MISSION — Congregation members of the First Presbyterian Church will celebrate the church’s centennial next week with a ribbon cutting, dedication ceremony with city officials and the Mission Chamber of Commerce and a concert on Jan. 16.

The church boasts a membership of 285, and a supporter of several ministries through its outreach program. It’s also hailed as a “home away from home” congregation to several Winter Texans, church officials said.

On Sunday, following the second service, the church will host a spaghetti lunch with musical performances from the Mission High School choir.

“We’re honoring the sacrifice and dedication of the people of our church for the last 100 years and we’re looking forward to being here another 100 years,” said John Cain, a church member since 1989.

Ermadean Watson has spent the time leading up to the centennial to research the church’s history, as well as its members. Watson said she’s been most surprised to read about where church members have come from and how many of them have stayed here for years.

Some of the church’s longest standing members include Roscoe Watkins, who participated in over 60 Christmas pageants at the church, and Warren Suter.

“That’s just fascinating,” Watson said. “You’ll never find more loyal people than they were.”

When the church was first organized in January 1910, preacher Dr. Samuel McPheeters Glasgow rode a mule from McAllen to the Main Street, now Conway Avenue, pool hall where services were held. Glasgow also preached from the steps of an adjacent saloon, congregation members recalled.

Glasgow was known for returning to McAllen, where he also preached, with a mule team.

The church’s first sanctuary was built in April 1910, and described as a small-framed building on Doherty Street near 12th Street. Inside the church were a hand-made pulpit and an old-style pump organ. The youngest members of the congregation were often asked to ring the church bell on Sundays.

First Presbyterian Church of Mission became newsmakers when President Dwight D. Eisenhower worshiped with the congregation in 1953. He was visiting the area for the dedication of the Falcon Dam. Articles of that visit from the San Antonio-Express News described the church as “hot” and “dusty,” which led church members to create a building committee.

“They said it was a little bitty stuffy church,” said Cain. “Church members thought, ‘Well yeah, it’s accurate, but it’s not very nice.’”

After fundraising efforts collected about $180,000. The group built on six lots on Ash Street between Highland Park and Pecan Street. The sanctuary, which was designed by Warren Suter, featured a laminated-beam roof support and limestone-framed stained glass windows. The new sanctuary could accommodate 225 churchgoers.

On Jan. 18, 2004, a group of juveniles reportedly used a candle to set a stack of books and documents on fire in the sanctuary, according to previous reports in the Progress Times. After a fire, the church realized insurance would only cover a portion of the reconstruction efforts. So again, fundraising efforts allowed the church to collect the money to construct the new facility. In the meantime, services were held in the fellowship hall.

“It was a heartbreaker. That was a beautiful building,” Cain said.

Watson said the church immediately set their fund raising efforts into high gear. And after the fire destroyed the sanctuary, the church found itself increasing in members.

“We thought the first couple of Sundays it was because of the fire, but they’re still coming,” she said. “It’s a tremendous congregation.”

The church built and dedicated a new sanctuary in 2005, which incorporated the original stained-glass windows and limestone frames. This sanctuary has a capacity of over 500.

The sanctuary also features a baptismal font from the first church sanctuary in 1910.

Cain said the construction completion was a big surprise to Winter Texans who left before the sanctuary was complete.

“Everyone was really excited because the new place holds twice as many people,” he said.

The seating in the sanctuary is set like a semi-circle, which allows all members to get a good view of the pulpit.

Over its 100 years, the First Presbyterian Church of Mission has been involved in a number of different community projects. Cain said the church strives to support Mission and its residents.

“We look at telling people that their church membership is a tie to the community and the people here in the city,” he explained.

The church is involved with Puentes de Cristo out of Reynosa, the Mission Service Project, the Mission Food Pantry, Su Casa de Esperanza out of Las Milpas and Progreso, and a food basket drive at Christmas for needy families, which recently delivered food to 40 families.

Watson, who has been a member of the church for a number of decades, said the church often has 600 members attend Sunday services in the winter months.

“We have a small membership number, but you’d never guess it by the crowds we have here,” she said.

Reception previews artists’ works for Legacy Gala auction

This Saturday, Jan. 16, the general public is invited to a “Meet the Artist Reception & Legacy Art Project Launch” hosted by the Upper Valley Art League. The event is the introductory event to the 2010 Legacy Gala, the third annual fundraising event benefiting the Foundation at Mission Regional Medical Center. The reception is free and runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the UVAL facility, 921 E. 12th Street, Mission, next to Speer Memorial Library.

Twenty well-known artists have donated their works for silent and blackboard auctions at the Legacy Gala to be held Feb. 5 at the McAllen Convention Center, offering a cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, and the auctions. The art on display for this Saturday’s preview reception with the UVAL gives art patrons an opportunity to meet the artists while reviewing the donations to the fundraiser.

Artists were solicited to donate inspired, original works reflecting a “New Life” theme. The works were donated and licensed royalty-free to the Foundation. Participating artists include Patty Reagan, Beverly Allies, Anna Marie, Salinas Varela, Gloria J. Dietrich, David Freeman, Robert D. Moreau, Jr., the late Carl Mohner, Benjamin Varela, Kirk Clark, Rickey Krause, Cooper Renner, Thomas Murray, Lupita S. Arsola, Mary Ellen Rioux, Maxilou Link, Joe Taylor, Reynaldo I. Santiago, Juan Saenz, Luis Sottil, and Luis Garcia.

Funds raised will support expansion to the MRMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and to the continued operation of the Rio Grande Valley’s only dedicated NICU Transport Team. Since 2005, more than 1,200 premature and critically ill infants have been treated in the NICU, now equipped with a state-of-the-art surgical room designed specifically for their care. MRMC is a non-profit, community-based hospital.

For more information regarding Saturday’s reception, call 583-2787 or 581-7669. Individual tickets and sponsorships for tables of 10 will be available for purchase at the Legacy Gala during the reception. Higher levels of sponsorship are also available. Call 323-1102 for further information about the gala or to donate an item for the auction.

TxDOT Advisory

Construction & Maintenance Work

FM 506 New

TxDOT completed work on FM 506 from Tio Cano to Coco Roads in Cameron County on December 21st, a month ahead of schedule. The roadway is open to traffic.

FM 1017 New

Traffic will be switched to left side of roadway to newly constructed lane on Monday, December 28th. Crews will begin work on right side lane of FM 1017 between Starr and Jim Hogg County.

"I" Road

TxDOT closed "I" Road from Sevilla Road north to US 281 in Edinburg thru Sunday, February 28, 2010. Foremost Paving is reconstructing the bridge over the Main Drain Drainage Canal.

FM 2061 (McColl Rd)

Construction work on FM 2061(McColl Road) from Nolana to Trenton Roads in the McAllen/Edinburg has reduced McColl southbound lanes to one lane thru February 2010. Foremost Paving is reconstructing the southbound outside lane from Nolana to Trenton. Expect delays within project area.

FM 491

TxDOT through Rhyner Construction merged traffic to one lane in each direction on FM 491 from Business 83 south to just north of the Floodway in Mercedes thru May 2010. Crews are performing road and drainage improvements.

Motorists are advised to observe and obey all posted warning, construction, detour and speed limit signs.