Evening journal., 1910-09-15
TWO CHURCHES
200 YEARS OLD
Great Valley Congregation,
and PenCader Church to
Observe Bi-CentennialS
PROMINENT PRESBYTERIANS
AT BOTH ANNIVERSARIES

rare occurrence in this country. IL Is
still rarer that two chu. cnes celebrate
their 200th anniversary at the same
time. Two Presbyterian congrega-
tions whose history goes back to tne
earliest days OF the settlement of tie
Welsh Tract" In Pennsylvania and
Delaware. will do so this month.
One is the G.. eat Valley Church. OF
Tredyflrin. about two miles from
Paoli, in Chester county. TIE other is
the Pencader Church, at Glasgow,
this county.
Toe ui-centennial OF the Great Val
ley Church will be made a e. eat his
torical event, beginning September 25.
Two days later It will be observed In
connection with the meeting OF the
Chester PIesbytery, when ten minute
add esses will be made by num-
Der of prominent ministers s. The Rev.
Or. John b. Randall, president OF Lin
coin Univ slty vii opedK on "t Ae
Mother Chuich OF Chester Presby-
tefy;" the Rev. DR.. William II. Rob-
erts, stated clerk of the General AS
sembly, ON "Gi eat Valleys influence In
tie Gene al Assembly the Rev Or.
Henry { McCool on &c eat Valley
and Her Pastors" the Rev. Joseph S.
Malone, of Westminster Church, Cam
den, n. j., on Pastor ate OF the Rev
William Latta:" the Rev w. w. Heb
@ ton. treasurer OF tie Board OF Min
isteIial Relief on Great Valley In
Recent ear and the Rev Henly n.
Faulconer, evangelist OF Cheste
p esbytefy, on Great Valley In the
Future"
The Rev. William Il. Huston. chair
man of the Chester Preshyte US Hi
toIical Committee, will preside. The
Rev. Or. Mowry, Of the First Church
Chester, viii offer prayer and the Rev.
DIR. Tully will pronounce the benedic-
ton.
The Rev. L. Ray slmons is the
present pastor Of the Great Valley
CLuch He was installed I'm June
1907, and resides at Malvern. The
venerable pastor eme titus. the Re
Dr. Robert Wayne Patterson, will no
be able to participate He is IN g.
the Piesbyte ian Hospital
Glasgow Celebration.
Memorial services In celebration Of
tie two hund, edith anige safy of the
founding of the pencader Church. az
Glasgow. Del will begin next SUNDAY
morning. when tie anniversary ad
dless will be deliyei cd by tie Rev
William H. Roberts, stated clerk and
former Moderator OF the General AS
sembly. His subject will be, "The
Main Characte istics OF the Early Col.
onial Settlers and Their Relation tC
the Development OF the Church an'
the Nation"
A congratulatory message from III
Presbytefy OF New Castle will
; brought by Geof ge A. Blake, who ha
been specially appointed by the Ne
Q Castle PIesbytery to deliver It.
A special missionary service viii
= held Sunday afternoon IN honor CT Ii
\ Woman's Missionary Society of PEI
j, cader Church, which will then cell
!, brate its ninety-seventh anniversar,
, Mrs h. Boyd Weitzel, of Philade
= phia, who is synodical sec etary of th
, Woman's Foreign Missionary Societ
J of the Presbyterian Church I'm tn
+ United States. and the Rev Du Boi
s. Morris, of China, will deliver mis-
sionary addresses The exercises vii
be concluded with the singing of tn
Rev. Dr. Henry c. McCooks "WorlI
Mission Hymn"
The Rev DR.. Thomas Chalmers
Potter is pastor Of Pencader Chuych
the officers of which a.o ID B. Fen is
John f. Frazer, Levi II Cooch, Sam
uel Airichs and Jacob b. Cazier.
Have Interesting Histories.
Both of these 200-year-old churchel
| have interesting histories. Both con
giegations originally belonged to on
, that was organized I'm Wales In 16S'
and came to this country and settled
on the Welsh Tract" in September o
that year They located first al Rad
nor and a little later az Pencader
which in Welsh means head chair
ghe present Great Valley Churcl
is modern. but the antiquity of thu
parish is attested by the old tomb
stones with their quaint inscriptions
The names OF many Of the promi
nent Philadelphia families OF today
who trace their descent nom Weis
ancestehs, are found on the tomb
stones.
A prominent and original figure 4
the church in the early mart of IN
eighteenth century was David Evans
a Welshman. ne was a candidate 70
the ministry and when the Presby
tery took him under It's care in III
It was Of the opinion that Davi
Evans had done very III in preachin
or teaching and he was censur ed fo
acting "irTegularly and invading th
work OF the ministry"
, AS the most proper method 10 ac
vance him In necessary literature an
TO prepare him for the minister's
work, Il is recorded. ne was diIecte
to lay aside all other business for
twelvemonth and apply himself close
| ly TO learning. In I'LL a committe
| of Presbytery examined him and ar
proved Of his hopeful" efficiency, an
! he was allowed to preach as car
| didate for one year.
| The next year David Evans wa
chosen clerk Of the Presbyte'y. hi
| penmanship beirg ca VI. and in IN
extreme curious" The people of th
| Welsh Tract petitioued that he migl
be ordained but. though he In
made considerable efficiency" II wa
, voted that he should continue TO stud
l as before.
| In 1713 he was graduated from Yal
| College and sent at the request of th
| people TO reside at Welsh Tract an
| preach there. They gave him a unar
imous call and after "a thoroug
examination and the usual trials" Z
was ordained on November 8. 1714.
| ~