Murray Presbyterian Church

The following material was researched and prepared by Charles E. Spangler. It summarizes our church activities for the years 1960-1990. This, together with the Centennial material prepared by Margaret Spangler Todd, gives us a complete history of the Murray Presbyterian Church from 1860 to 1990.

The first thirty years of the second century of the Murray United Presbyterian Church have been the occasion of challenges and fulfillment. The church has changed in its mission as the community has evolved from an agricultural area and a rural village which were close to the cities of Omaha and Lincoln to a largely residential and retirement community for the cities. Farming methods have caused the population of the countryside to decline and a whole new community larger than Murray has evolved at Beaver Lake. A chronology of some of the life of the church in these years follows:

The Trustees of the church, under chairman Delbert Todd, began consideration of adding to or remodeling the manse in August of 1962. After investigation of the alternatives the congregation decided to build a new manse on the lot donated to the church by the Reverend Howard Hutchman, a former minister of the church and a member of the congregation. The manse was completed in April of 1964 and dedicated in September of that year.

The Reverend Joseph Barr received a call from the church in Butler, Pa., in April of 1963. The church felt a special kinship for him and his family since they came from our home Presbytery in the United Presbyterian Church from before the merger. Ties are still maintained with the Barrs by many members of the congregation from this time. The family of our next minister, the Reverend David Anderson who was installed in June of 1963 was the first to live in the new manse.

In February of 1965 at a special meeting the Reverend Anderson asked for permission of the session to participate in the movement to aide in the registration to vote of blacks in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. His concerns as presented to session were:

1. He wanted, not only the approval of the session but their blessing and empathy.

2. He was concerned, not only about the sentiment of the session but the congregation as well, not wishing his action to impair the effectiveness of his local ministry.

3. The possibility of violence and retaliation on the part of local dissenters could also prevent his return for the following Sabbath service.

The session unanimously voted to grant him the necessary time and recorded the following in the session minutes. "The sentiment of the session was all in favor of the expression of both love and concern for our fellow man, and it is our honest belief that this will not cause dissension among our people, and that for the most part, this movement will have their blessing. Our prayers are certainly with Dave in these few trying days ahead, and as a court of God's house, we wish to go on record in saying that we fully realize this is not a pleasant thing to do, nor is it a situation toward which one looks forward with fond anticipation, but we are proud to our minister who, with the full knowledge of the possibilities, seeks to serve God in this way in the ministry of the world."

1967 saw an active time in the life of our church. The yoked relationship with the Cedar Creek church was closed. We in turn took upon ourselves the full support of the minister. Frances Boedeker was elected by the congregation as the first woman elder to serve the local church. The Trustees’ report to the congregation at the annual meeting included reference to consider action of remodeling the front of the church.

The George Gray family donated the brass offering plates in April of 1967. These are the plates we currently use.

In July of 1967 the Reverend Anderson asked to have his relationship with the church dissolved. He left the ministry for a career as a professional singer. Happily for the Murray church, the Reverend Harold Taylor, pastor of the Columbus Church accepted our call and began his service in Murray in January of 1968.

November of 1967 the church was notified by Presbytery that it held for us the communion table which had been presented to Joseph Barr. The Reverend Barr had asked that we receive the table. Session gratefully accepted the table.

A complete communion service and linens were donated to the church in 1969 by Frances Crow and her family in memory of her father, the Reverend Howard B. Hutchman.

The last payment on the mortgage for the manse was made in December of 1969. In May of 1970 it was decided that, the parking lot for the church was not large enough and the side yard was converted to additional parking.

The Group (composed of young adults of the church) started planning for building two restrooms in the church in 1973. This was accomplished along with some other improvements to the basement and Sunday School rooms by May of 1975. At this time the Elsie Wiles memorial fund in conjunction with other funds from the Wiles family made possible the installation of new doors to the sanctuary and the Sunday School rooms. In late 1975 a new sound system was installed in the sanctuary using funds from the Elmer Tritsch memorial fund.

The Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church reminded us that it had loaned funds to the church in 1898 and 1942. The $500 in 1898 was to finish original construction on the church and the $750 in 1942 was to repair the church basement. There was no necessity to pay back the grant loans unless the church were to leave the denomination or discontinue as a church, but an offer was made to settle the obligation outstanding at a 20% discount. The congregation decided to pay the discounted amount in five payments of $200 annually.

