The Frazeysburg Presbyterian Church located at 10905 West Carlisle Road in Frazeysburg, celebrated 150 years during a special service and fellowship on April 12. Musical guest Pure Heart performed during the service, and afterward, a lunch was served in the church’s social hall, Preston Hall, where pictures and church memorabilia were on display recounting the church’s rich history.
“You know, I, in my intro for today’s service, I wrote that really the church was formed by community members that wanted another place to worship. And it was just local families, and I feel like that has held the church together throughout its history because we’re still local families that embrace each other, embrace the community, embrace our neighbors, follow God’s word to love him, love our neighbors, and love one another,” said Kim Lawler, the session leader for the church.
The Frazeysburg Presbyterian Church was established in 1876, with members initially meeting in other churches while construction of the church at 14 Furnace Street took place. The first installed pastor was Rev. A Wilbur Liggett. After Pastor Liggett resigned in 1898, several pastors followed, serving the church through the years. A record written 71 years after the church was established showed that the church membership had grown from 39 members to 240. Because of this growth, construction of a new church building located on West Carlisle Road started in early 1970, and by the first Sunday in December, services were held in the new building. Six years later, a Centennial Celebration was held in the church. The original Frazeysburg Church was destroyed by a fire in 2001. The most recent pastor for the church was David McCann, who served the church as pastor from 2014 until his retirement in 2022. Since that time, the session has led the church, with members of the session providing the Sunday worship message or selecting a leader to lead the service. The current board of church members are Sesson: Kim Lawler (leader), Fred Bennett, Donna Fulton, David McCann, Mike Wisecarver, and Sue Lawler (clerk); Deacons: Carolyn Green (leader), Carla Bennett, Fred Bennett, Kelsey Lawler, and Kathy Moran; Trustees: Eric Lawler (leader), John Fulton, Scott Lawler, and Matthew Wisecarver.
” I essentially grew up in the church and have been a member and have always just been a part of this church family. That’s how we describe ourselves,” explained Kim. “What keeps me here are my relatives, as well as just the need. When they asked me to be moderator of the session because our part-time pastor was retiring and we didn’t have a replacement, I prayed about it because I work full-time. I have a full-time family. And I was like, oh, dear Lord, how can I do this? But it was meant to be. And I’ve been doing this for four years almost to the day.”
The Frazeysburg Presbyterian Church has served the community by helping with intermittent needs, such as pitching in during an emergency. The church is also regularly supporting AIM Food Pantry and LifeWise.
Looking to the next 150 years, the church is hoping to continue to grow.
“We’ve had several new people join the church recently, and that has just brought new life to the church. And it’s our mission. It’s our mission to share God’s word with more people. So I hope we continue to grow but also maintain that same family feel of our church because I think that’s what makes it special and keeps people here,” Kim explained.
The oldest member of the church, Sue Lawler (86), Kim’s mother-in-law, has been a member since 1964. The youngest attending the church is her nine-month-old great-grandson.
“[The church] is my second family,” said Sue. “They’ve seen me through hell,” Sue spoke about experiencing serious health issues six years ago, but she has recovered and is doing well. “I’ve really been blessed. We’re just a close-knit family,” she added.
