The Thomsons 1892

12.3.1888 First Presbyterian Lexington appointed a committee to explore the feasibility of a church on the west side of town to witness to students

1890 Rev. Charles Thomson, assistant pastor at First Pres was assigned to labor in the west side of town to form a new church; 33 members of First Presbyterian formed the nucleus of the new church. Mission efforts included worship services in homes in the neighborhood. A lot was purchased on the corner of Upper and Maxwell Street for the new mission church.

8.17.1891 The church building, at a cost of $7,000, with gas lights and furnace heat, on the corner of Upper and Maxwell Street, was dedicated.

4.6.1892 Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church was established with 77 founding members, 33 from First Presbyterian and 44 from the community. Rev. Thomson was called as the first pastor. Two elders elected – T. T. Forman and W. L. Bartlett, 2 deacons elected – Dr. William Rhodes and Nelson Smith.

1893-1907

1891-1893 - Rev. Charles Thomson Centre College, KY; Union Theological Seminary, VA 1894-1902 - Rev. Isaac Stewart McElroy Centre College, KY; Union Theological Seminary, VA 1902-1907 - Dr. Hardin Branch Johns Hopkins, Baltimore; Princeton Seminary, NJ; Austin College, TX

The Church grew to 101 members by the end of 1893, with a major emphasis on Sabbath School (Sunday School). Worship was held every Sunday morning, with many college students, faculty, and staff in attendance. The church charged no pew rent, but all were welcomed and allowed to sit where they chose.

Sadly, Rev. Thomson’s wife died shortly after their second child was born, and he left in 1894 for a country church closer to his hometown of Paris.

Finances were tough in the first decade. To balance the budget one year, Dr. McElroy loaned the church $2000, on the condition that they pay his salary of $20 each week for 52 weeks. Repayment dragged and even after the Session declared that “Dr. McElroy’s ministry was watchful, self-sacrificing, and helpful,” and to him was due “the rapid growth and development of this church.” In 1902 he left, unpaid, for a position as Secretary of Ministerial Relief for the General Assembly. He knew the need!

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN So what was the status of women in the early church? They could not be elders or deacons. They could not be ministers. But they were a powerful force in the church. They met regularly together and studied, learned, and then moved into mission. Thus began the tradition of the mission of the church having its heart and soul in Presbyterian Women. In the 1920s, they gave scholarships to Lees College, supplied Traveler’s Aid, gave to missionaries in China, sent a new Victrola to a missionary in Korea, and helped with rent for those in need. They taught at the Sabbath Schools and had a room full of sewing machines at church, where they sewed for the children in hospitals, made tea towels and kettle holders for the church, and sent 112 jars of fruit and 27 cases of vegetables one year to the Anchorage Orphanage. The 1930s saw a continuation of these projects, along with making robes for the Children’s Choir, costumes for the Christmas program, clothes and blankets for Church World Service, and providing music and Sunday School for children at Shriners’ Hospital. During the Second World War, they made bundles for Britain and America, folded bandages, made surgical dressings, knitted sweaters, held a “Sugar Shower” where they gathered their own sugar rations and shared them with others. The story continues through every decade to the present. Presbyterian Women have always been present to respond to the critical needs of the time. There is a 125-year history of love, concern, and work for those in need. There is gratitude for what they have done and joy in knowing they will always lead the way.

1892

Ellis Island opens

1892 Pledge of Allegiance first recited in classroom

1903 Wright brothers’ 1st flight at Kitty Hawk 1905

Albert Einstein describes the Theory of Relativity

1903 UK Men’s Basketball plays its 1st game – Georgetown College wins 15-6

Woodland Park was the place for Sunday walks after church

SABBATH SCHOOLS Sabbath Schools met on Sunday afternoons in various locations throughout the neighborhood, with classes for children, youth and adults. By 1905 there were 4 established schools – Ashland Ave, Colfax, Blackburn, and Lottie Street. The largest was the Lottie Street (now Virginia Ave.), which became such an influence in its neighborhood that it was eventually made into the Lottie Street Mission, including worship. In 1903 a Sabbath School was organized in the northern section of town, surrounded primarily by African American families. A house was purchased on Blackburn Ave. to provide for the number of children and families who attended. The Session said, “The Sabbath Schools are burgeoning efforts in which many officers and members are heavily, productively, and joyfully involved.”

