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Westminster at 90: Our Heritage - Our Church |
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Produced by Lee DeSpain, Chair, and the WPC Membership Committee |
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Formation: 1911 to 1925 The Second Decade: 1926 to 1935 The Third Decade: 1936 to 1945 The Fourth Decade: 1946 to 1955 The Fifth Decade: 1956 to 1965 The Sixth Decade: 1966 to 1975 The Seventh Decade 1976 to 1985 The Eighth Decade 1986 to 1995 The Ninth Decade 1996 to 2006
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In 1911 parents petitioned Christ Presbyterian Church for a Sunday school in the Wingra neighborhood. On December 12, 1911 one hundred children and parents gathered in a donated room at Hugh McGowan's grocery and feed store located at the corner of Monroe and Garfield streets. Under the supervision of Rev. George Hunt from Christ Church, the first teachers were Mrs. Samuel Alan and Mrs. Frank Main. The piano was donated by the Wingra Park Women's Association. That year the Christmas tree was lighted with real candles. By 1914 the group had moved into a portable metal building at the corner of West Lawn and Spooner streets. A succession of ministers began conducting Sunday services - Matthew Allison, George Hunt, and Karl Von Krug. The "tin" chapel proved to be too cold for the Wisconsin winter. On February 27, 1916, Westminster's first board of trustees met with the intention of enrolling the church in the Madison Presbytery at their April meeting in Prairie cu Sac. The forty charter members included twenty seven women and thirteen men. Two years after joining the Presbytery the congregation built a red brick and stucco church at 1806 West Lawn. The top floor was the sanctuary, an office, fellowship hall, and kitchen; bathrooms were on the ground level, and a basement with room for recreation below. The members’ intent was to be a community center as well as a church. Their new minister, Thomas Knox, had a strong interest in youth. He thrived on heated discussions with them along with devotions, choir, Friday night movies, sports, scouts, and plays. Thomas Knox died in 1922 after only two years with the congregation. He was followed by William Lewis, who served two years, Charles Huffer, who served for five years, and Harry Kuhnert, who would lead the church into its second decade. The West Lawn building served the church for thirty-three years. It is now occupied by the Young Shakespeare Players |
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Charles Huffier was the minister, followed by Harry Kuhnert in 1930. The church was growing as west side members of the mother church, Christ Presbyterian, transferred to their mission church, Westminster; families from the neighborhood joined as well so their children could walk to Sunday school. Classes were separated by sex; the noisy boys went to the sub-basement, and the girls to fellowship hall. Harold Omen recalls his junior-high class meeting in the sanctuary where the boys and girls were separated by the center aisle. Their exotic teacher, Owen Lewis, worked for the FBI out of Chicago investigating the Chinese opium trade. The senior-high youth met Sunday evening either at the church, or in the home of Rev. Kuhnert’s at Hillington Green where they had devotions, speakers, games or the chance to listen to Sunday evening radio comedies. Some attended Pilgrim Camp on Green Lake in the summer. Anna Jenkins, a recognized church leader, joined the congregation in 1926. Mary (or Martha) Kuhnert organized the Women’s Society into circles. Mildred Campbell helped them to become part of the national Presbyterian Women group and members of Church Women United. The women were also busy as bees in the kitchen baking goodies to sell to UW students, and hosting monthly public suppers. Monies raised went to furnishing the kitchen along with other needs. Gladys McGowan, the church pianist, became the piano teacher for several children of the congregation. These were lean times for everyone. The men helped to maintain the building and grounds of the church which they helped to build. The minister was the only paid staff person, and he took a pay cut for a time; but the members were committed to succeed. |
