Chapter 6

To look backward over the period now ended was an opportunity for
reflection and celebration. We could pray about those things we had
done, and those things we had left undone. These were times of diffi-
cult choices - time, energy, and money.

‘The church entered the 1990's and optimistically pledged to carry
out four major fund drives: Organ, Mission/Bicentennial, Capital
Improvement, and Stewardship Campaign. To support the Organ Fund a
benefit concert by Dr. Steven Egler was held in October. In December,
there was a Sing-Along Messiah concert. A consultant was hired for
the organ, Dr. H. Lewis, Associate Professor of Music at Hope College.
A restricted fund within the church budget was designated for the
Organ Fund and was handled through Ruth Felter. An agreement was
reached with Casavant Freres Limited of st. Hyacinth, Quebec to be the
builder and with Michael Perrault, Pipe Organ Service of Chicago, to
do the installation. The cost for the builder amounted to $91,876.
‘The new parts included a Drawkncb Console, plus new pipes and chests
for the Swell division. Robert Yuill, Chairman of the Worship and
Music Comittee, worked closely with Dr. Steven Egler on the organ
project.

 

At a Special Congregational Meeting on September 23, 1990, the
‘Long Range Planning Committee reported. The committee had developed a
Mission Statement which would act as a guide for the church's work and
ministry. William Peterson explained the statement and the congrega-
tion officially accepted it. A copy of the Mission Statement is
framed and hangs in the church. It is as follows:

MISSION STATEMENT
1990

‘The First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan exists to the
glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom on earth.

We seek to further his Kingdom by:

= being a caring, accepting, reconciling fellowship in which all
persons are needed and all share in worshipping, giving,
learning, and growing in faith in God and in his Love for one
another and for all others in God's world;

being a message of hope to a troubled world by proclaiming the
Gospel of Christ;

creating beauty in our worship through msic and other art
forms;

= providing opportunities for fellowship, spiritual growth and
nurture;

- educating ourselves and others regarding God's call to
stewardship of time, talent, and resources;

- serving the world, near and far, through our personal commitment
of resources and talents;

- committing ourselves to acts of peacemaking and social justice;

= demonstrating God's love by reaching out to the unchurched;

- empowering people to become all God is calling them to be;

yielding as mich of ourselves as we can at any moment, to as
much of Christ as we understand.

 

 

At this same meeting, Deborah Slade distributed a proposed
staffing design that was felt would serve the needs that the congrega-
tion had expressed during the year. Filling of the positions would
depend upon future Stewardship results. Nancy Telfer introduced a
Volunteer Information Sheet that had been developed to match needs of
the church with members of the congregation who would be willing to
share their time and talents.

Sandy Winter took over the Campus Ministry position. Beverly
Ketcham filled the position of Sunday School Superintendent. Vacation
Bible School was a cooperative venture with St. Johns Episcopal
Church. ‘The following year, Sandy was to resign and Mary Moomey was
hired as Parish Life Director. ‘The church was in need of the New
Presbyterian Hymnal. Congregational people were asked to donate $15
per volume and dedicate it if they so choose. Four-hundred copies
were purchased. A new and badly needed sound system was installed at
a cost of $9100.

‘The church agreed to act as the official headquarters for the
Habitat for Humanity of Isabella County. The church provided an offi-
cial address and financial management of Habitat funds through the
church bookkeeper. It also provided a meeting place for board and
committee meetings. dchn Wolf was treasurer for Habitat for Humanity.

 

 

Choirs of First Presbyterian — the sancturay is filled with
joyous misic to God’s glory.

Im April 1992, the Presbytery of Lake Huron approved a joint
venture with the Wesley Foundation for a Campus Ministry Program.
Matthew Eaton was hired as the Presbyterian’s Campus Ministry Director
in the program. ‘The ecumenical program's overall director was the
Reverend Steven Smith. ‘The Presbyterian Church held a position on the
governing board.

The Reverend Dr. Stephen Shugert broadened his background and
faith when he studied and traveled to Israel on a Holy Land
Pilgrimage. This was sponsored by Knights Templars, and Mr. Shugert

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was the Michigan representative. He was to follow this up in the next
two years with other experiences abroad. In 1993, as a representative
of Presbytery of Lake Huron, he went on a Mission Tour to Costa Rica.
‘The following year he visited the Bakaert’s medical mission in the
Cameroon; West Africa. ‘The church had supported the Bakaerte for many
years. He also attended a Peacemaking Conference at Montreat, NC.

The Social Justice and Peacemaking Committee installed and dedi-
cated a Peace Memorial Pole in the church courtyard. It was stolen by
vandals but returned shortly thereafter by the police. William
Peterson, a very active member of the congregation, felt called to
become a seminary student and candidate for the ministry. The church
supported this decision. A review of the contributions by the Parish
Life Director, Mary Moomey, found her working with adult education
classes, Crop Walk, Divorce Support Group, Ecumenical Singles Group,
the worship services at Medical Care Facility, Advent Festival,
Children’s Christmas Eve Service, Christmas Outreach, assisting with
pastoral calls, and doing individual counseling. Ms. Moomey left for
full-time employment elsewhere in 1993.

Early in 1993, the Presbyterian Church acted as host to a mission
visit by Keylor Soto from San Jose, Costa Rica. Soto was an inter-
preter for Fraternidad de Iglesias Evangelicas Costarricenses
(F.I.E.C.). Subsequently the Reverend Dr. Stephen Shugert joined oth-
ers on a visitation to Costa Rica. The group lived and worked in
Barrio squatter settlements while offering physical and spiritual sup-
Port for the ongoing work. ‘The Reverend Fernando Consantas, President
of F.I.E.C. paid a return visit to our church after Mr. Shugert’s
return. Cascantas preached on October 24, and this was followed by a
Central American Mission Fair in the Fellowship Hall. On July 18, the
congregation helped to celebrate the Reverend Dr. Stephen Shugert’s
25th year of ordination.

