Canonsburg UP Church celebrating 250th anniversary
Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church is continuing its year-long celebration of its 250th anniversary this year.
The history of the church, which now sits at 112 West Pike St., dates back to 1775, six years before Washington County was established. A heated dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania concerning jurisdiction of the region, known as the “Chartiers Settlement,” was at its height. In stepped two men of God, John McMillan and Matthew Henderson, and from their teachings sprouted the seeds of the Chartiers Associate Presbyterian congregation.
“(The church) was actually formed in 1775,” said Kathy Emery, a church elder and chair of the 250th celebration. “It didn’t have regular services. It got approved by the Pittsburgh Presbytery in 1775 and it had church (services), but it wasn’t going on regularly until about 1776. The church was the main focus of the community.”
The celebration kicked off July 4, 2025, with a float in Canonsburg’s annual Independence Day parade and will continue until July 4 of this year possibly with another float.
The church has marked its anniversary in a number of ways, including the celebration of Kenton Klink’s 50 years as the church’s organist.
“We’ve invited all of the former pastors who are willing and able to do so,” Emery said. “We’ve had pastors come back and preach. We’ve provided historical notes every week, fun facts about our church throughout that period.”
There is hope for a joint service among the area churches that also have celebrated 250th anniversaries recently, such as Chartiers Hill Presbyterian and Pigeon Creek Presbyterian churches.
“There are other churches in the area that celebrate their birth in the same fashion,” said Pastor Don Coleman. “We’re reaching out to them about possibly doing a joint service.”
Emery would like to hold a service similar to those in the very early days of the Presbyterian religion, before music was even part of the services.
For many years, four United Presbyterian Churches were located within close proximity of each other in Canonsburg. In 1961, the churches formed a committee to study the feasibility of that many churches continuing to exist in a town of 10,000 people. Six years later, the majority of the members of the four congregations voted to merge.
“At some point in time the descendants of these churches looked around and said we’re better together,” Coleman said. “We have a better witness to Jesus by working together. We’re going to sacrifice our own building or particular way of doing things for something that’s better. I don’t know if there would be any Presbyterian church in Canonsburg if it wasn’t for that merger.”
The new Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church had 1,876 members as a result of the jointure.
The church currently has 565 members. Services typically are held at 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays.
“We’re in the process of our fourth year-over-year increase in worship attendance,” Coleman said. “Following COVID, in-person worship has continued to grow from that low dip.”
Emery, 70, said she has been a member “my whole life.” She sees the church’s visibility and engagement as reasons it has continued to flourish for two-and-a-half centuries.
“It’s what really keeps a lot of us going,” she said. “We’ve had excellent ministers over the years, and we have an excellent music program, so the church itself spiritually offers everything that I think that we need, but we also have that community part as well.”
Some of those community activities include a monthly food pantry, Thanksgiving dinner, hosting Santa Claus for Canonsburg’s Old-Fashioned Christmas and five different recovery groups.
Coleman, a native of Canada, will celebrate his 12th year as pastor on April 1.
“It’s been wonderful,” he said. “The engagement with the community has been paramount to the church. We have an impact. People recognize this church. The community has responded to the church to say that you’re an integral component. People continue to come here because they want to continue to hear about God’s love for them. It’s great to be part of a church that has a long history of serving God and serving the community. Our mission statement is welcoming people to grow in Jesus.”
Those involved want to make sure the church has a long future. Coleman said a task force of 11 parishioners will work to help guide the way.
“The Gospel is still the same,” Coleman said. “The needs in general are still the same, but how we go about meeting them, responding to them, how do we make room for new people.”