(By Bridget Ortigo, The Jacksonville Progress, Texas) One of Jacksonville’s historic churches is set to close its doors on June 25 after more than 145 years serving the community.
First Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, which was established in 1871 will have its final worship service at 10:30 a.m. on June 25 and church members are inviting the community to come celebrate years of service with a final call to witness.
Current members, their family and friends as well as community members and past church members are invited to attend the final worship service which will be immediately followed by a light luncheon at the Fellowship Hall.
While church members are sad to see the doors close, they said they are blessed to have been able to serve God through the historic church.
“I was born in Jacksonville and grew up about a half a block from the First Presbyterian Church,” lifelong First Presbyterian Church member Mary (Bone) Adamson, 83, said.
“Other than when I lived away from Jacksonville during my educational/training years, I have been a member of this church all of my life. I’m what might be called a ‘cradle Presbyterian’.”
Adamson said the Bone family helped create the church in Jacksonville.
“The Bone family came from a long line of Cumberland Presbyterians in Tennessee where my father was born and raised,” Adamson said. “When he was a boy, his father moved to Texas and their family joined with other Cumberland Presbyterians who were moving west and planting Cumberland Presbyterian churches along the way.”
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville was established in 1871 by the Rev. Nicholas Davis.
The church’s building, located at 411 S Bolton St in Jacksonville, was built by Davis in 1882.
Throughout the years, the building has been renovated, updated and added on to as the church has grown.
“Following the merger of three branches of the Presbyterian Church, the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville voted in 1906 to became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA,” Adamson said.