About the book

First Presbyterian Church of Columbus, Indiana, has fashioned a long and rich history since it was chartered on July 3, 1824, by circuit rider John M. Dickey, with 17 members in attendance. Its first elder was a wounded Revolutionary War veteran. The Rev. Ninian S. Dickey, son of John M. Dickey, and the church’s minister from 1853-1870, was a close friend of author Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The Rev. William R. Laws Jr. was elected moderator at the 1970 General Assembly, attaining the highest elected position within the Presbyterian Church.

But what really makes this congregation special is the good its done, and continues to do, in the community.

First Presbyterian Church, or its members of their own volition, have started many programs for the community’s common good.

• In 1913, the Rev. Alexander Sharp Sr. helped organize the first Boy Scout troop in Columbus.
• Harold W. Turpin, pastor here in the 1940s, organized the first chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous in Columbus,
• The church opened the first preschool in town in 1954.
• In the 1960s, a childcare center was opened in the church that eventually became Children Inc.
• In 1972, the church helped start Y-Med, a program that allowed young mothers and mothers-to-be finish their education, giving both meeting space and financial assistance.
• The Rev. Warner Bailey was the guiding force in the establishment of a shelter for battered and abused women. Organized in June 1979, it is now known as Turning Point.
• Presbyterians were instrumental in starting the first homeless shelter in Columbus.
• A group from First Presbyterian that had renovated a home for an elderly widow sparked the formation of Housing Partnerships Inc. in 1990 with other churches. HPI is now doing business as Thrive Alliance.
• Hot Meals, offering food and fellowship for anyone in the community, has been conducted here each Friday evening since 1993.
• First Presbyterian member Juana Watson was the first director of Su Casa, a Hispanic resource center that opened in 1999. First Presbyterian covered much of startup costs.

There are more.

The how and why these events came about, as well as what impact they’ve had on the community, are detailed in the book.

I wrote the book and published it through the company I own, PathBinder Publishing LLC. I had been attending the congregation for a couple of years when I was nominated to serve on its bicentennial committee to work on the book as one part of its yearlong celebration.

I was fortunate enough to have a 175th anniversary church history by Carol Berkey to serve as the foundation of my research. I re-researched everything from that book I could, adding details, making what few corrections needed to be made, and then adding the highlights of the most recent 25 years of First Pres. Research included going through old newspaper clippings; church documents, photos, and slides that were stuffed in every nook and cranny of the building; four bank boxes of “stuff” that has been organized by Carol Rumple; all the information available at the Bartholomew County Historical Society and Bartholomew County Public Library; as well about a dozen interviews with longtime members of the congregation.

I reached out to congregation member and copy editor supreme, Katherine Smith, to edit the book. Rachel McCarver, a fellow bicentennial committee member, designed the covers, while Charles P. Day supplied the front cover photo with a shot from his drone camera.

The book is available in hardcover and paperback wherever you purchase books. You can also get it at the church office while supplies last or order at Ingram’s bookstore at a discount by clicking here.