1892 1888 1905 1903

Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church 1892

Dr. McElroy 1900

Presbyterian Women Meeting

View down Broadway 1900

African American Sabbath School 1900

Archer Gray 1927

1910 The major issue of 1910 was the use of fermented wine at communion. Several petitions to change to unfermented failed – one by a tie vote – when Session declared that they saw no reason to discontinue the practice. Not until 1913 did unfermented “fruit of the vine” gain sanction.

1913 In 1913 there was a Men’s Bible Class taught by C. M. Marshall, a Women’s Bible Class taught by Prof. J. Morton Davis, and a Primary Department headed by Miss Florence Skinner. She continued in this position for the next 57 years.

1914 There were talks of a growing desire for a larger church; the Sunday School, especially needed additional space. A lot on the corner of Maxwell Street and Lexington Ave, including the house on the property, was subsequently purchased on November 22, 1915 for $12,000. The plan was assured when Prof. A. M. Gordon, who was moving out of town, sold the lot and gave $2,000 toward construction of the new building.

A committee was formed to plan the building, raise money, and secure loans. The vision of a growing church in need of new space led the church’s inspiration during this decade.

1915 The original church was sold in March 1915 to Ohavi Zion Synagogue for $6,700. The congregation moved out, and from September 5, 1915 until June 25, 1916 used Dudley School for their house of worship. Combs Lumber Company was the builder. C. M. Marshall, Building Committee Chair furnished mules and a pond-scraper for the excavation of the basement. Children sold crochet work to build their new Sunday School Class.

1907—1916 1908–1910 - Rev. Clyde Sheltman Hampden-Sydney, VA; Louisville Seminary, KY

1911–1916 - Dr. Samuel Hawes Hampden-Sydney, VA; Union Seminary, VA

1916 The new Sanctuary was dedicated on June 25, 1916, with a dedicatory service held in the new church on July 2, 1916 attended by three former pastors. Two weeks later, Dr. Hawes, who had steered them through the difficult transition, resigned and moved back to his home in Virginia.

The congregation settled into their new life in the new church building. An organ was purchased. A a number of evangelistic efforts, including extended meetings, were held. The Session divided the city and assigned members to go door-to-door to invite people to church. College students met on Wednesday evenings. In 1924, there were six candidates before Presbytery from Maxwell Street offering themselves in ministry. In 1926, needs of the growing church led the Session to organize themselves into committees.

THE PITKIN CLUB In 1925 the Pitkin Club, a luncheon group for students, was organized by UK Professor Dr. States. It was modeled after a club for Pitt students at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. The purpose of the club was to foster better understanding of religion and its application to life. Membership was limited to 80, and there was always a waiting list.

1912

Titanic sinks

1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia

1920 19th Amendment passes granting women the right to vote

1919 Treaty of Versailles ends WWI

Women’s Bible Class in the 1920s

1907 1927

Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church 1916

Example of items placed in the

cornerstone in 1916,

uncovered during the 2016 Centennial

of the Building.

The Pitkin Club

1924 Scopes “Monkey” Trial concludes – John Scopes, UK graduate, fined $100 for teaching evolution

1927 Charles Lindbergh pilots Spirit of St. Louis to Paris

1917– 1927 1917-1921 - Rev. Richard Thomas Gillespie II Davidson College, Columbia Seminary, S.C., later moved to GA

1923-1927 - J. Archer Gray Columbia University, NY

1927 J. Archer Gray presided over the church during what has been called “the stormiest period of her existence.” In carefully worded Session minutes, we hear the anguish, as two Session members resigned over this resolution: “A committee was instructed to present to Presbytery such information in its hands as it deemed wise and for the best interest of the church.” Or in plainer English, the pastor beloved by many, reviled by many others, did not have proper graduation certificates for college or Seminary, nor was he even an ordained Presbyterian minister. These questions concerning his credentials were confirmed by Presbytery, and he was suspended from all “ministerial privileges.” Mr. Gray resigned on February 27, 1927 and “many church members left with him” to organize Everybody’s Church, which settled into the Ben Ali Movie Theatre, still visible, on Main Street. He served there for 20 years and was vey involved in the community, and his obituary in 1946 includes a list of the various clubs and lodges to which he belonged… as well as mentioning his degrees as if they were real. It took until 1985 for the Session to place his photo with the other ministers in the photographic panel of pastors, thus granting some peace and healing from his years at the church.