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Harry and Mary Kuhnert continued their ministry at Westminster until 1939, when he accepted a pastorate in Gaylord, MN. For years, members would recall the "good times with Harry and Mary". The youth groups flourished. Caroline McNelly, recently widowed, moved to Madison with her daughter Lucille and her three sons, coming to live with her father, a Presbyterian missionary who had returned from his work in Japan. Caroline became the choir director in 1936. Her daughter still sings in the Westminster choir. Gladys MacGowan switched from the donated piano to a used practice organ bought from UW for $200. Anna Jenkins continued her leadership as Sunday school superintendent, recruiting UW students to teach some of the classes. By 1937 she was clerk of session. In 1940 she was ordained as Westminster's first female elder, only ten years after the Presbyterian Church's first ever female elder, Sarah Dickson, of Waukesha, WI. Parishioners looked forward to Anna's home made grape juice served at communion. Reverend Harold Stark was called to Westminster in 1940 from his ministry in Hamilton, MT. He was a recent widower with a five year old son, Bobby. His sister Anna from Madison. Brought the boy here while Harold finished his work in Montana. Harold and Anna's brother Paul founded Madison's Stark Realty. Their father Albert was a Presbyterian minister. Harold married Irene Leech, a home economics teacher he had known in Montana. Young People's groups continued to thrive. Lucille McNelly became Westminster's first youth representative to session. Irene supervised the making of donuts for their Easter sunrise services. Sunday suppers became part of the weekly meetings. Neighborhood youth joined the group, including Elliot Sweet and his glamorous sisters and Marian Blum. Lucille was married by Reverend Stark to Charles Oakey in 1942. Irene also shepherded the Women's Society, encouraging the inclusion of evening circles so that young mothers could share in, the fellowship. World War II brought prosperity. New families joined the church - more hands to maintain the building and grounds and serve the suppers. Jane Marshall jokingly recalls that if she wanted to eat, she'd best go to church. Members also enjoyed the annual picnic and birthday party celebrations. One year a professional actor directed Dickens’s Christmas Carol with an all Westminster cast. The space crunch necessitated holding classes in Monroe Street businesses. Ardith McDowell remembers Helen Botts as her teacher in the Laundromat. Fred and Helen Arnett became editors of the first Westminster News in 1945. Helen typed the four or five back to back pages. The News was run off on a hand cranked mimeograph machine in the Stark's basement. With Harold's help into the wee hours of the morning, 125 copies were ready to distribute each month. The Arnetts continued as editors for twenty years. Circulation in 1965 was 950 as Westminster celebrated its 50th Anniversary. |
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This would indeed be a momentous decade in the life of Westminster. As Harold and Irene Stark moved on to a mission church in another state, the Rev. Richard Pritchard accepted the call to be Westminster's pastor following his service as a chaplain in World War II. With boundless energy he ushered in a new era of witness, service, membership growth (1380 new members), and three building campaigns in his twenty years of leadership. With 145 attending worship and 130 to150 teachers and pupils in the Sunday school, a new building was mandatory. In 1948, the congregation voted unanimously to purchase the lots set aside for a strip mall in the 4100 block of Nakoma Road. That property, along with a manse at 4150 Nakoma was purchased in l950. That same year Charlotte Schultz became the first church secretary. Ground was broken for the new church on Easter Sunday, March 25, 1951. The last service in the West Lawn church was September 30, 1951 and the building was sold for $28,000. Joe and Leora Corbin joined the church that Sunday and Robert Paddock Jr. was baptized. Trayton Lathrop handled the complicated legal work of financing the new construction. His wife Ruth, through her job at the Wisconsin Council of Churches, was a friend of Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky. He graciously offered Temple Beth El as a place of worship for the next five months for Westminster. James Marshall Sr. would head the first of eventually three building committees. Bids for the new building came in at $117,879. Similar to the West Lawn church, the sanctuary and narthex would be a floor above the fellowship hall and kitchen, with restrooms and utility room on a level between. With the help of member plumbers, Reg and Roger Lippitt, Gordon Schultz and Robert Stockman, and the sweat equity of countless other members laying floor tile, painting, etc., under the supervision of trained journeymen and a special price from some contractors, the building was finished. Member Floyd Olson built the kitchen cabinets, counters, and fellowship hall windows. Robert Stockman built the butcher block kitchen tabletop and set it on a U.W. lab top base. Jim Marshall Sr., the long time superintendent of Madison parks and golf courses, designed the landscaping. The unfinished sanctuary became the setting of the traditional Christmas Eve pageant in 1951, directed by Elliott and Marian Sweet, who had been married in 1949 in the West Lawn church. Members walked a candle-lit, straw-strewn path into the building. New folding chairs were set on the red concrete floor. Vendors donated Christmas trees to surround the manger