First Presbyterian Church Athens, Ohio

Celebrating Our First 200 Years!

The Bicentennial Committee chose Building the future on a Legacy of Service as the central theme for the year of celebration. A fundraising campaign was initiated to support a lasting, tangible contribution to the community in honor of the service Presbyterians, past and present, have provided to the greater Athens area.

Pictures taken on Bicentennial Sunday (Sept. 27, 2009). (fullscreen)

Bicentennial Gifts to Organizations Helping People

Thanks to the generosity of the congregation and a very generous anonymous gift, two major projects, from eight proposals, were chosen for support. My Sister's Place, a respite for victims of domestic violence, received $29,000 and the Amesville-New England Cooperative Parish, providing ministry to small communities in the county, received $15,000. Both organizations proposed projects making improvements to their facilities. In addition, the Committee was able to contribute $2, 286 each to The Athens County Food Pantry, Good Works, Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, Habitat for Humanity, Planned Parenthood, National Alliance on Mental Illness and The Gathering Place. After the earthquake, a donation of $2,500 was sent to assist the people in Haiti through the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program.

Bicentennial Gifts to the Church

Signage (FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH) was mounted on the Court Street side of the church. A private donation purchased a historical plaque mounted by the Court Street entrance. Replicas of the church, made by The Cat's Meow in Wooster, OH, and a First Presbyterian Bicentennial Cookbook were made available for purchase. Lillian Dinos compiled a Historical Timeline for First Presbyterian Church. The Liturgical Arts Committee designed and made a Bicentennial Quilt including the names of all who have served as pastor at FPC.

Major Bicentennial Programs/Events

a presentation of "A Gathering During the Harvest" (an enactment of a church meeting in 1820) by students from the Historical Interpretation program at Hocking College.
an organ recital by Michael Unger, 2008 American Guild of Organists National Performance Competition Winner.
a Worship Service with guest speaker, Dr. William J. Carl III, President of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
a Luncheon where the gifts were presented to My Sister's Place and the Amesville-New England Cooperative Parish.

Community Program with Commissioned Music

Paul Wiehl, mayor of Athens and Dr. Roderick McDavis, President of Ohio University, extended greetings. A Document from GovernorTed Strickland was read. OhioBrass, resident quintet at Ohio University, and organist Janice Robison presented prelude music. A commissioned composition, "Toward Unknown Shores," by choir director Dr. David Tadlock, was performed. Dr. Charles Ping, President Emeritus of Ohio University, delivered the message.

Listen to Dr. Ping's remarks (Oct. 4, 2009), or download mp3 file.

Commitment

The First Presbyterian Church is committed to maintain its position in the center of Athens and its service to the community at-large.

Bicentennial Quilt

The Liturgical Arts Group chose for their Bicentennial project the format of a quilt depicting a tree with strong roots. The names of all the pastors who have served FPC appear on the tree, and the leaves represent the healthy church. Replicas of the three church buildings are shown at the bottom of the quilt.

2 North Court St. (church)
9 North College (office)
Athens, OH 45701

(740) 593 3351
office@athensfpc.org
[see map]