1917

1908

Ford Model T goes into production

1928 Into the climate following Mr. Gray came Dr. Howard Moody Morgan, son of a renowned Presbyterian Bible teacher and Pastor, who himself was a “splendid student of the Bible.” He was well received at Maxwell Street and much sought after for preaching engagements during his pastorate. Maxwell Street was well grounded as Presbyterian once again. All four of his sons later became Presbyterian ministers. He left in 1933 to become pastor of the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, where his father had been peaching for several years.

1927— 1948 1927-1932 - Dr. Howard M. Morgan Douglas Collegiate School, England; Centre College, KY

1933-1935 - Rev. Wallace Alston Emory, GA; Columbia Seminary, GA

1936-1940 - Rev. Warner Hall Southwestern (now Rhodes) College, TN; Louisville Seminary, KY; Edinburgh University, Scotland.

1940–1948 - Rev. John K. Johnson Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes),TN; Louisville Seminary, KY

Dr. Wallace McPherson Alston became the next pastor in March 1933. During his ministry, the General Assembly minutes stated that Maxwell Street led all Presbyterian Churches in the Synod of KY in membership growth. A Director of Religious Education was added to the staff and work among university students was enlarged. Rev. Alston left in 1935 to lead the Youth Ministry for the Presbyterian Church, later went to Agnes Scott College as Professor of Philosophy, Vice-President, and for 25 years, President. During this time he also served as Moderator of the General Assembly.

MEN OF MAXWELL Men of Maxwell was formed in 1928 for “fellowship, business, and service.” They became a driving force for a Boy Scout Room in the basement for Troop 13, which had been founded at Maxwell Street in 1919. Fred Bryant was the first President of the group. They flourished, except during the war years, but were revived in 1989 with Jim Mahan serving two terms, followed by Tom Dixon in 1991. Speakers for their gatherings have included governors, football coaches, athletic directors, police and fire department chiefs, and many leaders at the University. Most recently the group has heard met monthly to hear stories of life and faith from different men in the church, and in 2017 opened the doors to it’s first female speaker, Lou Anna Red Corn, Fayette Commonwealth Attorney, and member of Maxwell Street.

1929

Stock Market crashes; Great Depression begins

1935 Social Security Act passed

1939 German invades Poland; WWII begins

1936 Keeneland Race Track opens

1928 1948

Troop 13 at a campout , early 1920s College Group on summer retreat 1942

1945 Hiroshima bombed; Japan surrenders

1945

MISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY Not only was MSPC founded in mission to the University, but in 1933, it was designated by the General Assembly as “the University Church.” That year Dr. Amry Vandenbosch, a prominent Professor of Political Science and a staunch Presbyterian, was secured to teach the student class. The class grew so much that in 1934, the Sunday evening worship was discontinued, and the time was designated for the gathering of young people at church. Thus, the Westminster Fellowship was born. From 1933 to 1944, Fellowship began with choir practice led by Howard Curry from 4:30 to 5:30, then supper was served. At 6:00, Evensong, an impressive candle-lit worship service, was conducted alternately by members of the group and Rob McNeill, Student Pastor from 1942 to 1950. In 1949, the Synods of Kentucky and General Assemblies of the northern and southern churches established a joint committee to form a student group at UK. The ministry was located in Maxwell Street’s Hanna House, where Church School happened for MSPC children. When the church’s Educational Building was completed in 1954, the campus ministry had sole use of the Hanna House, which became known as the Westminster House. In 1960 a new building at the corner of Rose Street and Rose Lane was dedicated for Synod offices and Westminster Fellowship. MSPC’s elder and trustee, Norman Chrisman, Jr., was the architect. Dan Thomas became the first University Pastor in 1950. Devotional groups met in dormitories during this time. In 1952 the Committee extended a call to Rev. D. Yandell Page, followed by Rev. John King in 1957. Mr. King was the first campus minister to occupy the new facility on campus. Under Mr. King’s leadership, the various campus workers were combined into a staff recognized by the University administration. This interreligious program was carried out for the whole campus, including an All-Campus Summer Forum which ran for several years. In 1961, the Pitkin Club merged with Westminster Fellowship. During the period from 1958 to 1965, the Westminster Board began the important task of exploring a united ministry of Presbyterians, Disciples of Christ, and United Church of Christ. The Lutheran students used the facilities for their Sunday evening program. In 1964, Sunday morning worship was added at the center. Over the next two decades, UK ministry was ecumenical and focused on campus, but waned in its influence over the years, until the campus building was sold. A church-based Presbyterian campus ministry was reimagined in the 1990s and has seen students in worship, as well as learning and fellowship groups meeting in the church. Leadership has come from strong campus committees and the use of Seminary and college interns working with pastors, including such excellent campus ministers as Lee Ann Hodges, Mike Pentecost, Kyle Brown, Colin Ogle, John Kupar, and Katherine Norwood.

