Chapter 3: Organization

Clarion Presbytery -- Its Erection -- Its Location -- Its Association

The Presbytery of Clarion was erected out of the Presbytery of Allegheny, by the Synod of Pittsburgh, October 22, 1841, with fourteen churches and four ministers. These original churches were New Rehoboth, Licking, Concord, Richland, Rockland, Brookville, Beechwoods, Pisgah (Corsica), Bethseda (Rimersburg), Perry, Callensburg, Mount Tabor, Clarion, and Greenwood. And the four ministers were John Core, Gara Bishop, John Glenn and David Polk.

First Meeting

As a result of this action of the Synod of Pittsburgh, the Presbytery of Clarion was organized, and held its first meeting in the Licking Church, January 11, 1842, at twelve o'clock noon. The opening sermon was delivered by the Rev. John Core, according to the plan adopted by Synod. At this meeting the Presbytery of Clarion was constituted, and the Rev. John Core elected as the first moderator. Rev. Gara Bishop was elected as the temporary clerk, and the Rev. David Polk as the Stated Clerk. At this meeting the Rev. Elisha D. Barrett, M. D., was received from the Presbytery of Blairsville. And James Montgomery, a licentiate transferred to the new Presbytery by the Synod, was examined and ordained. And the Rev. Robert Orr, of the Presbytery of Bedford was invited to sit as a corresponding member.

Robert Orr

It is most interesting to find this name of Robert W. Orr, who later played a prominent part in the work of the Presbytery, became the first Superintendent of Public Schools in Clarion County, and was one of the two sent out as missionaries by the newly organized Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in 1837.

Location

The territory embraced in the new Presbytery, which was erected by Synod is defined as follows: "Lying East of the Allegheny River, beginning at the mouth of Mahoning Creek and up the North Branch of that creek, commonly called Mahoning, to the boundary line of Jefferson County; thence by the southern boundary of Jefferson County to the line of Clearfield County; thence North by the Eastern boundaries of Jefferson, Elk and McKean Counties to the State line; thence West by side line to the inflowing Allegheny River; thence down said river to the place of beginning."

This territory embraces all the counties of Clarion, Jefferson, Elk, McKean and Forrest (as then constituted) and parts of Warren and Venango Counties lying East of the Allegheny River, and part of Armstrong County lying North of Mahoning Creek. It was stipulated however, that the church of Perry should be left under the care of the Presbytery of Blairsville for the present, and where it remained till June 1854, when on the dissolution of the pastoral relation of the Rev. John Coruthers, it fell under the care of the Presbytery of Clarion.

Changes

The Presbyterial boundaries remained unchanged until the union of the two branches of Presbyterianism in 1869 (the Old School and the New School, disrupted by controversies respecting the plan of union with Congregationalists). After this Union our territory was somewhat reduced. The Synod of Erie, at its meeting in July 1870, in defining our limits, struck off McKean and portions of Warren and Armstrong counties which had formerly belonged to Clarion Presbytery. The Synod of 1871 further struck off that part of Forest County lying West of the Allegheny River, and attached it to Erie Presbytery. This left our territory embracing all of the counties of Clarion, Jefferson, Elk, and parts of Forest and Venango Counties lying East of the Allegheny River.

Presbyterial Connections

After the Revolutionary war, when the pioneers were pushing west of the Allegheny Mountains, and the Presbyterian leaders were busy organizing the church on a National scale, we find little mission stations dotted all over the country. Later most of these home mission stations became churches with settled pastors, and in turn they became a center from which missionary influence radiated to a larger area. Thus the church became a growing organization. In 1801 the territory West of the mountains was divided, and all the land West of the Allegheny River was placed in the Presbytery of Erie and the Synod of Virginia, while the territory East of the river and West of the Mountains was retained in the Presbytery of Redstone, but now placed in the Synod of Pittsburgh. In 1830 again the work was divided and the Northern portion of this territory was placed in the Presbytery of Allegheny. And in 1841 the territory was divided a third time and the Presbytery of Clarion was erected out of the Presbytery of Allegheny. So it appears that this territory now included in the Presbytery of Clarion has in whole or part been connected with four different Presbyteries.

