The concluding weekend of the year long celebrations of our 175th Anniversary will be on Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31 when we look forward to having former pastor, the Rev. Dr. William R. Barron and his wife, Eleanor, with us. Everyone is invited to share in these scheduled activities for our weekend of celebration:
The Reverend Dr. William R. Barron was born on November 18, 1942 in Columbia, South Carolina. He is a graduate of Davidson College, and received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Columbia Theological Seminary, in Decatur, Georgia. Prior to coming to Marianna, he served as Associate Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Sanford, Florida, and as Pastor of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church, in Titusville, Florida. He served as Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Marianna from March 14, 1977 to March 16, 1981. He left Marianna to become pastor of the Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he remained until he retired in June 2008. He and his wife, Eleanor, still live in Knoxville. They have three married children, Richard, Meg, and Walt and six grandchildren. Their son Richard is a women's basketball coach at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Richard and his wife, Maureen Davies, have twin girls, Lane and Rae, and a son, Billy. Their daughter, Meg, is married to John Christian and lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with their two children, Gill and Kate. Their son, Walt, works in advertising and is married to Katy Saldarini. Walt and Katy reside in Durham, North Carolina, and have a baby daughter named Ruby. While in Marianna, Bill recalls the congregation being extremely loving and tolerant as well as responsive in growth and stewardship. During his pastorate, the church began hosting a series of speakers of national reputation. The church building was remodeled and a modest increase in church seating was completed.
Issue Four, July 4, 2010
Next weekend Saturday, July 10 and Sunday, July 11, we look forward to welcoming former pastor, Dr. Buran F. Phillips, and his wife, Deborah, back to Marianna. They will be joined by their three sons, Chris, Sam and Jake. Buran Phillips was the pastor of this congregation from August 1997 to December 2002. Events for the weekend will include:
- Saturday, July 10: A pizza supper with the Phillips family at the church beginning at 6 p.m. In order to help the 175th Anniversary Committee to make plans for this supper please make reservations by filling out one of the Welcome Cards in the pew rack and placing it on the offering plate on Sunday, July 4, or by contacting the church office at 526-2430 or e-mail to firstpresmarianna@earthlink.net by noon on Friday, July 9.
- Sunday, July 11: Chat with Buran Phillips from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary.
- Worship Service at 11 a.m. at which Buran Phillips will be the preacher. The service will also include music written for our Anniversary Year by Larry Nelson.
A Montreat Luncheon will follow the service.
Issue Three, June 6, 2010
175th Anniversary Celebrations Continue: On the weekend of Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20 we look forward to welcoming former pastor, Preston Shealy, and his wife, Debbie, back to Marianna. They will be joined by their daughter, Paige. Unfortunately, their son, Dustin, will not be able to be with them. They will be visiting Marianna on their way to a family work camp at the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program Katrina Relief Village in New Orleans. Preston was the pastor of this congregation from June 1992 through August 1996. Events for the weekend will include:
- Dessert and Visit with the Shealy family at the Manse 4380 River Forest Road (opposite the baseball fields at Chipola College) on Saturday from 3 -5 p.m.
- Chat with Preston Shealy from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday in the sanctuary.
- Worship Service at 11 a.m. on Sunday at which Preston Shealy will be the preacher.
The service will also include music written for our Anniversary Year by Larry Nelson, as well as recognition of all men on Father's Day.
A Montreat Luncheon will follow the service.
Looking Ahead: Please mark your calendars to welcome back former pastors and their families as part of our 175th Anniversary Celebrations. More details will appear in future bulletins and newsletters.
Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11: The Rev. Dr. Buran Phillips and family
Saturday and Sunday, October 30 and 31: The Rev. William Barron and family
Issue Two, December 12, 2009
The next observance of our 175th Anniversary will be the weekend of Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17, 2010 when the Rev. Dr. R. Proctor Chambless, Jr., and his wife, Ginger, return to Marianna. Rev. Chambless was pastor of the church from July 1982 until August 1990. Celebration events will include:
- Dessert and Time for Informal Visiting with Proctor and Ginger Chambless at the church manse, 4380 River Forest Road, (opposite the baseball field at Chipola College) between 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 16.
- Reflection on his ministry in Marianna and subsequently with Rev. Chambless between 9:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in the church sanctuary on Sunday, January 17.
