The History of the

New California Presbyterian Church

In 1826, Jerome Township was the scene of a heavy influx of settlers. Many came from the area around York, Pennsylvania and were members of the Associate Reformed Church or the Associate (Presbyterian) Church.

The founders of this congregation were mainly “Scotch-Irish” and Scottish in ancestry. They were descendants of a staunch group in Scotland who defied the edicts of an English King bent on controlling their worship. These “Covenanters” and later “Seceders” were declared outlaws, and many stayed faithful to their beliefs even in the face of death. This deep and unswerving dedication to their faith carried on through their children, and wherever they went, they established churches, not waiting for a minister to arrive, but confident that God would bless their efforts.

In a meeting at the home of Robert Nelson, a lay leader, the Associate Congregation of Darby was established on November 21, 1826. The records of this organizational meeting are preserved as a cherished part of our church’s heritage. The parish area of the new church stretched from the area around the present day town of Unionville Center through the New California area. During the first five years, the new congregation met in the homes of members for worship and were served by a series of supply ministers. In 1832, the Rev. James Wallace was installed as Pastor and a year later the congregation erected its first house of worship – a log cabin.

In 1841, the parish was divided into two congregations, one serving the Unionville area and a new branch called the Sugar Run Presbyterian Church serving the New California area. The Unionville Church eventually closed, but the Sugar Run Church flourished. That congregation built a frame church in 1852 on the site of the present house of worship. The Rev. I. N. Laughead was minister from 1843 to 1864. His 21 years of service were marked by slow but steady growth in membership.

This congregation was opposed to slavery, and when the civil war broke out, the church Sanctuary was the site of the first meeting for the enlistment of volunteers. The meeting was held on April 24, 1861. The first to enlist was David O Taylor, who in 1864 lost his life on the battlefield in Dallas, Georgia. Before the war was over, Jerome Township had sent over 350 men to serve the Union Cause. Of that number, 75 men lost their lives in the service of their country.

After the war, the congregation prospered. Records of the time tell of a vigorous church, which frequently held services which lasted most of the day. Two sermons were preached each Sunday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon with a break for a picnic-style lunch in between. The only music was the singing of psalms.

By 1900, the old traditions of psalm singing were abandoned in favor of hymns with an organ to accompany the congregation. There was a need for a larger and more modern house of worship. The present Church Sanctuary was erected in 1904. There have been several renovations. In 1957 a new Fellowship Hall was added. The Sanctuary was refurbished in 1987. A large new addition was completed in 1995 which doubled the size of the Church building. In 2004 the Sanctuary was expanded.

The Session voted to join the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO) on October 7, 2015. The Presbyterian Church USA dismissed us on November 17, 2015. The application to join ECO was approved on November 17, 2015.