Finding Meeker’s Meeting House, the story of an overlooked Revolutionary War era church near the New York – New Jersey border. By Rev. Douglas J. Douma, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY In the year 1780—or sometime previous—a meeting house was built on the land of Samuel Meeker in northwestern New Jersey near …
I really look forward each year to seeing all the “Fathers and Brothers” at the Bible Presbyterian Church General Synod. This year was our 85th General Synod and it took place in Grand Island, NY. The food and the company did not disappoint. My family came along for the week and we especially enjoyed time …
Thoughts on the 85th General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church Read More »
I recently preached a sermon on “The Pews are Free.” There I mentioned the old (and rather unfortunate) practice of selling or renting pews to fund a church. Now in my recent digging through old documents I found this 1833 Indenture from my neighboring Presbyterian Church (Westtown, NY). I’m told these are fairly common, but …
Reformed & Evangelical across Four Centuries, The Presbyterian Story in America by Nathan P. Feldmuth, S. Donald Fortson III, Garth M. Rosell, and Kenneth J. Stewart. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2022, 364 pp. This is a valuable book which holds the interest of the reader, no small feat for a book on Presbyterian history. The …
Review of Reformed & Evangelical across Four Centuries Read More »
In a previous post here I noted the existence of a Meeting House that predates all of the churches in my area. Today I went and found it with the help of a local property owner nearby. The Meeting House, built on the land of Samuel Meeker in the late 18th century, is now is …
Today’s Unionville, NY had other names in its early years. According to the histories, it was once known as “Tucker’s Store” since an early resident, Henry Tucker, operated a store out of his house here. Then the general area was referred to as “Westown” (with one “t”) or “Westtown” (with two “t’s”) being as it …
The Changing Name of the Village of Unionville, NY Read More »
Two newspapers noted a surprise wedding at the Unionville Presbyterian Church in 1878. The first is the Evening Gazette of Port Jervis, NY of August 1st of that year. The second, similar but with a few changes, is the Tri-States Union, also of Port Jervis, NY but from the next day, August 2nd.
In 1979 Covenant Seminary professor J. Barton Payne died from a fall while climbing Mt. Fuji on sabbatical in Japan. In 1996 Denver Seminary professor Bob Alden died of a heart attack shortly after hiking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I had learned about each of these cases some years ago, but conflated them …
The hiking deaths of two Old Testament professors. Read More »
The impact of Bible Presbyterianism as a movement is greater than one might consider at first impression. While the Bible Presbyterian Church today is a but a small group of about 28 churches, there are churches in other denominations who share much of same history in their early years. These churches are principally those which …
John Witherspoon and the Connecting of American Presbyterians Speech given at the 84th General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church meeting in Cape Canaveral, Florida, August 9, 2021. by Rev. Douglas J. Douma [Introductory Remarks: On the theme of connectivity at the level of the general assembly (or synod in the case of the BPC), …
John Witherspoon and the Connecting of American Presbyterians Read More »
The following is excerpted from “The History of Sullivan County” by James Eldridge Quinlan, 1873. Rev. Thomas Grier (or Greer) was the founding pastor of each the Westtown and Unionville Presbyterian Churches. Here we find him laboring in a neighboring county. There is ground for belief that Rev. Thomas Greer, a Presbyterian clergyman of …
A story of Rev. Thomas Grier, “Minister of Minisink” Read More »
I’ve been working on piecing together the earliest history of churches in my area and in the process have acquired a number of digital maps of the area. Putting them here in chronological order may be of some benefit to later explaining the history. The following maps are from 1769, 1780, 1829, 1851, 1860, 1875, …
[A July 1883 sermon of Rev. Henry Frost Wadsworth, pastor of First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY. Given five months prior to his retirement.] Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. The apostle opens this chapter by showing the difference …
[July 4 1880, sermon of Rev. Henry Frost Wadsworth, pastor of First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY] Psalm 144:15 Yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. The psalmist was accustomed to trace genuine prosperity to its true and only source, whether relating to individuals or nations. He found from experience that every …
[A November 1879 sermon of Rev. Henry Frost Wadsworth, pastor of First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY] 1 John 3:2 Beloved now are we the sons of God. Adoption is one of the results or privileges that follows the conversion of the soul to God and the nature of adoption may be explained in the …
[A January 1864 sermon of Rev. Henry Frost Wadsworth, pastor of First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY. Found among the historical papers of the church.] Rom. 12:11 – Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. There are some who entertain the idea that industry is in competition with religion. Such claim that …
[I’ve been collecting references to this event. While I haven’t written a prose account, I figured the references themselves (chronologically ordered) might be of interest to OPC, BPC, and Machen scholars.] J. Gresham Machen to Presbyterian minister Roy T. Brumbaugh, 10/9/1935 – “It looks as though the crisis were on in the Seminary board meeting. …
A Battle on the Board of Trustees at Westminster Seminary, 1935-1936. Read More »
[This is the text of the minority report on the free offer of the Gospel written by William Young and Floyd Hamilton in 1948 in opposition to the Majority Report on that subject written by John Murray, Ned Stonehouse, and Arthur Kuschke.] On the free offer of the gospel, the undersigned find themselves unable to …
1948 OPC Minority Report on the Free Offer of the Gospel Read More »
March 7th 1880 The following named persons having been previously elected, to the office of ruling elders, by a vote of this church Asa Smith, Samuel Hartwell, Jonathan Whitaker, J. Harvey Hanford were this day set apart to this office, according to the constitution or usage of the Presbyterian church. H. F. Wadsworth. Pastor. (Elder …
March 25th, 1870 Session met at the call fo the Moderator. Opened with prayer. Present H. F. Wadsworth, Moderator, Isaac Swift, Peter C. Hanford. (Absent Marcus Haynes.) Mr. Oliver Grover was received into the church by letter of dismission and recommendation from the Second Presbyterian church at Newburyport Mass. Closed with prayer. H. F. Wadsworth, …
April 28th 1860 Session met at the call of he Moderator. Present H. F. Wadsworth (Moderator) Joseph Chandler, Isaac Swift, Gamaliel Russel, Peter C. Hanford, Elders. Opened with prayer. Mrs. Sarah Bucklee appeared before Session and desired to be admitted into the church. After due examination on the doctrines of Christianity and experimental piety they …
[Second book] Unionville, Orange Co., N.Y. Session Records 1851-1909 Records. Unionville. Orange Co. N. Y. Septem. 21St 1857 Session met at the call of the Moderator after Divine Service. Present. N. E. Pierson, Pastor. B. Vanfleet, P. C. Handord, Elders. Absent A. Bullock. The moderator stated that the object of the meeting was the appointed …
Unionville Church Minutes, Start of 2nd Session Book-1859 Read More »
Session records of the Presbyterian Church of Unionville 1850. May 4. Session met by mutual agreement, having invited Revd Augustus Seward to be present + moderate this meeting. Present. Augustus Seward, Moderator, Benjamin Vanfleet + Peter C. Hanford, Elders. Absent Joseph Chandler + Alfred Bullock, Elders. The meeting was opened with prayer. Miss Eliza Ann …
Unionville Church Minutes 1850-End of 1st Session Book Read More »
Sept 25th 1840 Session met at the mutual request of the members. Opened with prayer. Present. Joseph Chandler, Alfred Bullock, Saml Van Fleet. Elders. And Revd. A. O. Peloubet who was chosen standing Modr. Session appointed Brothers, Bullock, Peloubet to wait upon Mssrs. Joseph Chandler and Middaugh; also upon Mr. James A. Smith and Miss …
