The first 75 staunch members of the Allen Park Presbyterian Church USA were blessed with a strong faith in God and one another when they signed the church’s original charter on March 20, 1932. It was in the depth of the Great depression that this courageous and optimistic band of Christians declared themselves willing to do the hard work and make the necessary sacrifices in order to establish a new congregation.

When they gathered all those years ago in the only school building of a small Downriver village, these members could only dream of a beautiful sanctuary capable of housing hundreds of worshippers and a fellowship hall with facilities for many community events.  The tangible benefits of their early efforts and those of hundreds more who followed them are being enjoyed by a third and even a fourth generation today.

Today’s members owe a large debt of gratitude to the earliest leaders of the church – William Zook of Dearborn, a lay reader, and the Rev. John Snook of Detroit – who guided the new religious body until May, 1931 when Rev. Dr. Frank P. Knowles became its first full-time minister.  Dr. Knowles continued until 1936 when ill health forced him to retire.

In February 1937, the congregation called Kenneth Neigh, a young minister just out of seminary, who continued as pastor until April 1946.  He was the spiritual leader when the cornerstone for the first church building was laid on November 12, 1939, and when the church became the trustee in 1940 for the property near Gaylord that later was developed as Camp Wakanda.  To this day the camp is used by Scouts, youth groups, adult groups, choirs, confirmation classes, and many others for camping programs.

Dr. Neigh also saw the church through the end of the economically depressed era of the 1930s and through the even more difficult challenges of the Second World War.  Many of the church’s young men went off to fight in strange lands all over the globe while their families were engaged in war work and supportive home front activities.  During the war years, residential construction within the village came to a virtual halt and Allen Park temporarily ceased to grow.

A great period of expansion in the church and its surrounding community began with the end of the war in 1945.  In 1946 Dr. Neigh accepted a new position at his alma mater, McCormick Theological Seminary.  The Rev. Wanzer Hull Brunelle, also a McCormick alumnus, was called to the pulpit and moved to Allen Park on January 1, 1947 with is wife Marie, and their three children.

As the church’s membership and needs grew, the staff was increased to include Marjorie Belfy, secretary; Rebecca Salowich, organist; Thomas Jenkins, custodian, and Pearl Parker, director of Christian Education.  On June 2, 1949, the first addition to the original church building was begun.  It was completed in March 1950, at a cost of $50,000.  That same month, the church began having two services of worship.  By 1952, enrollment in the church school had grown to 825 and the church membership was 1,335.  Construction of the chapel portion of the church’s original building was begun at an estimated cost of $60,000.

Staff newcomers in the early ’50s included the Rev. Clayton Shotwell, the church’s first assistant pastor; Rosalie Kinkead, second director of Christian education; Melvin Brandt, organist, and John Davis, the first full-time director of music.  In 1955, the Rev. Donald Pendell assumed the post of assistant pastor.  That same year, Wanzer Brunelle was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree by Alma College in recognition of his youth work.

In the mid ’50s, the small, original church building was bursting its seams, even with its two additions.  Three Sunday worship services and, briefly, a fourth, were scheduled.  Church school classes were conducted in every corner of the building.  A New Church Building Fund was established in 1955, and on October 21, 1956 ground was broken for a new sanctuary and office wing on Park Avenue between Cleveland and Harrison.  Robert J. Shade joined the staff as administrative assistant.

Highlights of 1957 included celebration of the church’s 25th anniversary and the laying of the cornerstone for the new building.  Julia Kagin arrived in August to take up her work as the third director of Christian education.  The mission church, which the Allen Park congregation helped to organize in Taylor, was established as Southminster United Presbyterian Church by the Presbytery of Detroit.

Some 2,200 communicant members and 1,500 church school children began to use the newly completed building on January 11, 1959 and a whole week of services and programs took place to dedicate the beautiful new facility.  J. Allen Ficken became part of the directing staff for the church’s five choirs that year.

Also in 1959, the Rev. A. R. Juterbock was called as assistant pastor and moved into a manse on White Street with his wife, Dorothy, and their four young children.

The growth spurt of the 1950s continued into the decade of the ’60s.  Two new manses were built on Cleveland and Harrison streets, adjoining the fellowship and sanctuary buildings, to be occupied by the Brunelles and the Juterbocks, respectively.  By 1962 church membership was 2,609 and church school enrollment was 1,500, with a teaching staff of 126.  An ever-increasing number of member families took part in the six choirs, five youth fellowships, four couples clubs and the activities of the Men’s Council and the Women’s Association. 