scene. Ruth Lathrop played the organ. A soloist sang Oh Holy Night. The Sweets’ first-born, Barbara Kathleen, was baptized, and newly fallen snow greeted parishioners as they departed on that magical night. The finished building was dedicated February 17, 1952 with a new Allen electronic' organ, new hymnals and a red leather pulpit Bible, gifted by Rabbi Swarsensky. Lucille Oakey sang a solo. The first wedding took place March 12, when Jane Marshall married Stan Hill. A men's chapter of the National Council of Presbyterian Men would meet monthly for supper and projects. New members, Shirley and Bill Toomey, would provide artwork and manpower for the Arnetts, as they continued to do the Westminster News. Beth El Temple and Westminster began a tradition of shared Thanksgiving Day services. The first board of Deacons met in 1953. The first membership directory was typed and printed in 1954, which included members' occupations. The Fourth of July weekend family camp at Green Lake's Camp Robin Hood became a yearly event. The first of two additions was dedicated October 16, 1955. This wing included upper floor offices, the lounge, kitchenette, and conference room, and the choir room and classrooms on the lower level. A second Sunday service was added that year. |
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With an ever increasing membership and two Sunday services help was needed. Bud Haak became Rev. Pritchard's assistant in 1956. That same year Pritchard recorded the first Dial-A-Prayer on Good Friday. This telephone mission of 365 different prayers recorded each year continued into the 1980's. Stuart Frane replaced Haak in 1957. That year a carillon was added to the church tower and first played on Christmas Eve. In 1958 Erwin Ruklic, a McCormick Seminary classmate of Pritchard, became Westminster's first associate pastor. They would share the pulpit, Ruklic relating to the worldwide church in his sermons, and Pritchard concentrating on Christian morality in the Madison community. The second membership directory came out this year. With three children at home, Eleanor Pritchard's interests included Christian education. She instituted a Christian Endeavor program for 4th - 6th graders, which met Sunday afternoons. Jeanne Hopf directed the groups’ Galilean choir. For years soloists sang the parts of the Friendly Beasts at the Christmas Eve pageant. Eleanor utilized a multigenerational series of books from the Friendship Press for a Sunday evening program for families studying a different country each year in February. Junior and Senior High fellowships continued to meet Sunday evenings. Their Celtic choir as well as the Galilean participated in worship services. Leroy Klose was followed by Laura Klein as the Chancel choir director. Julia Landmark was the organist. The four boards of the church were expanded to fifteen members each, each serving a three year term. The men on the board of trustees were in charge of finance and property. Session members (one woman permitted in each class) covered education, stewardship, worship, dial-a-prayer, social action, evangelism, long range planning and an ecumenical TV show (Madison's first) launched by Pritchard. The male deacons were in charge of ushers and greeters for worship, the parish plan and the directory. The deaconesses did hospital and shut-in visits, maintained the cradle roll and handled member emergencies. Organizations included the Couples Club which met monthly for a potluck and program, a UW student fellowship, TNT (twenties and thirties) a younger couples fellowships meeting Friday evenings, as well as the ongoing, nationally associated Men's Chapter and Women's Association. The latter peaked at fourteen circles, each meeting the third Tuesday of each month, then gathering each first Tuesday for a luncheon served by one of the circles (that circle also cleaned the kitchen that month) followed by a program. They held a mission tea each summer in a member's garden. One year when Ruth Lathrop was in charge, her neighbor was governor and the tea was held at the governor's mansion garden. Circles raised money from pledges, wedding receptions, a Friday morning rummage sale in the fall, and preparing and serving the annual meeting meal. On November 20, 1960 the second addition was dedicated. Four classrooms, additional restrooms, a chapel and the current office and pastor studies were on the upper level with six classrooms on the lower. Chet Spangler was chair of the Christian Education Committee. Six hundred ninety four (694) children attended Sunday school. Classes through third grade were offered at both services. Alun Thomas taught the adult bible class for years while Ren and Carol Kiemel cared for infants in the crib room. Charlotte Schultz now shared the office with two additional secretaries, Lois Bennet and Kirstin Christiansen. The church sponsored three fraternal workers, Richard Bryant (a McCormick classmate of Pritchard and Ruklic) in Thailand, Ralph Von