History of the First Presbyterian Church clippingsAe r, I 0--b f2s.
MLAGE OF NORTH 'PALM LM MACH
HISTORIAN
MI.STORY OF FIRST PR]kS BYE R,IAN CHURCH
North Palm Beach, Florida
-A mission bras organized in 1962 by Memoriad Presbyterian Church of
West .Palm'Beach. This small
group of approximately,25 Chrisitiane met
fora period in.homes 'and then in f
acilities of the Port of P Beach,'
Liter in 1962, meetings began in th;e: .classrooms of K er Kollege, it
Was there on July 28., 1963, that we received, our charter as the First
Presbyter*ian Church in. North Pa'1m Beach.
In - September, 1962, -the -Manse at 731 Eagle Way West North Palm Beach
was purchased* in November, 196.3,. six 'acres of land*on.Prosperity Faims
Road was bought from the Village; this included an existing building that
...,had housed a. commercial TV transmittin station.'* The building was quickly
9
enlarged to provid6 more
space for worship services,
Our first minister
Gerald L. Vo ' ye, was welcomed in -January of 19650
While -Rev* voye-waa with us. a-Xaster Plan wal adopted for a building ex-
pans.ion, During Chis ,.s
ame year, an option to buy.one additional acre of
adjoining.land was exercised.
Rev*. James.. F. Andeison was called to our church in August of 1967, and
under his leadership the new Chapel and Sunday -School building, now known
as the Robinson Building', were made a reality. The Chapel seats 250;and
the Robinson Building at that time'6ntained 5 cl
C assroomsp a,aursery, the
minister's study, tudy, and a Church -Office-. Plans for the, old building,, flow
known as Hawkins Fellowship Hall,., included classroom and fellow-
ship facilities. By Che end'of 1968 our membership had grown to 145,
Rev. Robert. -O. Kantn.er was called to our church in July of f 1972 and
was the first mi,i'
n ster'to-live in our present Manse located at 541 Marlin
Road, North Palm Beach. '..Rev. Kantner left in July of 1973, at which time
Dr..Ryan Lee Wood was appointed temporary moderator by the Presbytery and
serveduntilDrs JAmes T. Stout Baas called. January of 19740 In January
of 1977 Dr. Re He Duke was called to serve as our Minister of.Outreach,. and
Rev. Lucky Arnold joined.
our staff on June 15, 1980, as our Minister of
Education,
Some*of our major improvements have included the.,reno' ti
n va on of our
Fellowship 'Hall in 1974, two acres of church grounds '.1eas'e'd to the Village
for. $1.0.0 per .yeas for recreational u'set-Little League, etc.-. the le--
1. . & . COUP
tion of our new Christian Edu'cation Building and its dedication in Decesaber
of 1979.
As of October 1, 1980, we had an active,membership of 550 dedicated
Christians*
In"June, .1981 Dr. James T.'.Stout left to become a pastor of a church
in Beaumont, Texas, Rev. Walter Arnold is currently serving as interim
pastor.
Spring
1962
CHRONOLOGY OF CHURCH GROWTH
North Palm Beach Mission of Memorial Presbyterian
Church formed.
' ' < " kid a?C Si yrirwl s w'�`Ys " ::'= t qf' }i/a cry • ,.,.e� , a . DS ` i4s"."t * . r. Aedii
..-T•(.r .r ^ ..'i. 'Tf ' 4''Y7'r{' �t� ..„ aresb't ys�tt .* y''.k _
t+-,..... _l_. C..> i•C'r�r .- v"rsi .:eT•'p ,e•�Y: rir. :" �k T' :{.'.�a Tih'v'. 't'"'irrys'.'•.a� t a t.:a. ty ra,:'.aI•►j;y .., v,. ., ;,T,,,;, _
r_ '-�4R� 7. .T'f.>` � ,.�F- 4' 7,°.(•..S.L'r'p".f..=nr r(.r'.
' - i, :."m!n C+ •1..f.I.-'. o.i�:y.ea_.� eft i•.
' 1
r
an - inf o r�aa;1,.i.n in,..: a .: r _ . .
g :. P lvate home in Riviera Beach...w-
sixteen. -par
t:cpants
In Februar IQ61 at
Y . a business meeting, tweheY
of the group voted to organize a . Society, Temporary uarters
were loaned- to them in an unfurni she
trailer a _ d meeting room in a
p r from June to . Deceriiber . 1961, Then space
available at_ the Colonnades H P ce was made
otel on Sin er.t.
g I -s l axe d f_o y
S nca r
e ry c e s an -
d Su -
1
nday Schoo but ;ale xA` y f
dne slay even, me 4� y
C ould not o e tinge hc
c nvene.there,
There f ore ,_.._ r.� _....
in... a.y 19.62 the
* grou moved to-........:_.,,
Oppor*tuni ty Hall in order � p. -
that regular Wednesday evening
meetings :,cou-1d be held: - g
} :
on October 5, 1962 the j.
11 9 nineteen en member group
plied for permissi.on to become- a Societ
granted on Feb u o y. Permission was, s,�a
r ary 21, 3 63: and by --laws were then forn
ulate_ds
hn June 1963 two, lar*..e � g rooms were rented -on . thet ..;
.se.c-ond floor cf the Bazaar Internati o' na i wh
ere Church and I
Sunday School services were conducted -
Late . extra room was o
. btained which. served
a-.
nur er Ataendarce. increased st:eadl •,
y
y and in Decembe'
r o.
g quarae:rs were made :ova • ;
liable. bn� the :ground floor w •:
c ude.d spate f or a Readz .; R hlc .n
g ooh and pr�.va,cy for Busines : _and
Board meetings. Such meeti.l s had
g beery► held priors: this '`in`
pr,.vat e home s or Chamber of Commerce
buildings
The Society t s first lectur r..
in Mar,ch of -1964, e � oyful ly took place ,ti
9 .4, in Riviera'. Beach High School G mn
� atorium.
In early .1966, a beautifully situated ple.ce of_
property was purchased for .a church building -in - North: Plm
..
Beach, an -d a buildinfund was established. The Societyt
C)was
orated on -March Torch 8 a6
, 1J 6, and applied to become a church
incorP
in June, 1967 , T) --i s was accepted July 20, 1967 and on
August 30, 1967 , the charter was chanced fror:: "Christian hrlstian Science
Society, .Inc . , 'Riviera Beach, Florida E to 'First Church of Christ
Scientist, Inc., North Palm Beach, Floridal' . '
The -building project was started on February6
on.-:... `'
1967, and the first meeting in the new edifice was held on .: ,
August 2, 1.967. % The stracture is a white stucco bui.ldin �d-t
i. h .
-_an audktorlum i eatin 1� P
peQ le and a propriate rooms, for
Firs and Sec a n d Readers- S u -n d ay -S c h -o o l- _an -d R_e ad -i -n a-- R e-om .
W
VILLAOF ALM BEACH