New faces among the staff in the ’60s included those of Edwin Douglass, custodian; Mary Ruth Lembright and Carol Dyer, youth workers; and William Giles, director of music.  Rev. Juterbock’s call was changed to associate pastor in 1960.

In 1968, the Rev. Ronald P. Byars was called as the church’s third pastor, and at the end of the decade, he was called to become the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Okemos.  Rev. Juterbock was called to serve as pastor of the mission church in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Other staff changes in those years included the calling of the Rev. Barry T. Vance as assistant pastor and the hiring of Frederick Mariott as director of music and Patricia Allen as director of Christian education.  A manse on May Street was purchased in 1968.

Two new assistant pastors were called to Allen Park within two months – the Rev. William Colwell in November, 1969, and the Rev. S. David Swinehart in January, 1970.  Also in 1969, J. Allen Ficken was named director of music.

The late ’60s and early 1970s were a time of great social tumult and the church met the challenges in constructive ways.  Many of our young people served in the armed forces and the congregation supported them with letters, gifts and constant efforts to keep in touch.  The Civil Rights movement was addressed by several church families who gave of their time and talents to aid inner-city churches.

On July 17, 1971, Rev. Swinehart and Marcia Nunn, a young woman of the congregation, were married at the church and took up residence in the May Street manse.  Later that year, Wanzer and Marie Brunelle were honored during a program and reception marking their twenty-fifth year of service to the church.  Some 1,000 members of the congregation, past and present, took part, along with Presbyterian dignitaries, former pastors, staff members and government officials.

New staff members in the 1970s included Christine Redman, director of Christian education; Gloria and Levon King, elementary church school coordinators, and Claudette Smith and Bill Marx, fellowship coordinators.

The great era of growth and expansion in the city of Allen Park ended in the mid-’70s and the church’s rolls reflected the decline in the birth rate within the city.  No more vacant land was left for building new homes and schools began to close down. 

In late 1978, Dr. Brunelle announced plans for retirement and began construction of a retirement home in Osseo, near Hillsdale.  The congregation honored the Brunelles for their nearly 32 years of service during a program attended by hundreds of well-wishers.  Dr. Brunelle also was honored for his service during two terms as moderator of the Presbyterian Synod of Michigan and as a member of the United Presbyterian Board of Education and the Joint Committee on the Worship Book for the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church.

After evaluating the credentials of many outstanding candidates, the committee decided that the Rev. S. David Swinehart, was the best qualified to fill the demanding role of senior pastor.  Rev. Swinehart was installed January 27, 1980.  In June of that year, the Rev. Charles Harwood “Woody” Shook was called as assistant pastor, and in January, 1982, his call was changed to associate pastor.

Once again, the church was expanding in membership and the number of infant baptisms steadily increased and the church school classrooms began to fill up again.  The Swineharts’ first child, Todd, was born in 1980 and was joined by a brother, Stephen, in 1982.  Their births seemed to symbolize a resurgence of growth within the congregation.

When the church marked its Fiftieth Anniversary in March 1982, an eventful decade began.  Our rolls listed 1,070 communicant members and 731 children in the church school.  Although it was a period of serious economic downturn, the Allen Park Presbyterian congregation responded to the church’s needs and goals with optimism and strong support of every endeavor.

A renovation of the kitchen and dining room facilities in the original church building, begun in the early ’80s, was expanded to include a comprehensive remodeling inside and out.  The members’ pledges were generous and they were enhanced by numerous memorial gifts.  The project was completed in 1991.

The most significant event of the ’80s for the entire Presbyterian denomination was the reunion in 1983 of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern Church) with the United Presbyterian (Northern) churches.  The two groups, which involved a total of 11,685 churches in 1983, had been separated since the time of the Civil War.  The combined denomination included 3,166,050 communicant members, led by 19,764 ministers, to be known as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Staff changes in the ’80s began in 1984 when the Rev. Charles H. “Woody” Shook, and his wife Janet and their children left on June 30th.  The Rev. William Colwell retired on May 31, 1987 after 18 years of service to the church and a term as moderator of the Presbytery of Detroit in 1982-1983.  He and his wife, Mary, moved to Colorado.

In May 1985, David Swinehart was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree by Mary Holmes College.  The following month, the Rev. Jon Fancher was called as associate pastor and moved to Allen Park with his wife, Mary.  The Fanchers remained until January 31, 1991.  They became the parents of two sons – Kevin, born in 1985, and Eric, born in 1988.

