The Assemblage

Old First Church is a group of approximately 650, with an average Sunday attendance of about 150.  We are diverse, yet homogenized.   We come from all areas of the United States and have many different interests; we take a lot of pride in our church and its work.  We are mainly a white congregation and would be labeled as middle to upper-middle class.  Most of us are employed in professional, managerial and administrative positions.  We are traditional in church style and also in family structure.  Some of our concerns include finding life direction, social justice, finding companionship and spiritual teaching.  We are a very active organization with many different groups and committees.  We are dedicated to providing service to the community as well as to helping out fellow members.  We have a wonderful music ministry, an active church school and youth program, and a vital women’s group.  The reason new members join Old First is also why our long-term members stay…the caring for one another, the warmth and the fellowship.

History (this is long...feel free to skip this....)

Old First’s original congregation arrived on these shores with its minister, William Leverich, in 1653.  It consisted of a small band of men from Sandwich, Mass., and their families who wanted to settle on Long Island.  The group bought Oyster Bay from the Indians and others bought Huntington from the same band of Matinecocks.  Mr. Leverich divided his time between the two settlements, but in 1658 he accepted an offer from the people in Huntington to be their own pastor. 

There was no building here at that time.  The Duke’s Laws, instituted in 1665, required, among other things, that every town build a church if they did not have one.  The people of Huntington complied with this edict, though not gracefully, and built the first church along Meeting House Brook, just to the west of the present church.

Mr. Leverich retired in 1669.  In addition to being a pastor, he was also a lawyer, businessman and builder and operator of the town’s first grist mill. 

Many of the town’s early inhabitants were well educated and well traveled for the times.  Their ministers, therefore, had to have a high order of education and learning to be able to lead this flock.  Cambridge, Harvard and Yale degrees graced our pulpit for the first 125 years. 

In 1715 it became necessary to build a new church, as the first one, even with additions, was too small.  The congregation finally decided on locating on top of East Hill, where we are located now.  Rev. Eliphalet Jones (1676-1723) was pastor during this time and passed away in his 91^st year after serving for 48 years. 

He ordained Rev. Ebenezer Prime as minister in his place in 1723.  Rev. Prime, also a Harvard graduate, was a beloved pastor and no doubt was partly responsible for Huntington’s enthusiastic support of the Revolution.  This also was partly to blame for the poor treatment in the hands of the British troops during their occupation.  His house was used to quarter troops and the church was turned into a stable and depot.  After Mr. Prime’s death in 1779, Col. Benjamin Thompson of the Queen’s Rangers tore down the church and used the timbers to construct a fort on the old burying ground hill behind the former library.  His soldiers used the headstones for baking their bread.   The church bell, purchased in 1715, was stolen by the British and placed on the armed brig “Swan”.  The bell wound up on the British brig “Rhinoceros” and was recovered by the town trustees and eventually returned.  However, it was so badly cracked that it could not be used, so it was recast in Hartford, Ct. in 1793.  It was retired in 1967 after more than 250 years of faithful service.

It was during Mr. Prime’s ministry that the Presbytery of Suffolk was organized in 1747.

In 1784, after the Revolution, Old First finally separated from the town government due to new laws passed by the state legislature.  It was at this time that the parishioners decided to rebuild the church.  Even the women got busy with adzes and shaped the beams.  The result of all that work and sacrifice is the beautiful sanctuary which stands today. 

Nathaniel Woodhull, a Yale graduate, became the fourth pastor of Old First in 1785.  He was only here four years, as word about his talents spread and he went to a wealthier church.

Rev. William Schenk, a Princeton grad, took over in 1793.  He stayed until his retirement in 1817, when Rev. Samuel Robertson became the pastor.  He stayed for seven years but resigned after several arguments with the session over the architecture of the manse.

Rev. Nehemia Brown, a Yale graduate, followed him in 1824.  A severe division between the church and Presbytery over his qualifications (he being more of a teacher than preacher) caused the church to join the Presbytery of New York.  This problem also caused a major schism in the congregation as well.  Mr. Brown resigned in 1832, after a fiery argument with the session over the temperance movement.

Rev. Solomon Halliday took over in 1833.  He was an avid outdoorsman and it has been said that he often brought his hunting dogs into the church while he preached.  He resigned after three years, finding that hunting and fishing appealed more to him than the ministry.

James McDougal took over next in 1836.  The 19 years he spent at Old First were times of division among the membership and it left him a nervous wreck and he left being a pastor forever.

Thomas McCauley, a Princeton man, came in 1885.  Rev. McCauley was a young aggressive spellbinder.  He demanded a larger manse and he got it.  However, his brashness drove a spike even deeper into the congregation and he resigned in 1863.

