The Scene After Services At First Methodist Church About 50 Years Ago
Methodists To Mark 140 Years
Friday July 14, 1967
First Methodist Church, organized July 29, 1827, will mark its 140th anniversary at special services at 9 and 11:15 a.m. Sunday.
Five clergymen and a layman will share the leadership of the two services.
Bishop Charles W. Brashares will be the anniversary preacher, speaking on “The Years of God.” Bishop Brashares was pastor of First Methodist Church from 1934 to 1944 when he was elected bishop of the Methodist Church. He served as bishop of the Iowa area from 1944 to 1952, and of the Chicago area from 1952 until his retirement in 1964.
Donald L. Katz, longtime member, will represent laymen in the celebration.
Other clergymen sharing leadership will be: the Rev. Donald C. Kraushaar, who entered the Methodist ministry while a member of the church, and has completed six years as pastor of Saline Methodist Church;
The Rev. Richard Cheatham, newly appointed pastor of the Methodist congregation to be organized next fall at Green Road and Glacier Way;
The Rev. Eugene Ransom, since 1951 Methodist campus minister and director of the Wesley Foundation; and
The Rev. Hoover Rupert, senior minister of the church since 1959.
An anniversary dinner will be held at 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the social hall, honoring former pastors and persons who have been members of the church for 40 years or more.
Official Board chairman Robert S. Fox will be master of ceremonies. Prof. Harold Haugh will direct the music. Greetings will be brought from former pastors.
An historical display is being arranged by Orson Bird.
Mrs. Philip Robinson is chairman of dinner arrangements, assisted by Mrs. Theodore B. Barnes. Nursery care will be provided from 8:30 a.m. until after the dinner.
The church was organized with only five members. Today it has more than 3,000.
Housed first in a school building at Packard and Fourth, the congregation has built churches in 1837, 1866, and 1940. The first one was at Fifth and Ann, and the other two at the present site at State and Washington although some members 100 years ago thought the location “too far out” from the Main Street business district.
The church has had 44 senior pastors during its history, the longest tenure being that of the Rev. Arthur W. Stalker, from 1905 to 1930.
[inset]
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that fillith all in all. Eph. 1:22-23.
CHURCH OF CHRIST 530 West Stadium
Hoksbergen To Talk Sunday
A former Ann Arbor pastor, the Rev. Alvin Hoksbergen, will preach Sunday at Christian Reformed Campus Chapel, whose pastor, the Rev. Donald Postema, is vacationing.
The Rev. Mr. Hoksbergen was [incomplete inset; section removed from article]