The Rev. Wendy Bailey, our church’s first woman minister, was called as associate pastor in August 1987, and remained until April 30, 1991.  Rev. Bailey and her husband, Dwayne, became the parents of Kathryn in 1989.

Barbara Nish came to the Allen Park church as a seminary intern in February 1987 and served in that capacity until she was ordained during services at our church on June 11, 1989.  Her husband, Dr. Andrew Nish, was serving a residency in radiology while the couple lived in Allen Park.  Their children, Charles and Rachel, were born in 1986 and 1990, respectively.  Mrs. Nish remained on staff until November 1989.

In 1985 the church purchased a house on Garfield as a third manse and retained the property until 1990 when it was sold in order that the church might purchase the former McIlroy residence next to the building on Cleveland.  Another recent accomplishment was the purchase of a new church bus, which was fully paid for in January 1990.

In December 1991, Rev. Wendy Bailey accepted a call to St. Paul’s Church in Livonia.  After an 18-month search for two new associates, Kellie Bohlman and John Caster joined us in June 1992.

Sadly, in January 1993, Dave Swinehart died suddenly.  Our church entered a period of grief and confusion.  With the guidance of Kellie and John, and interim pastor Craig Erikson, the congregation entered a search for a new senior pastor.  At the end of our search, John Caster accepted a call to the church in Plainwell, Michigan.

In the summer of 1994 Mark McDonough became our senior pastor.  Under Mark’s leadership as head of staff, our church again grew.  In the summer of 1996 Kirk Miller, who was a recent seminary graduate, came to us as our second associate pastor.

Rev. McDonough created a new spirit within the congregation. His thought-provoking sermons, new ideas, and general cheerfulness and zest gave people what they needed to come out of the period of grief they had experienced after Rev. Swinehart’s death. Mark and his two associates, Kirk and Kellie, developed a co-pastor relationship and the three pastors worked in harmony.

Then in 1999, after only five years at APPC, Rev. McDonough left to assume a teaching position at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Rev. Tom Oxtoby came to APPC as an interim minister on March 20, 2000. In his months here Rev. Oxtoby instituted the church information form, which was compiled from a question and answer form all members were asked to fill out. The search committee used this form in their work of finding a new pastor. Though the co-pastor relationship had existed with Mark, Kirk and Kellie, the Session voted to go back to the pattern of head pastor and two associates. The Session felt that continuing a co-pastor pattern would make it more difficult to find replacements for pastors.

Rev. Douglas H. Blaikie accepted a call as head pastor on July 6, 2001. He came from a small church in Ohio with his wife Jean and three sons, Andrew, Christopher and Daniel. Only a month later, on August 15, 2001, Rev. Bohlman accepted a call to Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian Church in Livonia.

A new search committee for an associate pastor was formed and on July 16, 2002, Melodie Jones, who was a recent seminary student, answered the call. She was ordained as minister of the Word and Sacrament at APPC on September 15, 2002. As moderator of the Board of Deacons, Melodie has strengthened the program of caring for our elderly members through house and hospital visitations. She also guided and administered the publication of a pictorial directory for the congregation. 

Our church ministerial family has grown since the arrival of Kirk and his wife Jen. They have added two boys, Pearson and Emerson, and a daughter, Sophia to their family -- and ours.

APPC has also grown in membership with about 1,300 now on the rolls.

A few highlights since Doug, Kirk and Melodie came to APPC: A trip some of our youth, along with some young folks from St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church in Allen Park, took to Northern Ireland; formation of the Faith Flight Sunday school curriculum; Worry-Free Wednesday inter-generational dinner and study evenings; an annual pig roast; year-long confirmation education classes; an addition to the lodge and other improvements at Camp Wakanda, a mission trip to Arizona; and the first white water rapids trip in West Virginia.                

We can take courage for the future by remembering our traditions of faith and devotion that have seen our beloved church through seemingly insurmountable difficulties in years gone by.  We can thank God for the fine religious leaders He has sent to us throughout the life of our church and for the forward-looking men and women who have supported them.

As we face this new millennium, our worship, camping programs, church schools, choirs, youth fellowships, adult groups, and boards are active and growing.  Our community groups and services are extensive.  We are truly “an open church, welcoming all to share in the way of life offered through Jesus Christ.”

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