- Worship Service at which Rev. Chambless will preach at 11 a.m. on Sunday, January 17 in the church sanctuary. This service will also include special Anniversary music for choir and congregation composed by Choir Director, Lawrence R. Nelson. A Montreat luncheon, in the fellowship hall, will follow the service.
Please invite former members of the church, and friends from the Marianna community who may remember Proctor and Ginger Chambless, to join us for this celebration. More information will be available in the church newsletter and bulletins and on the website closer to the time.
Issue One, October 12, 2009
The year long celebrations of the 175th Anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church, Marianna, Florida, will begin on Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, 2009. Each of the former living pastors of the congregation has been invited to be part of this celebration on one Sunday during the year. On October 24 and 25, the Rev. James S. Lowry, who was pastor of this church from April 1971 to August 1976, will be in Marianna to help the church begin the year of celebration. Members of the Marianna community who remember Rev. Lowry when he and his wife, Martha, were here are invited to share in these celebrations which will include:
- Saturday, October 24 from 3 to 5 P.M.
An informal time to visit with Jim Lowry and to enjoy dessert at the church manse, 4380 River Forest Road. (opposite the baseball fields at Chipola College)
- Sunday, October 25 from 9:45 A.M. to 10:30 A.M.
A time of conversation with Jim Lowry for all adults in the church sanctuary.
- Sunday, October 25 at 11:00 A.M.
Heritage Sunday Worship Service at which Rev. Lowry will be the preacher. The service also will include the kirkin o the tartan, bagpipe music, special music for choir and congregation written for the Anniversary by the church Choir Director, Larry Nelson, as well as a remembrance of those members of the church who have died during the past year and a dedication of memorial gifts received during the past year. The service will be followed by a covered dish luncheon.
Rev. Lowry is graduate of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina and of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He came to Marianna after serving as the pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Anniston, Alabama, from 1966 to 1971. After leaving Marianna he served as the pastor of the Orange Park Presbyterian Church in Orange Park, Florida from 1976 to 1981, the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina from 1981 to 1992, and the Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee from1992 to 1999.From 1999 until his retirement in 2004 he served as the Interim Pastor in various Presbyterian Churches. He is the author of two books. Low-Back, Ladder-Back, Cane-Bottom Chair is a collection of Biblical Meditations and Sermons, which he completed in 1999. His book on prayer, produced in 2002, is entitled Prayers for the Lords Day: Hope for the Exiles.
In Other Anniversary Celebration News
- Other activities included in the year long celebration include a cookbook, Serving with Love available from the church office, Lou Wilkinson at Tom Wilkinsons law office on Market Street, 482-4000, at Kelson Drugs, Waco, Paramore Pharmacy, and from the church office. The cost is $20.00 or 3 for $50.00.
- Special music for the Anniversary year has been composed by Lawrence Nelson, the Choir Director. This includes an Introit, an Anthem, and Choral Response and one hymn which will all be used for the first time on Sunday, October 25. Other hymns and special music he has written will be sung throughout the year as former pastors return.
- Commemorative banners will be displayed for the first time on October 25th as the congregation begins this year long celebration. Commemorative bricks now cover the enclosed Columbarium area on the south side of the church. Additional bricks may be purchased to remember a loved one, or honor a current friend.
- Beginning November 1, members and friends will have an opportunity to begin honoring friends during their birth month with a special gift to the celebration account. In October 2010 the funds will be divided between the 1835 Endowment Fund and mission projects selected by the children and youth of the church. This is a special opportunity for anyone to remember a friend with a lasting gift that benefits Gods work both in this community and in the world.
- Later in the celebration a History of First Presbyterian Church, Marianna, Florida will be published. Members and Friends of the Church who have special knowledge of former members, or photographs of church events are encouraged to contact the church office, 526-2430, or Rachel Christopher, 482-8118, with their information.
- An historical arrangement of items used in worship and at the church will be on display for a year in the narthex of the church. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to watch for the return of other former pastors during the year. At this time, the following dates are scheduled: The Rev. Dr. Proctor Chambless on Sunday, January 17; 2010, the Rev Preston Shealy, on Sunday, June 20 2010, and on Sunday, October 31 2010, Rev. Dr. William R. Barron.
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Last edited 20101021
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First Presbyterian Church,
Marianna, FL 32446