Presbyterians to celebrate 100 years in Flora

Flora Presbyterian Church - 2006

The Flora Presbyterian Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Sunday with a special Homecoming celebration and catered dinner. Theme for the day is "Remembering and Celebrating Our Church's Life Together."

The First Presbyterian Church of Flora was organized on May 28, 1906. Forty-nine persons united with the church by certificates of membership from other churches, and 14 were received into membership of the new church on profession of their faith.

The present church building was built at a cost of nearly $14,000, and was dedicated Jan. 15, 1911. The Rev. O.L. Prentice was pastor.

Since that time there have been 16 other pastors serving the church. The most recent, Pastor Charles Compton, has served the congregation since 1988.

A new addition was added to the original building in 2001, making it handicapped accessible with an elevator and new restroom.

In the early 1970s, the church's name was changed to Flora Presbyterian Church.

A member of the Wabash Valley Presbytery, the Flora church supports world, national and local missions, including the Flora Community Thrift Shop, Food Pantry, Christmas Baskets, and Kokomo Rescue Mission.

Oasis, an outreach program to children in the community, will soon begin its fifth year. Held Wednesday evenings at the church, area children are invited to learn about Jesus and to fellowship together with a shared meal.

Each summer the church sends children to camp at the Presbyterian supported Geneva Center at Rochester and works jointly with Cutler Presbyterian Church to offer Vacation Bible School.

In recent years, a group from the church has participated in the Casas por Cristo mission trips to Juarez, Mexico, in late December.

Sunday's special celebration will begin at 10:15 a.m. with the worship service. Church members with 40+ years of membership will be recognized. The oldest to be recognized will be Freida Langston, who has been a member of the church for 84 years.

The service will also include a skit highlighting the history of the church and a performance by the church's bell choir.

Afterwards, a catered dinner will be served in the church dining room.

In celebration of the church's 100th anniversary, a new picture directory was put together, along with a church cookbook (the last one was printed in 1964).

To mark the centennial celebration, a ginko tree was gifted to the church and planted in front of the building last week.

Flora's Channel 2 will be taping Sunday's celebration. It will be aired on Monday night.