission that organized the church. Because of lack of sufficient financial support from the Logan Church, the Home Mission Committee continued its support until 1915. Among members who were very active in the early history of the church were Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Price, Mr. and Mrs. C. McDonald England, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Bevill, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. McCormick, Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Mitchell, Mrs. L. G. Burns, Mrs. Hudson and her daughter, Miss Annie Hudson, Messrs. Ned Bryan, I. E. Cooper, George Vaughan and Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Barnes.		The first elders of this church were Mr. Charles Price and Mr. F. S. Lee. The first deacons were Messrs. C. McDonald England, I. E. Cooper and J. Ned Bryan.

First Building 1909 The first building venture of the small congregation was the construction of a small chapel at 107 Bridge Street later the same site occupied by the brick church built in 1918. This first building was completed in 1909. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Dr. J. Grey McAllister on September 5, 1909. His text was Exodus 14:15. This little chapel was to be our church home until 1918. It was then sold to an individual, moved to another lot, but continued in the sacred service to which it was dedicated, as our colored brethren used it for years until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. (Note: We are earnestly seeking a photo of this first church building.)	Presbyterians To Occupy New Church Sunday Article in Logan Democrat, Dec. 1918 The beautiful new church edifice of the Logan Presbyterian congregation will be opened to the public for the first time next Sunday, when the Christmas services will be held in it. The church has been under construction for some months, its earlier completion being delayed, as was all other building operations, by war conditions. The fine new pipe organ was installed during the past two weeks and all the appointments of the edifice are now complete. The dedicatory ceremonies will not take place until early in January but it has been decided to hold the Christmas services there. Special services have been arranged for this occasion at which the general public is cordially invited to be present. The special programs arranged will be found among the Christmas service announcements in this issue of The Democrat. (Logan Democrat, Thursday, December 19, 1918, p. 1)

Billy Sunday May Visit Logan Article in Logan Banner, March 1922 The Noted Evangelist Has Received Petition from Citizens to Visit Us While Near. Rev. R. D. Dodge Circulated Petition and Frank E. Hutchinson Presented it to Mr. Sunday. Billy Sunday may come to Logan! The noted evangelist who is now engaged in a spirited revival in Charleston is in receipt of a petition from all the business people of the city to pay Logan a visit while so near, and word from his official family gives hopes of his appearance here. Rev. R. D. Dodge the Presbyterian minister of the city has been busy during the week circulating a petition to induce Mr. Sunday to come here and has also been in touch with his headquarters in Charleston. Assurance has been given him that Mr. Sunday will be glad to come to Logan provided the proper arrangement can be perfected whereby he will not be compelled to miss his daily engagements in Charleston. (Logan Banner, Friday, March 10, 1922, p. 1) NOTE: Billy Sunday did conduct a revival in Logan during June, 1923. Did you know that Rev. Sunday was an ordained Presbyterian Minister who was a member of the Presbytery of Chicago during his entire ministry.		Rev. Bird To Conduct Presbyterian Services Rev. Andrew Bird, pastor of the Church of the Pilgrims, Washington, D.C. will conduct both the morning and evening services at the Presbyterian church here on Sunday. Rev. Bird is making his second appearance here, having delivered a sermon here last year while a guest of Rev. R.D. Dodge, pastor, who attended the International Rotary convention in Toronto, Canada this year. The vacancy in the Church of the Pilgrims’ pulpit on Sunday will be filled by Rev. Dodge, who will be in Washington over the weekend. (Logan Banner, Friday, June 20, 1924, p. 1)