Dr. Robert Davidson took over the tinderbox that same year and under his guidance, Presbytery was asked to allow a 2^nd church to be formed in Huntington and 90 members left to form Second Presbyterian Church with Rev. Wyncoop as their first leader.  Davidson retired in 1868, being replaced by Samuel T. Carter in that year.

The 34 years of Rev. Carter’s leadership was a magical time for the church.  The harmony of his home spread into the church and into the town.  He became so well loved throughout Huntington, that upon his retirement, Father York of St. Patrick’s R. C. church organized a farewell reception for him at the Opera House. It was attended by all of the citizens of the town. 

Rev. George Eddy followed Dr. Carter in 1902 and was followed in 1911 by Rev. J. Jeffery Johnstone.  Rev. Edward J. Humeston in turn succeeded him in 1920.

Rev. Humeston, a man of intellect, sympathy and understanding, saw Old First’s congregation grow so fast that in 1928 it became necessary to add the present Parish Hall.  Due to a heart condition, he retired in 1940.

Rev. William S. Hess took over the reins in 1940.  The church continued to grow and it became necessary to build another addition to the structure, which happened to coincide with Old First’s 300^th anniversary.

Dr. Stanert Dransfield took over the pastorate in 1961.  He introduced the council system into the church structure and was also instrumental in encouraging Old First’s youth groups to become lively and active.  After 17 years, he left his flock, much to their dismay, to join the staff of Marble Collegiate Church.

In 1979, Rev. William W. Rogers came from a campus ministry at Cornell University.  He was a man of dynamic sermons and socially concerned interpretations of Christianity.  In 1987, he accepted a call to the International Church of Bangkok, Thailand, much to the regret of the membership. 

Rev. Richard Goss, arrived in 1988.  A man of keen intellect and administrative abilities, he led the church through a typical post-war phenomenon of declining enrollment and decreasing revenue.  Old First is relatively stable now and the budget outlook is getting brighter.  Rev. Goss retired to Florida in 2001.

Rev. Richard Raum was called in 2003, a much loved, formidable preacher. He streamlined many of our antiquated ways, balanced the budget under difficult times but alas left us in 2007 to pursue a more challenging position

2008: The Rev. (insert your name here?) was called and inspired the congregation; the congregation responded positively, members who had drifted away in recent years started to come back and new members with young families began to join. Youth and adult education programs again became a major part of life at OFC.                                             

Church Government

Old First Church has 3 boards, the Session, Trustees and Deacons. 

Session is the Board of Elders, who serve for 3-year terms.  The Session oversees all activities and expenses of the church.  Also, all committees of the church are required to have an elder as chair.  The Session has 10 committees reporting to it:  Presbyterian Women, Adult Ministry, Christian Education, Communication, Grounds, Mission/Peacemaking, Outreach, Personnel/Property, Stewardship and Worship/Fellowship.

The Trustees are actually a sub-board of Session and are also current members of Session and are responsible for managing the long-term financial resources of the church and for approving all expenses paid from the trust funds for maintenance of the various church buildings and manses.  The Trustees have 3 committees – Investments, Legal & Insurance and Property.

The Deacons are also elected for 3-year terms and are responsible for ministering to those in need, the sick, the friendless and those in distress, be they members of Old First or not.  The financial support needed to carry on the work of the Deacons is independent of Old First’s operating budget.  They rely on designated giving, special appeals and fund-raisers.  Fortunately, we have a generous and caring congregation who lovingly support this great body of work.

The Deacons offer many services…they host a coffee hour after Sunday worship service so members and non-members alike may interact socially.

They staff the Crib Room so that young parents may attend worship unencumbered with a crying infant.  They deliver the flowers from the sanctuary after service to the hospitalized and homebound.  They administer the program which tapes the Sunday service and they deliver the tapes to those members who are unable to attend worship.  The ushers are also a service that the Deacons provide every Sunday morning.

One of the more interactive services is “Friends-On-Call”, which provides meals, transportation, house-sitting…whatever…to help out a member when going through a particularly painful time such as loss of a loved one, medical problems, job loss, etc. 

The Deacons also run the annual blood drive, the Thanksgiving Basket program that served over 120 families (about 600 individuals) this past year and several fundraisers such as the pancake breakfasts, Mother’s Day Plant Sale and a booth at the Fall Fair.

These are just some of the wonderful tasks that the Deacons have taken up in service to the Lord.

Presbyterian Women

The Presbyterian Women, or PW, are composed of 4 “circles”; each offers a different program but all enjoy the fellowship of a small group while serving Old First as well as the local and national community.  They serve our church in many ways…coordination of sanctuary flowers for Easter and Christmas services…they raised over $ 30,000 from the annual Fall Fair for benevolent giving…other special PW projects include the Blanket Sunday offering, the Layette program (which provides for needy newborns in our community), assembly of health kits (a joint project of the Church School and other Circles), a spring rummage sale, a spring luncheon program, and a December Christmas luncheon.  These ladies are really busy!  They generously share of their time and talents and truly make a difference in people’s lives…both local and distant.

