October 2 Today in OPC History

On the Lord's Day of June 21, 1936, the Rev. George Marston declared to the congregation of Union Presbyterian Church in Kirkwood, Pennsylvania, that he had withdrawn from the Presbyterian Church (USA) and joined the newly formed Presbyterian Church of America (renamed Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1939). The next Lord's Day, the Donegal Presbytery of the PCUSA refused to allow Mr. Marston to lead the worship services at Union Church. Nearly 200 members left in support of Mr. Marston and the stand that he had taken against theological modernism in the PCUSA. The next month Kirkwood Presbyterian Church was constituted, and in September it was received by the Presbytery of Philadelphia of the new church.

Mr. Marston would labor as pastor of Kirkwood Church until 1939. The Rev. Lynne Wade served for two years until he began service as a chaplain in the US Army. Following Mr. Wade were pastors John Galbraith (1942–1948), Raymond Commeret (1949–1956), Lester Bachman (1957–1968), Arthur Steltzer (1968–1971), LeRoy Greer (1971–1982) and Samuel Bacon (1982–1987).

After fifty-four years in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Kirkwood Presbyterian Church transferred on this date in 1990 to the Presbyterian Church in America.

Picture: Kirkwood Presbyterian Church building.