Evening star., 1944-11-18
BY CASPAR NAMES.

Gunton-Temple Memorial Pres
byterian Church represents the
union of two churches dating their
origins in the 1870s and 1880s, re-
spectively. The Gurley Presbyterian
Church traces its beginning from the
Gurley Mission Sunday school and
its partner, the Gunton- Temple Me-
mortal Church, from the Unity Pres
byterian Church. The Rev. DR..
Bernard Braskamp, pastor of Gurley
Church at the time the union took
place in 1920, is the only minister
the combined church has had.
The Gurley Church was first re-
ceived by the Washington City Pres
bytery into its family of churches
on April %, 1872, with David A. Nc
Nair and j. Edgar Zug as elders.
The Rev. w. H. Logan served until
July, 1874.
The church, named in honor of
the Rev. DR.. Phineas d. Gurley, pas
tor of New York Avenue Presbyte-
rian Church at the time President
Lincoln worshiped there, had its
earliest beginnings in October, 1867,
when members of the young mems
prayer meeting of the New York
Avenue Church started Sunday
school at Boundary street near Sixth
street NV Leaders in the school
were Alexander Shepherd and David
McClelland.
In December, 1887, the Rev. Will
liam S. Miller of Port Perry, Pa, be-
came pastor of the group worship
ing at Gurley Chapel, still a part
of the New York Avenue Church.
In January, 1889, he delivered a SER
mon calling for an independent
church, to be known as the Gurlev
Memorial Presbyterian Church. The
new church was organized February
81, 1889.
Mr.. Miller who resigned was sue
ceeded in November 1893 by the
Rev. DR.. j. Russell Verbrycke of
Piermont, N. Y. The church under
DR.. Verbrycke's pastorate grew
steadily and firmly. He was sue
ceeded by DR.. Braskamp, then as
sistant pastor in the Church of the
Covenant, in 1918. Under his pas
torate the church at Fourteenth and
Meridian streets NV. was built and
plans for the present location were
made when the amalgamation with
Gunton-Temple Church took place
In 1920.
Unity Church, the forerunner of
Gunton-Temple Memorial Church.
was organized in 1880. The first
service with the Rev. George B.
Patch as pastor was held September
4. 1881, at Claybaugh Hall. Two
years later SO members organized
Unity Church. The church moved
to its building at Fourteenth and R
streees NV, in September, 1884.
The financial problem of adding
to the small structure was resolved
by a gift from Mrs. Mary Gunton
Temple. She asked that the church
be named in memory of her father
DR.. William Gunton, and her hus-
band, Edward Temple. This was
done on April Z, 1892. The building
was dedicated in November 1893.
Three years later Mr.. Patch resigned
and was made pastor emeritus. He
was followed by the Rev. Drs. Asa
S. Fiske, John L. Allison, Charles
E. Granger and Douglas P. Birnie.
The two churches merged in
April, 1920, and DR.. Braskamp was
called to the pastorate. The present
structure at Sixteenth and Newton
streets NV. was dedicated Novem-
Der 80, 1924. Within the church are
the windows and pews, the steel
girders and the limestone wall
trimmings of the old Gunton- Tenn
pie Church. The chapel furnishings
are from the old Gurley Church.
DR.. Braskamp, dean of the Wash
ington City Presbytery in length Of
service in the active pastorate here,
attended Grinnel Qowa) College in
his native State and is a graduate
OF the University. of Michigan. He
Is also graduate of Princeton The
illogical Seminary, holding in addi-
ton the M. A. degree in philosophy
from Princeton University. He also
has the D. D. degree from Hanover
College.
Following his graduation in 1911