On December 6, 1959, the first service of worship of the newly formed Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church was held in a portable classroom of Guildwood Public School. The congregation was officially erected on April 24, 1960. The building we worship in, completed in 1964 at a cost of $127,200.00, was dedicated on December 18, 1964; an addition was built in 1990. The story is often told of how the congregation, singing “Onward Christian Soldiers”, marched from Guildwood Public School the morning of July 28, 1963 for the sod-turning at the corner of Livingston Road and Guildwood Parkway!
Since the church’s beginnings, we have been served by 8 different ministers, 8 interim moderators, 15 clerks of Session, 17 organists or combinations of musicians, 19 Christian Education Coordinators. A long history of faithfulness and dedication. One of the charter members of the new congregation, Sandra (Skeet) Robertson, still worships with us and can be counted among the most faithful and dedicated.
Over the 60 years, the congregation has faced many difficult situations and trying times, but with faith and hard work, we continue to overcome and thrive. And oh, what fun we’ve had!
We chose as the motto of our 50th Anniversary celebrations, “Looking back with thanksgiving; looking forward with faith”. May those words give us courage and hope as we move ahead.
This article by Bonnie Horton was first published in the June 19, 2020, edition of Tidbits.