1928

Mickey Mouse debuts in Steamboat Willie

The decade of the 1940s focused on World War II and its aftermath. Many of MSPC’s young men and women were engaged and their names were placed in the narthex each Sunday for prayers. Plans were made to establish a mission in the Liberty Heights section of the city with Miss Margaret Hopper leading the effort. A building was purchased, Sunday School was held each week, and in 1948 it became its own church. In 1950 Eastminster Presbyterian Church built their Sanctuary at Liberty Road and Henry Clay Blvd. Worship was central in the life of the congregation, with Sunday School classes held in the wings of the Sanctuary. A network of folding doors made possible the dividing up of that space for classes before worship, then by 10:30, the doors were folded back upon themselves to produce seating for the worship service. Minister to Young People Rob McNeill led college students and youth. The Choir was vibrantly led, initially by Jean Lancaster, then Jean Marie McConnell. Rob kept soldiers and students in touch with a series of roundrobin newsletters that lasted through the 1940s. By the end of the decade, families were forming – Rob McNeil married Choir Director Jean Lancaster, then baritone Norman Chrisman took Choir Director Jean Marie as his bride. The U.S. was ready for a focus on families and a baby boom.

1944 D-Day; 155,000 Allied troops invade Normandy coast

1948 State of Israel established

College Group on winter retreat 1955

College Group in class 1960

College Group on mission trip 2003

Men of Maxwell meeting in the Boy Scout Room, early 2000s

1948 Dr. Tom Johnston was called as pastor in 1949 and it was the perfect timing and the perfect pastor to see an explosion of new life in MSPC. Dr. Johnston created committees to study problems of the church, to clarify the church rolls, to plan for “visitation evangelism,” to coordinate the work of Westminster Fellowship, to obtain a minister to college students—and even created one called the “Long Time Planning Committee.” As it turned out, the planning went well. Dr. John-ston continued for 27 years in a “congenial and productive” relationship with the congregation. The church wanted stability and family and it lasted a quarter of a century.

1949—1976

1949–1976 - Dr. Tom Johnston Presbyterian College, SC; Biblical Seminary, NY Pastor Emeritus

In November of 1952, a congregational meeting was called to hear and vote on a recommendation of the Planning and Building Committee regarding plans for an educational building to be erected on the lot recently purchased adjacent to the church. There were 929 active members in the church, and the needs of the church were expanding. As members passed the 1000 mark early in 1954, the dedication of the new educational building was gladly heralded in October 1954.

CIVIL RIGHTS Maxwell Street was organized as a part of the PC(USA), the southern branch of the Presbyterian Church. With that came an innate racism which rose to the surface as the Civil Rights Era began. There were debates as early as 1948 over whether an African American student group visiting in Lexington would be welcomed into church. The Session wanted to “preserve peace and tranquility in the church,” but UK student Edna Fischer and others ignored the Session and brought the students to worship, where they were received graciously and peacefully. It took until 1952 for the Session to revisit the issue, and this time declare, unanimously, that no one was to be excluded from worship. Maxwell Street was then ready to enter the 1960s fully on the side of working towards God’s justice with all people. In 1983, the southern and northern branches of the Presbyterian Church were united into a new denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA).

1963 President Kennedy assassinated; LBJ sworn in

1949 1976

Children in their new classroom 1956

1964 Martin Luther King, Jr. — I Have a Dream

MISSING LINKS In 1969 a group of out-of-college young adults began to gather and call themselves the Missing Links, because it was a group that did not fit into other groups in the church. Later the name was shorted to “Links.” They met on Sunday evenings for discussion, socializing, recreation, eating, and spiritual growth. The group grew larger and deeper in tune with one another and their faith. The impact on the individual members was undeniable and the impact on the church as a whole remarkable. The group held steady until 1984, when most had married, moved into other groupings in the church, and younger, newer forms of this important link began to happen. The tradition of linking people by interests has continued to the present in order for people to find closeness and centeredness within the larger church

1949

University of Kentucky graduate school integrated; 1954 undergraduate integrated

In 1962 a Reiger pipe organ from a company in Austria was purchased, which necessitated revising the platform at the front of the Sanctuary. In 1963, the organ was installed, the Sanctuary repainted, new ceilings added in the wings, the woodwork and pews refurbished, a new sound system, and plans were made to add air conditioning and carpet. Bibles were placed in the pews in 1964. In 1974 a Chrismon Tree was added for the season of Advent and Christmas.

