Faith Presbyterian Church Of Wauchula

Edited by Spessard Stone



In May 1910, the Rev. T. J. Allison, supply pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Arcadia, visited Wauchula and arranged to preach for the Presbyterians once per month. On November 16, 1910, the First Presbyterian Church of Wauchula was organized at the Seminole Opera House over the Wauchula State Bank with seventeen charter members. They were: Mr. & Mrs. D. S. Ashburn, Mrs. George Carlton, Mrs. J. B. Kirby, Mrs. Annie E. Martin, Mrs. Mary McLeod, Mr. John Calvin McRae, Mrs. T. K. McRae, Mrs. Hattie Revell, Mr. & Mrs. E. P. Rust, Miss Ivaloo Rust, Professor D. B. Shaver, Mrs. A. G. Smith, Mrs. Minnie Smith Stansfield, Mr. & Mrs. George S. Williams. Rev. T. J. Allison was the first pastor. A. G. Smith was elected elder and T. K. McRae and George S. Williams deacons. Church meetings were held for a time in the Adventist Church and later in the Seminole Theater.(1)

In 1911, the Women of the Church organized the Sesame Circle with Mrs. A. G. Smith as first president. A Sunday School was organized in March 1914. Services then were held each Sunday at the Seminole theater. (2)

In February 1916, it was announced, “The Presbyterians are having plans prepared for a beautiful brick building. The plan shows a bungalow design of unusual architectural outlines. It was the purpose of the committee to somewhat depart from the usual church designs...The Presbyterians have plans for their new church and will break ground next week.” In 1916, the church building was constructed at a cost of $5,000 at 114 North Seventh Avenue on land donated by Mr. & Mrs. Al G. Smith. The property was fenced with iron pipe railings set in brick pillar posts to keep out cattle. It was occupied in September 1916.(3)

Additional renovations followed. In 1939, the manse, at the corner of North Tenth Avenue and Oak Street, was built at a cost of $2,630.44 and was first occupied by Rev. Russell Young and family. In 1952, the annex, which housed the library, Sunday School, and youth fellowship, was built. In 1959, the Fellowship Hall was constructed for $21,669.27. In 1963, the sanctuary was remodeled while Rev. William T. Mulcay was pastor. (4)

In 1965, Judge & Mrs. Clyde Maddox donated five acres on West Main Street, and a building program followed. In November 1968, a new 300-seat structure, located on West Main Street, built at a cost of $250,000, was dedicated with pastor William T. Mulcay Jr. The old church property was sold for $56,000 to the First Baptist Church for a chapel. (5)

In 1973, schism occurred in the church. About eighty-seven per cent of the congregration voted to leave the Presbyterian Church United States and the other thirteen per cent to stay. A law suit was filed with the result the circuit court ruled that the Presbyterian Church United States, Westminster Abbey owned the property. The majority Congregration pastored by Rev. Russell Toms, which had changed its name in 1974 to Faith Presbyterian Church, then bought back the original church property for $61,000 from the First Baptist Church.(6)

Faith Presbyterian Church is a congregration of the Presbyterian Church in America. The church is located at 114 North Seventh Avenue, Wauchula, FL . Its mailing address is P. O. Box 1480, Wauchula, FL 33873, telephone 863-773-2105. Rev. Brook T. Larrison is the present pastor. (7)



Endnotes

(1) “Faith Presbyterian Church Celebrates 75th Birthday, The Herald-Advocate, November 21, 1985, 9A (hereafter, HA); Jean Plowden, History of Hardee County, 1929, page 71.
(2) The Tampa Daily Times, March 9, 1914.
(3) The Tampa Tribune, February 4, 9, 1916; HA; Plowden, page 71.
(4) HA.
(5) The Herald-Advocate, November 14, 1968; HA.
(6) HA.
(7) Faith Presbyterian program of December 29, 1996.










April 19, 2002