With an anniversary on Christmas, Clen-Moore Presbyterian Church chose to celebrate its 175th year a bit early. “We didn’t want to overshadow the birth of Jesus,” explained the Rev. Michael Spicuzza, pastor of the North Hill church, which was founded on Dec.
25, 1849. To mark the occasion, a special service is planned at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday followed by Clen-Moore’s annual harvest luncheon highlighting the bounty of the church’s garden. The service will feature the Rev. Dr.
John “Mike” Loudon, minister emeritus of First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland, Florida, who will address the congregation’s history. Loudon, who pastored locally at Highland and Wurtemburg Presbyterian churches and headed congregations in Nebraska and Florida prior to his retirement, grew up in the Clen-Moore congregation. Loudon explained that Clen-Moore holds a special place for him as “it was where I met God as a child.
“I was there in the ‘50s and ‘60s when the mainline churches were experiencing tremendous growth,” he said, noting that at the time, Clen-Moore had nearly 2,000 members and three Sunday services. “I still remember hundreds of us going to the Arthur McGill school every Wednesday for youth club where we had crafts, Bible study and sloppy Joes for dinner.” Founded as Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of New Castle, the Clen-Moore congregation has its roots in prayer meetings led by the Rev.
Dr. Robert Audley Browne, who, Loudon noted would later get involved.