1964 Civil Rights Bill passed 1965 Voting Rights Bill passed

In 1965, Miss Katie Carpenter, a retired teacher and committed, versatile member of the church was elected, ordained and installed as the first female Elder, and Mrs. Betty Ginger as the first female Deacon.

CRAFTS Church Time Crafts began for children in 1975 under the direction of Associate Pastor Doug Slagle. He gathered the children in grades K through 3 in the front of the Sanctuary for a short children’s sermon. The children then left the Sanctuary for a craft activity led by Edna Fischer. The objective was to help the children (who had outgrown the nursery) feel welcome and at home in the worship service, but then have a time appropriate for their age to get their hands busy and to feel free to talk about the children’s sermon, what had happened in worship, and how it related to them, as they bonded over shared craft activities. Crafts were never finished in a week but always took several weeks, so that an object of real accomplishment could be shared for years in the child’s home. Edna directed this program for 35 years before passing it along to others. Christmas crèches made by children still fill the homes of Maxwell Street families, and the positive feelings of church and community last forever.

Dr. Tom Johnston retired on May 30, 1976 and a beautiful era in the life of MSPC came to an end.

1954

DNA first described

1954

Supreme Court declares

racial segregation unconstitutional

1956

IBM typewriters begin production in Lexington

1958

Microchip patented

1956

Margaret Towner

1st female Presbyterian minister

1955

Rosa Parks arrested

for sitting in the front of a bus in

Montgomery, AL 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated

1969 Walk on the moon

1973 Secretariat wins Triple Crown

1975 Vietnam War ends

Construction of Education Buildin 1954

Education Building cornerstone placed After worship 1960

Installing the organ 1963

Miss Katie Carpenter, middle front, joining the other elders in picture from 1969

Mrs. Betty Ginger, middle center, joining the other deacons, with second female deacon, Cee Dixon, on Betty’s left, in picture from 1969

Links 1975

Completed

Church basketball team 1961

Presbyterian Women’s Circle 1958

Youth Class 1969

Craft Room creations

After an interim period, Rev. Roger Nelson came in July of 1977 and began an 11-year pastoral relationship with the Church. Music in the church had always been a priority, but there was a move to expand musical offerings for adults. A 3-octave set of bells was recommended in 1978 and the project came to fruition in 1988.

1977—1987

1977-1987 - Rev. C. Roger Nelson University of Minnesota, MN; Andover Newton Seminary, MA; Louisville Seminary, KY

The late 1970s saw an emphasis on a “Mission and Mortar Drive” which garnered an enthusiastic response from the congregation. 34% was to be spent on Mis-sion and 76% on Mortar (improvements to the physical property). But budgets began to lag and membership began to decline. The first years of the 1980s were quiet years, with recurring concerns about the financial condition of the church. Finally, the Mission and Mortar Drive was spent on needed repairs. Mission lagged.

LATCH KEY

Latch Key was the major mission project of this time, initiated by Chairperson Ellen Allen with Helen Ivey, Naomi Kiser, Lelia Logan, Mary Alice Roberts, and Gerry Williams. There were children who were unattended after school from Maxwell Elementary, as more parents were working full time jobs. They held a rummage sale to finance the project and, with the help of the school, sent letters to all the families, inviting children to an after-school care at the church. UK students as well as church volunteers helped with the children. The children were walked from the school each day to the church. Refreshments were

donated and served by church members. Chil-dren were cared for until the parents came for them. Around 20 students were served daily.

1977

first Star Wars movie released

Dana Jones preaches

1977 1998

1990-1991 First Gulf War

In 1985 an antique brass cross and candlesticks were donated. 19 stained glass windows were created and added to the doors into the sanctuary by Dori Hudson. She also designed patterns for needlepoint panels to be used on the upholstered chairs of the chancel.