Pastors Matthew E. Hansel, 1906-10 Dupuy Holladay, Stated Supply, 1910 Thomas Kay Young, 1911-12 George L. Pake, 1913-14 Frank C. Brown, 1915-20 Richard D. Dodge, 1921-25 Charles D. Whiteley, 1926-32 Meade R. Atkinson, 1932-45 William J. B. Livingston, 1945-51 Milton P. Reid, Associate Pastor, 1947-51 Arnold B. Poole, 1952-60 William H. Foard, Associate Pastor, 1953-66 Norman K. Morgan, 1961-88 W. Murray Page, Associate Pastor, 1966-67 Kay Richards Jernell, Minister of Education, 1980-? Jeffrey C. Francis, 1990-94 Jerry Foust, 1995-2000 F. Lee McDermott, 2002-	THE CHOIRS from 1941 report Our earliest choir was centered around Mr. and Mrs. A.F. Mitchell, Mrs. W. F. Bevill, and others, with Mrs. C. McD. England as one of our first organists, and Mr. Vaughan as director. From the inception of our original choir our church has enjoyed excellent music. It is interesting to note that two members of our present choir are the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Mitchell, Mrs. Jeannette Chapman and Mrs. Brady Vickers. Another daughter, Mrs. Sam Pritchard was a member until she moved to Welch. Also, two granddaughters of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are found in our younger choirs, and two of their grandsons served in these youth choirs, prior to their going out into the world of education and aeronautics. But the choir which began with a very small number has also grown through the years. Our Church Choir is composed of the adult members of the church and has about twenty voices. It would be impossible to estimate the value of this choir’s ministry as they enrich our services by their music. Mr. and Mrs. Ladd Ross have been leaders of this choir for several years and are on leave of absence at this time. Mrs. Vernon Friel is at present our organist-choir director. Mrs. Dayton Carter, the daughter of two of our former members, Mr. and Mrs. K. P. Nowlin, and Mrs. Floyd Sefton, one of our members, have served as organist-choir director. A Comment in the Session Meeting Minutes for February 14, 1927 "It was generally concluded that our church was growing in Spirituality and that we had much to encourage us in expecting big things for his kingdom." Clerk R.H. Thomas. From the Session Meeting Minutes from November 6, 1927 As a result of revival in Oct. 1927 - 44 people accepted into church with 22 being baptized. Rev. J. E. Thacker, D.D. Assembly’s Evangelist conducted revival. Note: "A wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit was manifest in all the meetings and we are expecting several more additions as a result." R. H. Thomas, Clerk

Hungarian Presbyterians from 1941 Mission Report There is a large group of Hungarian people in our county. For the most part they come from Reformed stock. No group loves their church more dearly. Our Presbyterian Church recognized that in them we had a kindred spirit, and a special responsibility. Some years work was done among these people, then it was disbanded. In the more recent years we have revived it. Recognizing that the language was a barrier we could not overcome, we began to look for a minister who could preach to them in their native tongue. We have found several who have served most acceptably for varying periods. The support for these ministers has come from our church, and from the people themselves. Each Sunday afternoon this congregation gathers in our church for worship and their Sunday School. They have their own organization, young peoples group, and womans work. It is largely under the supervision of our church. At present the work has expanded until we have four groups meeting each week for religious instruction. Everywhere the work seems to be progressing nicely under the direction of our co-labourer, Rev. S. Balla.		Session Meeting Minutes for December 10, 1928 "Rev. Whitley made a statement as to spiritual condition of the church and the effect of bridge playing was having on some of our members." After March 1, 1915, Cows were no longer allowed to roam on the streets of Logan. (Logan Democrat, Thursday, March 4, 1915)
Session Members for 1950-51 F. H. Campbell J. G. Patterson W. E. Shrewsbury J. E. Greever Harold VanHoose S. J. Maynard V. M. Hefner Ladd M. Ross A. F. Mitchell John Reed, Jr. O.G. Schwant W. C. Wilson H.C. Williamson S. R. Pritchard, Jr. Paul Vannoy 1942 - Mrs. James E. Greever took leadership to send 1,312 testaments to boys leaving for the Armed Services.	Notice the Speed in calling new pastor Minutes of Congregational Meeting on June 17, 1945 Mr. J. G. Patterson, seconded by Mr. H. T. Brand that a Pulpit Committee be Five members be elected by the Congregation to bring recommendations to the congregation for another Pastor. Moved by Mr. F. H. Campbell, seconded by Mr. H. T. Brand that the said committee be composed of three men and two ladies of the congregation. It was decided to nominate six men and four ladies from the floor and the three men and two ladies receiving the highest number of votes be declared the Pulpit committee. Those nominated in order were Mrs. W. Creed Wilson, Mrs. S. J. Maynard, Miss Elizabeth Thomas, and Mrs. Basil Owens– Mr. Jas. E. Greever, Mr. Ladd Ross, Mr. M. B. Perry, Mr. J. G. Patterson, Mr. H. T. Brand and Mr. C. S. Olmsted. Minutes Congregational Meeting on July 29, 1945 A full report was given by the Pulpit Committee and after much discussion all the Committee and several members taking part in regard to the Calling of Rev. W. J. B. Livingston of Hebron Presbyterian Church, five miles west of Staunton, Virginia. Motion being made and duly seconded the congregation unanimously extended a call to Rev. W. J. B. Livingston, being well satisfied of the ministerial qualifications to undertake the pastoral office in the congregation promising all proper support, encouragement and obedience in the Lord.

