Upper Buffalo church marks its 235th year
Upper Buffalo Presbyterian Church, 250 South Buffalo Road, will celebrate its 235th anniversary Sunday.
Guest speaker will be the Rev. Benjamin Scott, who graduated from Princeton Seminary in 2003. He previously served at Church of the Covenant, and is a young adult minister at Washington Presbyterian Church and minister at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church.
The service will be led by Pastor Judy Mayer, the church’s commissioned lay pastor who has been serving the congregation since Feb. 17, 2008.
Upper Buffalo Presbyterian Church, along with Cross Creek Presbyterian Church, was formed in 1779. Joseph Smith served as pastor until his death in 1792. The Rev. Thomas Marquis served until 1798, and then each church employed its own pastor.
The first house of worship at Upper Buffalo was built in 1779. The current church was built in 1872.
On Nov. 13, 1802, nearly 10,000 people attended a revival at the church. When the church celebrated the 200th anniversary of that revival, more than 600 people attended.
Others who have served the church include the Rev. Julian Taggart, who retired in 2002 and serves as a part-time pastor; the Rev. J. Andrew Scott, who has moved to the Bentleyville church; and Curtis Paul II, who is pastor of Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church.
The Mary Shaw Missionary Society, which was started in 1888, remains active and offers a free lunch from noon to 1 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month.