 

A mission study ad-hoc committee collected a congregation wide
mission profile. They collected information from 260 questionnaires
sent to randomly selected church members. This resulted in a Church
Growth ‘Task Force which was formed to develop strategies for achieving
the four goals resulting from the Mission Study. Members of this task
force were David Lindley, Lois Miller, John Yantis, Kathy Stevenson,
and Sherry Sponseller. ‘The congregational survey had shown four main
concerns:

1. church growth and hospitality

2. increasing pastoral care for members

3. youth ministry

4. broadening the financial base of the church

As 1993 came to a close, the congregation was already looking for-
ward to its 125th Anniversary in 1996. Jerry and Ruth Felter, togeth-
er with Jerry and Marcia Tuma, were selected to co-chair the celebra-
tion. The church established a Rosebush Church Fund to receive con-
tributions to support the rebuilding of the Rosebush Presbyterian
Church following its total destruction by fire in Jamuary 1994. In
February, the Congregational Life Committee sponsored a Spaghetti
Supper for thie benefit and raised $1000.

 

‘The year 1994 had been designated nationally by several groups as
“Year With Africa.” Nancy Hinge who worked for the New Sudan Council
of Churches spoke at the church on July 31, emphasizing the needs of
displaced Christians in Africa. The Reverend Stephen Shugert made

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his trip to Cameroon, Africa and was hosted by the Reverend Guy and
Monique Bakaert. Their mission included evangelism and church growth
at Yaounde, Cameroon and medical assistance to the natives there.
‘They had long been our Presbyterian partners in the Cameroon.

‘The Presbyterian Women lost their chief source of revenue when the
Mt. Pleasant Rotary Club moved their Monday luncheon meeting ¢:
where. The women had been serving these luncheons continuously since
1930. Many, many church women had dedicated their time to this pro-
ject, with Louise Decker and Marydeana Duckworth being particularly
eeply involved with the cooking and.the administration. In the more
recent years, the U.P.W. had averaged an annual net gain of approxi-
mately $5500 from this Rotary undertaking. This was the primary means
of supporting their various mission projects. ‘The group’s main mis-
sion had always been a contribution to the Presbytery of Lake Huron
and its large outreach program. This demise left the women with a
real challenge as to how they could they raise enough money to contin-
ue their worthy mission projects? The last Rotary luncheon was served
on dune 5, 1995. This same year a Poinsettia Sale project had
replaced the previous Craft Show, raising $1227. A successful rummage
sale was held in august 1995.

 

Sallie Scheide continued as Christian Education Coordinator and
was accepted as a candidate to become a Certified Christian Educator by
the Presbytery of Lake Huron. Beverly Ketcham remained Church School
Director. When Dr. Steven Egler went on leave for one semester, Dr.
Richard Featheringham assumed the role of Director of Music/Organist.

At the conclusion of the two major fund raisers, pledged over a
three year period, the Bicentennial Fund had raised $14,038 and the
Organ Fund $81,543. There were still outstanding commitments. A
design team began work on an Endownent and Development Program. This
group consisted of John Yantis, Bruce Eldred, Robert Krapohl, Larry
Johns, and Eleanor Wood. This program was to emphasize endowments,
trusts, and wills which could broaden the financial security of the
church.

In cooperation with Habitat for Humanity the Session entered into
an agreement to build a home for a low-income eligible family in the
sumer of 1996 - “in thanksgiving to God for providing members with
church home for the past 125 years.” It would be part of the church's
125th Anniversary Celebration. The church was to provide volunteer
construction crews (500 hours) and §20,000 toward the #35,000 cost of
the house.

 

Dan Conway replaced Matthew Eaton as the church’s Campus Ministry
Director. Like Eaton, he was a UW-2 missionary, in a program run
through the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.
Dan worked with the Reverend Steven Smith, Director of the Wesley
Foundation, on campus. Dan had an office at both locations.

On July 23, 1995, the Rosebush Presbyterians dedicated their new
church. Many members of the Mt. Pleasant congregation attended the
service. As a gift, the Mt. Pleasant church presented a painting of
Noah’s Ark, entitled “New Beginnings,” as painted by church member,
Carole Howard. Copies of the painting were made and later sold to
help support construction of the “Habitat for Humanity” house as part
of the 125th Anniversary Celebration.

 

Former church menber and now retired Presbyterian Minister, the
Reverend Peter Russell, was called as Parish Associate to assist

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church staff in pastoral callings and with Bible studies in the sumer
of 1995. Earlier, Peter had been a member of this church and had mar-
ried wife, Verna, in the church. The Mt. Pleasant church had support
ed Peter in his preparation at McCormick Theological Seminary. He had
been commissioned as Chaplin in the U.S. Naval Reserve for twenty-
three years and was affiliated with Presbyterian Kirk of the Lakes in
Houghton Lake from 1991-1995. Peter and Verna were welcomed back to
Mt. Pleasant at a reception in the Witherspoon Room on September 17,
1995 following the worship service.

First Presbyterian Church gained inspiration to continue and
expand its broad mission program from Marjorie Carpenter, Moderator of
General Assembly in July 1995. One of her quotes was “Get back to the
basics - the basics are Mission-Mission-Mission!

   

Each year a special recognition is given to all of the members of
the various choirs for their faithful service. In September 1995 one
of the recipients was Dorothy vonReichbauer. She was recognized for
61 years of church choir singing experience, with 35 of these being at
First Presbyterian Church.

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