Dixhorn in Ecuador and Roy Cronwell in Wyoming. Rev. Ruklic endeared himself to many of the church youth with his career counseling program. Three would eventually become ordained Presbyterian ministers: Gary Schultz, Mike Spangler and Joe Corbin Jr. Summer camps continued as well as two-week morning vacation church school, senior high and college summer mission trips, and the Easter sunrise service now held at Wingra Park. The men played softball in the Madison church league. Junior high boys played basketball in the church league at the YMCA. A second manse was purchased in 1962 at 4211 Wanetah Trail. That same year, Roger and Barbara Lippit brought the national Faith at Work program to Westminster. A group of men with Pritchard would regularly visit inmates at the Fox Lake prison to share their faith and offer bible study. In 1963 Mary Jean Bartholomew became Westminster's first director of Christian Education. In 1964 Rev. Pritchard trained fourteen members to be Bethel Bible Study teachers. In 1965 the third membership directory was typed and printed. It was a busy and impressive decade at Westminster. |
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The decade seemingly started well. Westminster celebrated its first half century with a membership of 1602. It was the largest Presbyterian Church in Madison, the 4th largest in the Wisconsin Synod. A policeman directed traffic at the Nakoma - Yuma corner between services. The 50th anniversary booklet was dedicated to long standing members James and Emma Snadden. She had recently died. He served as church treasurer for years. The anniversary banquet included speeches by Rev. Harold Stark, Rabbi Swarsensky and the Madison mayor. Paul Stark announced the successful building campaign to replace the organ, build classrooms at our mission in Thailand, and support the mission of the larger church coming in at $88,000. But tension had been mounting between the ministerial staff. With his job terminated, Rev. Ruklic sought and accepted positions overseas, first at the Tokyo Union Church and then as pastor at the International Church in Bangkok. The Presbytery stated the Rev. Pritchard had repeatedly not followed rules of church government and must leave. Some 400 Westminster members left to found the Heritage Congregational Church and hired Rev. Pritchard as their minister. The Nakoma manse was sold. Other members joined other churches. The elderly, wise and kindly Rev. James Robertson shepherded the remaining congregation until a permanent pastor was called. Rev. Vern Forsberg, his wife Sally and three school age children arrived in 1969. Under his 13 years of guidance Westminster flourished. 1969 also saw the arrival of the Joe Williams family as men from the Faith at Work outreach at the Fox Lake prison gave Joe a job, bought him a home and moved his family here from Indiana. Scout Master Bob Paddock was now able to move his troop from Nakoma School to the church. Succeeding Scout Masters Joe Corbin Sr. and Sam Kenney led an active group of boys, camping overnight every month of the year and developing Camp Montello (later renamed Camp Corbin) into a facility not only for scouts but for church groups from the Presbytery. Bill Butler began his forty year stint of setting up and serving the Sunday morning coffee, shoveling snow and bird dogging emergencies with the furnace and the alarm system. On January 13, 1971 a Cherokee Middle School student playing with matches ignited the curtain wall at the front of the sanctuary. The resulting fire caused $250,000 damage to the sanctuary and fellowship hall. Fortunately the children in the Madison Council of Churches nursery school in the building and others were safely evacuated. James Marshall Sr. was once again called upon to chair the rebuilding committee. 75 members from 6 to 70 years of age labored in the cleaning and reconstruction. Edgewood College offered their St. Josephs chapel for our worship services before our restored building was ready on January 24th, 1972. Rabbi Swarsensky replaced the pulpit Bible. Kirstin Christiansen (now Harrison) shared office duties with Helen Dickson, Donna Fielding, Jerry Tarr and Gayle Swoegler. Katie Hodge would direct the Chancel Choir for some 15 years. Stuart Scharch followed Julia Landmark at the organ. Clarence DeSpain with Jackie Sweet led the Galilean choir before Linda Russell and Mary Earl Young took over. Joe Ray and Nancy Underwood led the Celtic choir. Using guitars and contemporary music for Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and others their performances with balloon were greeted with clapping! A first for Westminster. The Wednesday after school youth not only had choir, crafts, and supper but those with an interest in drama could work on plays. A Camp Meeting Tonight on March 26, 1969 featured the two youth choirs, dancers, original poetry, scripture and spirituals sung by the audience. A college age member was hired each summer to help with vacation