2001, by Glen Miller of Piqua
Presbyterians in Piqua have been active in the community from the time of its first settlement. When Piqua's first census was recorded in 1820, it showed 306 people living in Piqua. At the same time, two Presbyterian churches were holding services, the same two that are active today, but with different names. Also, two temporary churches existed for a short time, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (1838-1845) and The Second Presbyterian Church (1838-1876).
Records of the Miami Presbytery of April 7,1812, indicate that several pastors were directed to preach at Washington (Piqua) one Sabbath before the next stated session of the Presbytery. These requests were frequent until Rev. Dyer Burgess was called in 1817 to be the full time pastor at Piqua and Troy. Meetings of the churches were held in homes and under the trees, and in the Missionary School located on the public square. The first log church building in town was built by The Associate Reformed Presbyterians (first of the two churches organized under the Presbytery of Transylvania in Kentucky) on a plot located between Wood and Water Street on the east side of Downing Street in 1816. The plotting of the lot for the log church is the reason Downing Street has a slight jog in this block. Other church groups occasionally used this building for their meetings. Their first permanent pastor was Rev. James C. Porter.
Seven years after the log church was built, the other church, the Piqua Presbyterian Church, built a brick building that measured 30 feet by 50 feet on the west side of Downing in the same block. The building had no heat, but services that began at 8:3 0 a.m. and concluded after lunch, were well-attended in spite of the cold. The yearly budget was raised by auction that sold pew space to families. The second pastor of the Piqua Presbyterian Church who served at this site was Rev. James Coe. He had one of the longest tenures of service, with only Rev. Dr. John Englis serving longer. It was customary for the men to be elected as ruling elders and for the women to form societies for the care of the church and for missionary work. The women helped out as needed, laundering the choir robes, decorating the manses and the church social rooms, providing flowers forworship services, visiting new members and those that were ill, and raising funds for missionaries, local hospital beds, and children's homes. They had dinners and bazaars and sewing projects to raise money.
The best known woman to present a lecture to the Women's Missionary Society here in Piqua was Helen Keller who, in 1913, spoke before an audience of 1200 persons. In the question and answer session following her talk, Miss Keller said, "The sound of your voice is shut away from me but I can feel your kindness. I know your laughter, although it is barred from me." As one of the signs of a changing church, Lucinda Summers Smith was the first woman elected to serve as a ruling elderon the session of Westminster Presbyterian Church in 1958, and Lavenna Schimmel was the first woman elected to serve as a ruling elder on the session of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in 1974.
As the result of a merger at the national level in 1958, the two original Presbyterian Churches selected new names. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church chose to be called Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, their choice influenced by a popular former pastor, Rev. Kenneth Shephard. The congregation currently worships at 524 Park Avenue. Rev. Roger Toon serves as lay minister. He said, "I came to fill in as preacher for one Sunday and have stayed for three and a half years."
The First Presbyterian Church, also called the Piqua Presbyterian Church, chose to be called Piqua Westminster Presbyterian Church, and holds services today in the building that was dedicated in 1890 at 325W. Ash Street. Rev. Dr. Daniel Clow, who will begin his service on April 11, has been called to replace the retiring Rev. Ron Creager. Dan says he is excited about becoming pastor at Westminster, and excited about becoming part of the vibrant Piqua community.
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