Boston Dinner The Ladies Aid of the Presbyterian church is preparing to serve a special Boston dinner to the public on Thursday evening, July 6 at the popular price of 50 cents. The dinner will be served in the store room of the Oakly building on the corner of Main street and Jefferson Avenue opposite the post office. The following is the menu: Boston Baked Beans, Boston Brown Bread, Graham Bread, White Bread, Ham, Cold Slaw and Pickles, Pie, Coffee, Ice Cream. The Ladies Aid of the Presbyterian Church is prepared to take orders for pies, cakes, sandwiches, etc. for Fourth of July picnic luncheons and light meals. Place your order now by phone. Call 188 Logan. (Logan Democrat, Thursday, June 29, 1916)		Smallpox Outbreak In April, 1914 all Logan churches canceled worship services for three weeks due to an outbreak of smallpox in the community. The Board of Health had directed that all public gatherings be canceled due to this outbreak. Worship services resumed on Sunday, April 19, 1914. (Logan Democrat, Thursday, April 16, 1914, p. 1)

The excerpt on the right & below is from Dr. Arnold B. Poole's book, "On the Road to Beulah Land", Dr. Poole was pastor in Logan from 1952-60 "The year Ida Gordon (Dr. Poole's wife) was forty, she gave birth to our last child, John Newton, on March 17, 1960. "The week of Johns birth was a week to remember. Since I had missed the births of Kathleen and Beverly, I was determined to be present for Johns birth. But it was not to beAfter getting Ida Gordon to the hospital after church on Sunday, her labor pains ceased. The doctor would not let her to home. "That week we had a coal mine explosion, (Holden 22 Mine) and eighteen men were trapped in the mine. All that week I ran from the hospital to the mine and back to the hospital.	"The Guyandotte River flowed through the town of Logan. It could be merciless when it flooded. We were grateful to live above any possible flooding; but the poor did not. In every crisis there is the funny side if you look for it. Sometimes you don't have to look very far. "The First church was located in the center of town a good distance from the river. One year it started raining and the river rose quickly. In the middle of the night my telephone rang. It was the American Red Cross and the National Guard. They had rescued a couple of hundred people from the low lying areas and had put them into the National Guard Armory. But the problem was that they didn’t have anything on which to serve food nor did they have eating utensils. They wanted me to go to the church and get all the paper plates and plastic utensils I could ‘scare* up and said that they would send one of the National Guard trucks to take me through the deep water. "The National Guard delivered me to the church. As I went down the steps leading to the dining hall and kitchen and opened the door there was a scream. The light overhead cast my shadow across the darkened dining room. I did not know that our black janitor and his wife had been flooded out of their house and had taken refuge in the church basement. When William saw my shadow with the light behind me, he screamed out, ‘O Lord Jesus, it’s you’! I replied, ‘William, don’t be afraid, it is not Jesus, it is I’. He was delighted to learn that it was only the preacher and not Jesus. Although William was normally black, he was white the night he thought that I was Jesus."
	Sunbeam Chapel (photo at left) constructed in 1950 Dedicated April 1, 1951	Construction of Church at 622 Stratton Laying of the Cornerstone Ceremony took place July 26, 1959, the actual work on the present sanctuary having begun in May 1959. November 29, 1959, marked the first worship service in the new sanctuary.