Adult Ministry

The Adult Ministry Committee has assisted the ministers in their pastoral duties in several ways…visiting with ill and homebound members to offer companionship and support…delivering tape recordings of Sunday services…transportation of individuals in wheelchairs or infirm to worship…whatever services are needed.  They work closely with the Deacons to minister to the adult community of Old First.

Communication

The Communication Committee serves the church by advertising church news to the public via newspapers and television and maintaining and updating our website: www.oldfirstchurch.com

Christian Education  

The CE Council is responsible for providing the materials and forums for the education of the congregation, both young and old, in the teachings of Christ.  The primary programs are the Church School, Youth Club & Senior High Fellowship, Confirmation Class and Adult Education.  

The Church School has classes for young people from 2 years old up to the 8^th grade.  The youngsters leave the sanctuary after the children’s message and have a short assembly before they go to their classes.  They regularly support a mission project and other projects such as the Christmas mitten tree.  A highlight of the year is the Christmas pageant, in which the entire school takes part.  The official school year ends with a fun-filled picnic in June. There is then a limited multi-level program which runs each Sunday throughout the summer. In addition, there is a one-week summer church camp that is both fun and motivational.

Youth Club, which is for 3^rd through 8^th grades, meets Wednesday afternoon and has crafts, music, lessons and dinner.  Kid’s Club was added last year and brings in the youth down to kindergarten age.

The adult education program covers a wide range of topics and meets right after Sunday worship.

Grounds

This committee is responsible for the maintenance and beautification of the church property.

Mission/Peacemaking

Mission/Peacemaking collaborates with Presbyterian Women and the Deacons to support mission work locally, nationally and worldwide.  They actively support 4 general mission appeals…One Great Hour of Sharing, Cuba Hot Lunch Program, Peacemaking Offering and the Christmas Joy Offering. 

Outreach

The Outreach Committee works to keep members active in the life of the church, to recognize and welcome visitors to the church and to help run the new member classes.  They are also trying to get new members involved in the activities of Old First as well as contacting inactive members and trying to bring them back to the fold.

Personnel/Property

This committee is responsible to Session for all personnel matters relating to selection, retention, evaluation and compensation of staff members of OFC.

The current staff includes the senior and associate pastors, church and financial secretaries, director of music and 2 full-time sextons.   It also oversees the sharing of church facilities with people and organizations within our church and community…some of which are the YMCA, Huntington Women’s Center, The Learning Center, Alcoholics Anonymous, Al Anon and Narcotics Anonymous. 

Stewardship

Stewardship coordinates pledges, tithes and benevolent giving so that the church officers can plan a budget.

Worship/Fellowship

This group organizes several activities…some of which have been the Holly Ball, Mardi Gras, a celebration at Pentecost and the church picnic.  They also assist at worship.

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Huntington and nearby

Huntington is a historically rich community on the north shore of Long Island.  It is a suburb of New York City and many members commute to the “Big Apple”, while many work locally.  It is an All-America Town and is a very desirable place to live.  It is located near Huntington Harbor and is quite close to the Long Island Sound.  There are a number of fine beaches close by and the beautiful beaches on the Atlantic Ocean are only a short drive away.   Fishing and sailing are also popular local pursuits.  There are a number of excellent golf courses nearby…in fact, the 2002 Open was held at Bethpage State Park, only about 8 miles away.  Tennis courts also abound in town.

The city of New York has much to offer…shows, museums, fine restaurants, etc., and Huntington is only a short train ride away.  There is much offered locally, however…fine dining, malls, interesting shops, theatres and sporting events.  There are also several fine colleges in the general area.  The public schools in the area are generally regarded as excellent.   Winter sports are available upstate…only a 3 hour drive.

There are a lot of free events during the summer at Hecksher Park, which adjoins the church property.  Some of the selections range from modern dance to Broadway shows to bluegrass to rock…children’s programs to folk to ethnic subjects.  

Huntington Hospital is within walking distance of Old First as is the Huntington YMCA, with 2 NCAA size swimming pools and a vast array of programs, ranging from dance to aerobics to swim instruction to weight training.  There are several active organizations locally, such as the Lion’s, the Rotary, American Legion, VFW, Order of Moose, etc. 

There is a variety of other houses of worship in Huntington, as well…Jewish, Catholic and several other Protestant faiths.  There is an assortment of non-denominational services during holiday periods.

Conclusion

Old First is a church proud of its past and enthusiastic about its future.  We envision ourselves growing, both as a church body and personally.  Come grow with us.