1997 First Harry Potter book

By 1989, at the time of a membership nadir, the Presbytery recommended that the church sell its property and relocate to the perimeter of the city: the church declined! They called Dana Jones, a former District Attorney who was committed to work for justice and peace, and Maxwell Street rediscovered its mission.

Chancel Choir

Youth Mission Trip to Mexico 1997

Handbell Choir

1989—1998

1989–1998 - Rev. Dana Jones Yale University, CN; Princeton Seminary, NJ

Presbyterian Women 1976

1989

Elevator added for accessibility 1991

Elizabeth Mahan in Woodshop named for her son.

The church’s first female pastor — Rev. Elizabeth Ayscue — grew up in North Carolina, received her BA from UNC, her MA from t he Presbyterian School of Christian Education, and her M.Div. from Union Semi-nary in Virginia. Her focus while Associate Pastor was on Christian Education, but she is also remembered for her sermons. Rev. Nancy Copeland-Payton was a physician with a medical degree from Johns Hopkins University before receiving a M.Div. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. She worked in the area of mission and helped over the establishment of the E. 7th Street Mission.

1978

Kentucky Horse Park opened

1983

northern and southern streams

of the Presbyterian Church reunited

as Presbyterian Church (USA)

1988

Georgetown Toyota produces first Camry

1989 Berlin Wall comes down

1990 www. begins

1991 Nelson Mandela released after 27 years in prison in South Africa

1991 Soviet Union dissolved

1990 Hubble telescope launched

Over the next decade, the congregation exploded with mission to the downtown area of Lexington, with summer work camps, winter housing of homeless folks, and temporary housing supplied for refugee families in the Blevins House (purchased in 1990) located directly behind the Sanctuary building. A new program of prison ministry began, and with the building of the Mahan Center behind the Blevins House, housing for families visiting the prison was instituted. A woodshop making toys for children was added on the ground floor of Mahan Center. Dana Jones’ compelling sermons left no doubt of his passion for justice and mission, and the church responded with compelling ministries in the city and beyond.

In 1998, the church acquired two new properties for additional outreach, one on East 7th Street as a Community Center in that neighborhood, and another now called the Dana Jones Com-munity Center, on the corner of Maxwell Street and Lexington Ave, which has housed a variety of missions over the years and currently is the home of the Maxwell Street Legal Clinic, where immigrants come for legal advice and assistance.

Working with refugee families through Kentucky Refugee Ministries

Rev. Elizabeth Ayscue 1990-1995 Rev. Nancy Copeland-Payton 1996-1999

Associate Pastor Rev. Doug Gerdts dedicating the Dana Jones Center

Needlepointed Chancel Chairs, Old Testament (on left), New Testament (on right)

2000-2002

2000-2002 - Rev. Bob Richardson University of Akron, OH; Louisville Seminary, KY

MUSIC Music has filled the church since the opening worship service in 1892. The Session minutes of 1894 refer to the location of the organ and choir and “arrangements with Mr. Hall to lead music at a cost of $5 per week.” A pipe organ was installed in the 1916 Sanctuary, replaced by an electronic organ in 1948, and then the Rieger organ in 1963. Always the congregation has sung hymns. Always a choir and musicians have provided special music to deepen and enliven worship. Illustrious leaders have included Dorothy and Loren Tice, Mary Anna Stepp, Jean Marie Chrisman, Clif Cason, and Zach and Jennifer Marshall. Children’s choirs, youth choirs, and college choirs have flourished in various season of church life.

2001 World Trade Center

1998 2017

2002-2004 These are called the interim years. After the energizing, exciting, mission-driven years under the leadership of Rev. Dana Jones, it was difficult for the congregation to move on after his departure in 1998. There were interims and then the calling of Rev. Bob Richardson as Pastor in 2000. Unfortunately, the pastor and congregation were not a good match with one another, and after 15 months, there was an amicable parting, with the church and pastor defining the time as an “unintentional interim.” It was not planned, but it happened. Two pastors trained as interims were brought into the church – two women – Rev. Deborah Fortel as Interim Pastor and Rev. Lee Clements as Interim Associate Pastor. They were excellent and carried out the kind of work that enabled the church to be ready for the next called Pastor.