church school, camps, youth groups, etc. Linda Russell composed an original song in honor of James Marshall Sr. as the vacation church school children planted a Marshall Ash tree and sang to Linda's guitar accompaniment. Chris Melchor helped the senior highs with drama. They also sent food packages to our servicemen at Christmas time. The west side Presbyterian Churches gathered at Covenant for Sunday family nights and adult education. The Thursday morning study group was formed. TNT morphed into smaller groups of couples studying faith issues in members’ homes. The Five Seasons group held active events five times a year. The 39ers held prepared luncheons once a month with a speaker. Marilyn Graham and Paula VanEss organized a Mother-Daughter banquet with Joan Severa giving a program on women's hats. Bill Braucht planned a Father-Son banquet with pro football player Pat Richter as the speaker. PWW was down to seven circles. Their outreach included cookies for Head Start children, World Service sewing projects, furnishing an apartment for Project Home and Christmas gifts to the Indian Children at Hope Haven. In house activities besides the rummage sales included a bazaar, a Patchwork Boutique, a silent Christmas auction, collecting Christmas cards for Sunny Hill Nursing Home, magazines for the jail and food labels and coupons for the playground at Central Colony. In 1975 the Rev. Skip Herbert, with his wife Carol and two sons joined the Westminster staff. Despite a disruptive start, it was a very good decade!
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Rev. Forsberg finished his doctorate at the Dubuque Seminary. He along with Mary Jean Bartholomew and Jane Koning became teachers of the Kerygma Bible Study developed by the Pittsburg Seminary. The Lord’s Supper was now celebrated four times a year. Rev. Herbert gave his energies not only to sharing the pulpit but to working with the senior highs, joining them on their spring vacation mission trips, and spearheading an adult class interested in being stewards of the earth’s finite resources. He also promoted the national Presbyterian conference center at Ghost Ranch, NM. Chet and Jane Spangler spent time there doing the electric work and constructing display cases at the archeology museum. Melinda DeSpain and later Chris Forsberg worked as summer service students. Other members took classes there for several years. Carol Herbert and Polly Colby collected member’s recipes to create the Westminster I Need a Cookbook Cookbook. Carol also held an exercise class in fellowship hall. Office secretaries included Jerry Tarr and Jan Ross. In 1979 Marge Becker became an invaluable and faithful volunteer in the office. Carna Manthy was the director of music and David DeVenney played the organ. Dee Yoder now accompanied the Galilean choir led by Linda Russell. The Knit Wits organized in 1978 to meet the need for seamen’s caps at the port of Duluth. Over the years they would knit leper bandages, slippers and lap robes for the Dane County Home and Central Colony and mitten and scarves for needy children. PWW sent delegations to triennial meetings on the Purdue campus. A Children’s Only Shop under Judy Goff’s direction let church children choose and wrap handmade Christmas gifts for their loved ones. Members also assembled health and school kits for Church World Service and sorted clothing at the Dane County Clothing Center. Nancy Nissalke directed the play Eyes Upon the Cross for one of the luncheon meetings. On Sunday October 19, 1980 the 50th anniversary of the ordination of women elders was celebrated with Jane Koning, Ardith McDowell and Jane Spangler giving the sermon. Thirty one Westminster women had been installed as elders at that time. On the 23rd of November in the same year Mary Jean Bartholomew, with credits already earned at McCormick Seminary, under the care of Presbytery for three years, mentored by Rev. Forsberg in the sacraments, and having taken her exams at Westminster was ordained and installed as minister at Westminster. One year later Skip Herbert accepted a call the Presbyterian Church in Grand Junction, CO. In 1982 Vern Forsberg accepted a call the Presbyterian Church in Brookfield, WI. Mary Jean would fill the pulpit with an ecumenical supply of speakers until John Piper, coming as a newly wed from Santa Fe, NM with his wife Annie began his twelve year ministry at Westminster in 1983. Mission was a primary focus in this decade with a yearly blanket Sunday, pledging to an agricultural project in Sudan, members delivering mobile meals, serving lunch to the Westside Coalition for the Aging, dinner and breakfast at the Shelter for the Homeless, Saturday lunch at the Triangle Ministry and participating in Bread for the World. The church sponsored Dyung Le, the Vietnamese cousin of one of John Wright’s students, meeting her clothing, housing and medical need and tutoring her in English. Additional fellowship events included Advent workshops, Christmas caroling.