Synodical Connections

And the Synodical connections of this territory have been as varied as the Prebyterial. In the first place the original Synod of "New York and Philadelphia" had jurisdiction over the entire field. Then in 1787 when the first General Assembly was organized this territory was placed in the Synod of Virginia. In 1801 the Synod of Pittsburgh was erected with the Allegheny River as the dividing line. In 1854 the Synod of Allegheny was erected to include all the territory North of the Ohio River. In 1870 the Synod of Erie was erected to include all the lands North of the Red Bank Creek, and finally in 1882 the Synod of Pennsylvania was established to cover the entire domain within the State by that name. So in whole or in part this territory, now included within Clarion Presbytery, has been connected with six different synods.

Later Divisions

When the Presbytery of Clarion was erected in 1841 all the territory in the Presbytery of Allegheny, lying East of the River was included in this territory. But in 1890 the Synod of Erie set off McKean County and portions of Armstrong and Warren Counties, and added that portion of Forest County lying West of the Allegheny River. And in the following year 1891, the Synod set off that same portion of Forest county to the Presbytery of Erie. In 1888 and again in 1892 the Synod of Pennsylvania set off small portions of Clearfield County which formerly had belonged to the Presbytery of Huntingdon. And in 1918 at the dissolution of the Presbytery of Wellsboro, portions of McKean County and of Potter County were added to Clarion Presbytery. Then in 1930 this territory from McKean and Potter counties was transferred to the Presbytery of Northumberland. So at the present time, the limits of Clarion Presbytery embrace all the counties of Clarion and Jefferson, with parts of Clearfield, Elk, Forest and Venango Counties. Or an area of about two thousand square miles.

Today the State of Pennsylvania, which is also the Synod of Pennsylvania is divided into nineteen groups or Presbyteries which are of irregular size. And the Presbytery of Clarion is located in the Northwestern section of the state.

Churches

Of the fourteen churches set over by the action of the Synod, thirteen of them continued to have a wholesome existence throughout the century. One, the Greenwood Church, was dissolved in April, 1886. During the century, forty-seven churches have been organized, two of these organizations had a short life and were reorganized after a period of reconstruction. These churches are in the order of their organization: Leatherwood, Mill Creek (Fisher), Tylersburg, New Bethlehem, Richardsville, Elkton (Dagus Mines), Tionesta, Academia (Nickleville), Mt. Pleasant (Knoxdale), Emlenton, Greenville (Limestone), Oak Grove (Squirrel Hill), Reynoldsville, Mt. Vernon, Punxsutawney (first time), Venango City, Mayville (Hazen), Perryville, Troy (Summerville), Oil City Second, St. Petersburg, West Millville (Hawthorne), Sligo, Shiloh (Miola), Worthville, East Brady, Ridgway (first time), Edenburg (Knox), Scotch Hill, Unity, Foxburg, Wilcox, Marienville, Brockway, Punxsutawney (second time), Cool Spring, Big Run, Adrian, Johnsonburg, Sugar Hill, Falls Creek, Rathmel, Medix Run, Endeavor, Ridgway (second time), Elenora Magyar, and Cloe.

Changes

Of this number thirteen have been dissolved as follows: Richardsville, Venango City, St. Petersburg, Scotch Hill, Unity, Foxburg, Rathmel, Medix Run, Elenora, Magyar, Mt. Vernon, Hazen, Perryville and Adrian.

Transfer

And fourteen churches have been received into Clarion Presbytery by transfer: DuBois from Huntingdon Presbytery, April 25, 1889; Penfield and Winterburn from Huntingdon Presbytery in April 1893; nine churches by the union with the Cumberland Church in 1907 -- Ayers, Anita, Seneca, Elenora, Olive, Punxsutawney Central, Valier, Pleasant Grove and Zion; and two by dissolution of the Presbytery of Wellsboro in 1918, Coudersport and Port Allegany.

All these churches remain at the present time except the Winterburn Church which was dissolved in 1894; the Elenora Church which was dissolved in 1931, and the Ayers Church which was dissolved in 1933. The two churches which were received by the dissolution of the Presbytery of Wellsboro, Coudersport and Port Allegany, were transferred to the Presbytery of Northumberland by the action of the General Assembly in 1930. The two churches in Punxsutawney were united in 1922. And the Oil City Second was transferred to the Presbytery of Erie in 1920. So out of the seventy different churches that have at one time been c