[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 93 (Monday, June 11, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1247-E1248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF MARQUETTE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 7, 2007

  Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor faithful people and an 
important historic landmark in my district, the First Presbyterian 
Church of Marquette, Michigan. For a century and a half, the First 
Presbyterian Church of Marquette has served as a place of worship for 
the residents of Marquette and surrounding communities in Michigan's 
Upper Peninsula (U.P.). Throughout its rich history, the church and its 
congregation have served as an anchor to the community and offered 
important social services to those in the area.
  In October of 1855, a small group of people met and considered 
putting together an organization for a Presbyterian Society in 
Marquette. A month after this initial meeting, this small group 
purchased a piece of land on which to erect a church. Called the 
``Session House,'' the building originally stood on the corner of 
Baraga Avenue and Fourth Street in Marquette. In June of 1857, the 
original 18 members of the Presbyterian Society called a meeting and 
elected its first elders. The Reverend Jonathan A. Woodruff was named 
the first temporary pastor. During these early years of the church, a 
Sunday School was started and common functions such as baptisms and 
marriages were performed.
  By 1865, the size of the First Presbyterian Church's congregation had 
increased dramatically and the congregation determined that a larger 
church was necessary. In 1867, a large brick and stone structure was 
erected on the corner of Front and Bluff Streets in Marquette, 
Michigan. In the summer of 1868, a horrific fire swept through the 
downtown area of Marquette, destroying practically every building in 
the area. Nonetheless, the structure of the First Presbyterian Church 
survived and the church was finished and dedicated in November of 1868.
  Sadly, this structure was destroyed in a second fire that occurred in 
1931. Nonetheless, the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church 
remained united in their faith and continued to hold services in 
various locations. Two faithful church members left a bequest, allowing 
the church to be rebuilt in 1935. The 1935 structure exhibits the 
architecture of the English Gothic period and stained glass windows 
inspired by 13th century churches. The 1935 building still stands 
today.
  Throughout its history, the church has provided not only a place to 
worship, but a valuable center of social services to the entire 
Marquette community. In the late 1970s, an adult day care center was 
started at the church for elderly community members in rooms furnished 
to meet a variety of needs. The program remains active today and serves 
approximately thirty people a week, providing vital services to some of 
the most vulnerable members of the Marquette community.
  The genesis of the adult day care center stemmed from another 
valuable program at the church, the ``Lunch Bunch,'' a social event at 
the church targeting elderly residents. Members of the congregation 
cook lunch and make it available to anyone who wishes to attend, 
primarily elderly members of the community.

[[Page E1248]]

  One of the church's newer programs, ``Stephen Ministry,'' was brought 
to the church in 1984. The program trains congregation members in 
pastoral counseling. Individuals undergoing emotional stress due to 
bereavement or divorce can seek a Stephen Ministry counselor and 
receive confidential one-on-one advice. In short, the program has 
enlisted members of the First Presbyterian Church of Marquette to 
counsel friends and neighbors during difficult times in their lives.

  By organizing and hosting panel discussions, the church has also 
served as a forum where social problems in the community can be debated 
and discussed. In some cases, these discussions have yielded important 
innovative solutions. For example, one panel discussion resulted in the 
founding of the Medical Care Access Coalition, a collaboration of 
physicians and pharmacists throughout the area willing to offer free 
services to uninsured residents in Marquette County.
  Madam Speaker, on Saturday, the First Presbyterian Church of 
Marquette will celebrate 150 years of dedicated service to the 
Marquette community. The church and its congregation have been blessed 
with dedicated pastors who have demonstrated great vision in building 
upon the teachings of Jesus Christ and the principles found in the 
Bible to offer a place of worship as well as critical social services 
to their brothers and sisters of Marquette County. I would ask that 
you, Madam Speaker, and the entire U.S. House of Representatives join 
me in saluting the First Presbyterian Church and its faithful 
congregation upon its sesquicentennial celebration.

                          ____________________