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With the Wanetah Trail manse sold, the Pipers bought a home in Nakoma. They would have two children while in Madison, a son Mark and a daughter Elizabeth. John started a Men's Breakfast group, meeting Saturday mornings in fellowship hall. Annie pursued a ministerial degree at McCormick Seminary. John was a lawyer as well as a fine musician. He wowed a Presbyterian Fall Gathering accompanying himself at the piano and singing spirituals. Annie and Betty Paddock occasionally entertained the congregation with their clown ministry in the narthex on a Sunday. Mary Jean Bartholomew retired in 1989. Ann Friedley served as her interim, supervising the Sunday school, preaching, teaching confirmation class and the Thursday Morning Study group. She introduced members to a Seder meal in Lent. She also served as a trouble shooter when issues came up with the Animal Crackers daycare using the building. Ann was a roommate of Marilyn Sanden in seminary. To this day she regards her year at Westminster as the best of her pastoral career. John Tarr helped her with the senior highs, succeeding Joel and Connie Jones. Judy Shipman, from Tulsa, became our associate pastor a year later, assuming Mary Jean and Ann's duties. Judy and Annie Piper led two popular women's retreats at the Moravian Center in Mt. Morris. Westminster enjoyed an active music program during this decade under the leadership of Stewart Scharch, Carolyn Pratt, Jack Hicks, Joe Brachman and Jean Boehler. The session approved the purchase of hand bells while Jack was with us. Sue Wood, Carol Wright, their five children, Tom Young's boys, Linda Russell and other adults formed the bell choir under Jack's direction. He also directed a recorder group and gave a seminar on wedding music and a second on funeral music. Linda Russell directed a woman's bell choir that entertained in nursing homes Phil Stark headed a stewardship drive upon Westminster's 75th anniversary in 1991, with the monies raised air conditioning replaced the ceiling fans in the sanctuary, the sanctuary, narthex and lounge were redecorated, the organ enlarged with the pipes exposed and the building made barrier free with the addition of an elevator and reconfigured restrooms. As Jerry Tarr and Linda Russell retired as secretaries, succeeding secretaries included Elaine Rasmussen, Christine Schroeder, Pat Ampe, Carol Johanning, Janet Hennesey, Jackie Cocroft and Lois May. New mission outreach included Partners in Mission with Gordon and Carolyn Brown of the Lavington Church in Nairobi, Kenya. Sue Bridson was the session correspondent to them. Money was sent for student support and bicycles. Bead work and cornhusk dolls from the Twendelee handcrafters were sold at church. We financially supported Fridal Kairothe Manuqu, an African student at the U. of Dubuque. Our connection with Allied Drive began with Paula VanEss and Marian Rohde helping in house with the after school program and Sue Bridson leading a nature club out of doors. The congregation contributed to Bread for the World and Habitat for Humanity. ; The latter with both workers and food for lunch. Couples Club morphed into WOW (Westminster on Wednesday). PWW was down to four circles, supporting the YWCA single moms with children program, furnishing school supplies for needy children at Thoreau School, and making May baskets for honorary members. The Valentine Tea started, the soup supper auction moved from homes to fellowship hall, a mitten tree set up in the narthex encouraged all knitters to contribute hats, scarves and mittens for needy children, and Dave and Kathy Granquist took on the rummage sale, moving it to Saturday with longer hours resulting in many more dollars for mission. John Piper and Judy Shipman proved to be incompatible as ministers. The personnel committee and the Committee on Ministry of Presbytery agreed that if they could not cooperate they must both leave. John quietly accepted a call to a church in Colorado. Judy accepted a call to a church in Michigan. Sadly we said goodbye on December 18, 1995. The interim minister, David Marx, jollied up the congregation with his usual three jokes interspersed in Sunday's worship.
