From Staff Reports

The Selma Times-Journal

 

Sunday service will include more than the usual worship service for First Presbyterian Church this Sunday as the congregation and church leaders come together to give acknowledge God and the 175th anniversary of First Presbyterian Church.

The Selma church will be conducting their 175th Anniversary 10:30 a.m. Sunday at 301 Broad Street. Rev. Robert McCully, Jr. will deliver the sermon.

The First Presbyterian Church was first started in Selma December 1838 with Francis Porter as preacher and a group 16 charter members, who mostly came from the original “mother church” of First Presbyterian Churches in Valley Grande. Service for the Selma first church was held in a rented building near Lauderdale Street on Water Avenue.

After a year, the church established a more traditional church building the corner of Dallas Avenue and Lauderdale Street.

Over the course of 175 years of renovations and rebuilding, the original small wooden church transitioned into a large, wooden church under the leadership of Rev. McCully, Jr. on 301 Broad Street and the church will come together Sunday to acknowledge just how far it’s come.

The anniversary ceremony will feature several Christmas-themed musical performances.

McCully’s brother, Jimmy McCully, who will serve as soloist with Men’s Ensemble for Christmas Spiritual,” Go Tell it on the Mountain.” The youth and Chancel Choirs with Johnny Morris and Kathryn Hughes soloist will render another spiritual arrangement called,” “Mary’s Little Boy-Child.”

The service will close with the anthem “Noel: the Babe in Bethlehem’s Manager Laid.”

Also, children will have a separate ceremony that will allow the group to worship and celebrate the church anniversary and God as they hear performances of some of the more traditional Christmas songs.

They church will hold a separate ceremony for them, which were prepared by church member Clifford Morrison. During the children’s’ service, the hymns “Joy to the World” and “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” will be sung.

The First Presbyterian Church leaders and congregation invite the community to come be a part of their special day.