Mount Olive Presbyterian Church, located at 105 N. Breazeale Ave., will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a special service at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 29. A highlight of the service will be dedication of the Steeple Cross.
In a special, celebratory, worship service on Sunday, September 29, Mount Olive Presbyterian Church will mark its 150th anniversary. The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than the church’s usual 11 a.m. worship time. A highlight of this celebration will be the dedication of the church’s new Steeple Cross.
A brief look at the church’s history starts in 1874, when the Reverend Alexander Kirkland led sixteen charter members — twelve of whom were women — to organize the Mount Olive Presbyterian Church of the Wilmington Presbytery. Kirkland pastored the church from 1874 to 1879 and was followed by the Reverend Benjamin F. Marable. Information on MOPC’s website notes that Marable “gave the last twelve years and possibly the best years of his life” in service to the Mount Olive congregation.
In the years since, the church has had numerous beloved ministers, with the Reverend Savannah Demuynck taking over the pastorship in May. The church’s current staff is rounded out by Office Administrator Cindy Jarman and Music Director Cathy Mason.
According to Demuynck, MOPC’s original building was a wooden structure built where the current brick church sits today, at 105 N. Breazeale Avenue, on a lot given to the church in 1875. By 1914, church membership had outgrown the wooden building, which was moved to an adjacent lot; the current sanctuary was completed in 1916 and has seen improvements and additions over time.
In 1988, MOPC joined with Baker Presbyterian Church.
“We are proud of the work our congregation continues to accomplish as shared in our mission statement — ‘Called together by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Mount Olive Presbyterian Church is committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all people, to nurturing Christian discipleship, and to serving the world in the name of Christ,’” notes Demuynck.
Present-day membership is approximately 150, she says, with average Sunday worship attendance being around 70.
She lists several ways in which MOPC serves the broader community, including: participating in the Backpack Buddies program, housing the oldest Boy Scout Troop in Wayne County, and being home to a Girl Scout Troop.
“As we celebrate out past, we look to a future defined by renewed commitment and spiritual growth,” Demuynck offers. “We welcome anyone from the community to join us for this special celebration.”
If you have an idea for a feature/human interest story in the Mount Olive or Faison communities, contact Kathy Grant Westbrook at kwestbrook1@nc.rr.com.