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The Rev. David Marx served as Westminster's interim pastor prior to Rev. David Hoffelt accepting our call. Pastor Hoffelt became known as the "best preacher in Madison". Even out-of-towners joined the congregation. David instituted the grocery bags of food offerings prior to Thanksgiving, the audible pouring of water prior to a baptism, the "flame" of red fabric at Pentecost, the sanctuary guild and the summer backyard bible study. The kitchen was remodeled to accommodate a dishwasher, the conference room was carpeted and a classroom across from the choir room was made over to house the new choir robes and music. He invited Joe Chrisman to audition as our organist and director of music. Being an organist himself, David immediately recognized Joe's artistry. Joe was hired in 1997. The choir grew, the organ was enhanced and a new piano purchased. Joe added many new things to include a summer hymn sing, a service of lessons and carols at Christmas, teaching classes on hymn and carol history for adult ed. and giving an organ/piano recital with his professor from Montana State. With Dorothy Blotz, he would often add duo piano/organ music to the Sunday service. Bev Haimerl led the Galilean choir and Mary Cole led the cherub choir, using newly acquired color coded bells. Rev. Hoffelt invited Rev. John Smith to join the staff as a pastoral caller to the hospitals and shut-ins. Pastor Smith’s wife had recently joined Westminster along with their children. Ruthie Seiders was hired as Christian Education Director. Her spiritual enthusiasm and musical talent were contagious. She introduced the Logos program on Wednesday evenings. When Ruthie’s minister husband accepted a call to Pennsylvania, Debra Freeman was her replacement. Debra's father had developed the Logos program at the Pittsburgh seminary. The youth busied themselves with fund-raisers to be able to attend the yearly Logos summer conference in Virginia. Upon Debra's departure, Pastor John Smith assumed additional responsibilities with Christian Education along with the help of Beth Dorn and Denise Meier overseeing Sunday school and Julie Wood working with the youth. In the office, John Tarr replaced Brad Vlasic as parish administrator of 1998 and recruited retirees to help with work projects about the church. , A succession of administrative secretaries includes Lois May, followed by Carolyn Weed, Ann Coleman, Shelly Hagen and finally Michaeline Hansen. New picture directories were printed in 1997 and 2002. Mission involvement continued at the men's overnight shelter, the Interfaith Hospitality Network for homeless women and children, Sunday meals on wheels, the annual Crop Walk, Sunday evening meals at Pres House, and an increased involvement with programs at Allied Drive. At the congregational meeting on July 14, 2002 after members aired grievances and spoke positively regarding Reverend Hoffelt's work at Westminster, someone moved and it was seconded to proceed to a vote. Another member asked to delay the vote for further consideration but was told he was out of order. The resulting vote was 107 to 95 favoring retaining David Hoffelt as our pastor. The Ministerial Relations Committee of Presbytery felt that such a close vote did not favor a viable congregation, dissolved Rev. Hoffelt's ministry with us, and appointed a bridging pastor. The following August 17, the Presbytery officially dissolved his relationship with them. Rev. John P. Smith assumed pastoral duties and was here for 4 years; followed by an appointed bridging minister, Rev. Dan Little. In March of 2003, Rev. Marilyn Sandin-Ross spent two years at WPC, and eventually took a call to Union Pres Church in Monroe. In June 2005, Rev. John Helt took the interim helm. Marian Bauer was hired as our Christian Education Director, Justine Hollander as Youth Minister, Nancy Prine as Galilean Director and Harriet VanderMeer as Cherub choir director.
We look forward to our 90th anniversary celebration, which will include a celebration luncheon after worship, a new 2006 pictorial directory, and all with our newly installed pastor, Alex Thornburg, who officially began with us August 13, 2006. |
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