2004-2017

2004–2017 - Dr. Woody Berry University of Texas; Austin Seminary, TX 2004-2016 Pastor 2016-2017 Co-Pastor 2017 Pastor Emeritus

2016 to the present - Rev. Matt Falco Penn State University, PA; Austin Seminary, TX 2016-2017 Co-Pastor 2017 and forward as Pastor

Celebrating new citizenship due to the good

work of the Maxwell Street Legal Clinic

2003-2011 Iraq War

2001-present War in Afghanistan

2008 Barak Obama, first African American President

2007 –2011 Great Recession

2013 Affordable Care Act

2015 American Pharoah wins Triple Crown

2013 Pope Francis

2014 UK Dorms swallow neighborhood (church at middle top)

2015 Supreme Court recognizes marriage equality

From left, Interim Pastor Deborah Fortel, Interim Associate Pastor Lee Clements, and the staff that sustained the church

In the next decade, Rev. Woody Berry came with the same passion for justice and mission as Rev. Jones, and helped continue, transform, and add new missions with a congregation primed and ready to serve. The East 7th Center transitioned into new partnerships. The children’s program became E7 Kids’ Café and meets in the basement of New Hope Community Church on Martin Luther King Blvd. Neighborhood children are served hot and nourishing meals five times a week, participate in activities, and receive help with homework. Faith Pharmacy joined with Mission Lexington so that a medical, dental, and pharmacy are offered in the same building a half bock from Maxwell Street on MLK Blvd. Among other missions added were Room in the Inn, Listening Room, Coffee/Tea/Chocolate/Olive Oil Project, and monthly Random Acts of Kindness.

YOUTH Ministry focused specifically on the youth of the church has been a hallmark of Maxwell Street’s ministry from its inception. Early on students participated in Communicant’s Class, later called Confirmation Class, for instruction and welcome into the full life of the church. Since the 1950s there have been youth fellowship programs, with camping, mission trips, and retreats built into the yearly activities for youth. Such acclaimed leaders as Pete Jones and Kyle Brown have impacted youth for generations still to come. With the addition by the Presbytery of Camp Burnamwood, a place of spiritual depth and great joy became a part of the youth experience for Maxwell Street youth.

Thursday Morning Bell Choir 2004

Youth learning handbells with Mary Anna Stepp

Christmas angels singing

CHILDREN Ministry to children has focused in different ways for the needs of different generations. In 1958, the Maxwell Street Kindergarten was opened and flourished for 10 years, until Kindergarten was included in the public schools. The Early Care Center cared for children aged 6 weeks to 3 years as more parents entered in the workforce. At the same time, a program for pre-K children was offered two or three days a week for families in need of only part-time childcare. The trusted guide for the programs for over 30 years was Pam Boldt, who worked with different titles over the years, but loving caregiver tops the list.

Thanks expressed to Pete Jones for his work

with the Beards for Buds fundraiser for

men’s cancer awareness

DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE MINISTRIES A passion of Rev. Berry’s for marginalized people expanded the church’s mission emphasis to include not just mission, but also inclusion and diversity. An Inclusive Ministries Committee of Session was formed and in its early years added a strong program of helping children with special needs be included in all programs of the church. The church was led by a Task Force on Open Dialog during the interim period, and in Rev. Berry’s first year the church elected a lesbian woman to the office of elder and a gay man to the office of deacon, and with the unanimous support of the Session, they were ordained, even though church law still did not allow it. MSPC became a part of the More Light movement, welcoming in the LGBTQ community and helping change the Presbyterian Book of Order to include all people in all the offices of the church. With the change in national laws regarding marriage, Maxwell Street has led the way in opening the church for marriages for all people. There have been LGBTQ elders and deacons elected every year and marriages celebrated every year as well.

Pam Boldt with children

Habitat for Humanity

The Gakpo Family — Christian served as a deacon at Maxwell Street; Christina completed her studies for ministry and was ordained in Boston.

New lighting and a remodeled, more open Chancel brought opportunities for new ways of singing and worship

Blessing the animals

Middle School Mission Trip

Youth in Blevins House

With remembrances of the last interim period in the church, as Rev. Berry moved toward retirement, the church chose a Co-Pastor model to make the transition. In 2016 the church called the Rev. Matt Falco, and he and Rev. Berry each took the title of Co-Pastor, sharing in leadership with the elders, deacons, and all members of the congregation. In 2017, Rev. Falco became the Pastor and Rev. Berry retired and was named Pastor Emeritus.