Church of the Covenant is a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Church located in Washington, Pennsylvania. It operates under the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. denomination under the Synod of the Trinity and the

Presbytery of Washington Washington Presbytery, of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is the association of PCUSA churches in Washington and Greene counties in Pennsylvania. It contains sixty-five churches and has roughly twelve thousand members. History It was formed from po ...

. The church has historically maintained a strong relationship with the neighboring

Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to ...

. The church was founded through the 1960 merger of the Second Presbyterian Church, which was itself a daughter work of the

First Presbyterian Church 1793 The First Presbyterian Church 1793, alternatively known as the First Presbyterian Church, is a Presbyterian church in Washington, Pennsylvania. It has been the ''de facto'' college church for Washington & Jefferson College since the early 19th cen ...

, and the Third Presbyterian Church.

Congregational history

Second Presbyterian Church

On March 12, 1861, the Presbytery of Washington organized the Second Presbyterian Church because the First Presbyterian Church of Washington had outgrown its facilities. The split, which saw 36 members leave the First Presbyterian Church to join the Second, was reportedly "attended with expressions of the best Christian feeling" between the congregations. Because of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, the two congregations continued to worship together until 1864. The Second Presbyterian Church leased a church building from a Methodist Protestant building on Beau Street. In 1870, George P. Hays became "stated supply", while also serving as President of the neighboring

. He focused on preaching and left the administration of the church in the capable hands of the members. Hays served until 1881, when he moved to take a pastorate in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. The congregation stayed in that building for 14 years before beginning a construction project in 1884, with a fund of $25,000. The new building at 65 East Beau Street was dedicated on March 6, 1887, with Hays returning to give the sermon. The building featured a Johnson Pipe Organ and a 450-seat auditorium with a groined ceiling and bowled floor and an adjacent lecture room. The church outgrew that building by 1929 and constructed a new

Gothic Revival style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

building on East Beau Street, the building that now houses the Church of the Covenant. Judge John Addison McIvaine was a prominent church member. The church was home to three important revivals in its history. The church had a historically strong tie with the college, as a number of its men attended Wednesday evening prayer meetings and 75 to 100 attending Sunday service. Many of these students eventually joined the ministry or became missionaries.

Third Presbyterian Church and merger

On March 24, 1891, the Presbytery of Washington organized the Third Presbyterian Church, composed of members of the First and Second Presbyterian Church. The new church constructed a facility on Jefferson Avenue. In 1959, the Third Presbyterian Church's efforts to construct a new building were frustrated, which necessitated its merger with the Second Presbyterian Church. A merger of the two church was agreed to by both congregations and the Church of the Covenant was formally established on September 11, 1960. Presbyterian churches in Washington Pennsylvania

Presbyterian churches in Washington Pennsylvania

References

Bibliography

* * {{coord, 40.17220, -80.23942, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title Presbyterian organizations established in the 18th century Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania Churches in Washington County, Pennsylvania Gothic Revival church buildings in Pennsylvania 20th-century Presbyterian church buildings in the United States

Congregational history

Second Presbyterian Church

Third Presbyterian Church and merger

See also

References

Bibliography