In 1975 the session was asked to indicate to which Presbytery we might wish to belong under the new realignment being studied by the Synod. We replied that:

1st choice was to let things remain as they were for at least one year to consider.

2nd choice was to stay in the Nebraska City Presbytery or such Presbytery that supersedes it that contains the churches presently in that Presbytery.

3rd choice is to go with the churches in southwest Iowa in a Presbytery that includes Washington, Douglas, Sarpy and Cass Counties in Nebraska.

In December of 1975 the session decided not to try to petition out of the Missouri River Valley Presbytery.

The Reverend Harold Taylor took honorable retirement in September of 1975. He served with distinction both in our church and in the extended church, having been the Moderator of every Presbytery of which he had been a member.

The Reverend Paul Iverson served as a supply minister for the church until we called the Reverend Gregory Jensen to the pulpit in June of 1977.

The Howard family memorials with additional funding from the Edward Howard family instaled the new lighting in the sanctuary in 1977. In 1978 the congregation left the decision on air-conditioning the church up to the Board of Trustees.

Plans for the remodeling the entrance to the church and re-siding the exterior were formulated during the year in 1979. By February of 1980 the congregation approved securing a loan to finance the improvements until the three year pledges had collected the necessary funds. During this same time period the congregation was discussing a yoked ministerial relationship with St. Paul United Church of Christ.

In April of 1980 the congregation accepted from John Gilmore the offer of a gift to remodel the front of the church on the condition that the three year building pledges all go to the general fund. The gift is a memorial to Jo Anne Gilmore and Charles M. Mead. The discussions on the possibility of yoking were discontinued.

The church at this time went to a part time minister. The Reverend Paul Iverson accepted the call of the church to that position and served as minister of our church for the second time.

In June of 1980 $2,000 from the Memorial fund was placed into a fund established for the purpose of re-shingling the church roof. In September the organ fund was established. A permanent endowment fund was established with a substantial gift from Edward and Caroline Howard in January of 1982.

In February of 1982 a gift by a donor of wood shingles for the church made it possible for the reshingling to proceed.

The Reverend Paul Iverson asked that he be relieved of his pastoral duties in June of 1982. The session acquiesced and expressed their appreciation of the devotion that has been shown to our church during his service and previous five years, first as supply minister and then later as part time pastor.

In April of 1983 we were once again discussion possiblities of a yoked relationship with another church. By July of 1983 the Reverend Judson Townley had accepted a call to a part time position as minister and active consideration of yoking was once again discontinued.

In July of 1984 Edward and Carline Howard had increased the permanent endowment fund and recommended that it be invested with the Hastings College Endowment Foundation. 80% of the annual earnings are to be used by the church as in the original endowment fund and 20% to go to Hastings College Foundation.

A generous donation to the organ fund was made from the memorial fund of the Reverend Harold B. Taylor in June of 1986. A Presbyterian Seal Banner was also presented to the church from the fund.

The Reverend Judson Townley requested the dissolution of the pastoral relationship as of April 1, 1988 for the purpose of retirement. He and Barbara are moving to Topeka, Kansas to retire. The Reverend Gregory Reid served our church as supply pastor in the interim.

A unanimous vote of the congregation was given in support of securing a full time minister. This was done in a November 1988 meeting. Reverend Heidi McGinnis accepted the call of the church for a full time minister in November of 1989.

Substantial donations were made to the organ fund by Helen Berg-Epson in memory of her husband Richard Berg-Epson and by Charles Spangler and Charlene Spangler Cummings in memory of their parents, Everett and Ellen Spangler. During 1990 the church has been the recipient of the gift of a computer and gifts and memorials toward the purchase of candelabra in memory of Waunita H. Wood.

New paraments were created for the church by Anna Mallet, a series of liturgical banners were made and contributed to the church by Alpha Loyd and Linda and Lori Loyd. The Dorothy Jose memorial fund was used to install new kitchen counters, purchase a new coffee urn and redecorate the kitchen.

The church has over the years sought to serve God and minister to the parishioners and the members of the community. It has experienced times of adversity along with the time of greater service but through it all has been God's instrument in the lives of his followers. We pray that his work shall continue in our personal and corporate lives for the indeterminable future. By his grace it shall be so.