The United Presbyterian Church

Information may not be reliable

Evangelism is a very important ministry in the life of any church and it does not just happen. Evangelism is a lifestyle that needs to be lived, preached, taught, and believed by a congregation. It is a ministry of mission and sharing the redemptive love of God in Jesus Christ.

We hope you take notice of our church logo which we have included on this page. It is important for our congregation to have a clear identity. The rays on the logo represent the Holy Spirit, moving out into the world, and will guide us in this most important task in the new millennium. The outstretched joining hands represent our caring for others.
Evangelism is . . . joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God. (Definition adopted by the 202nd General Assembly, 1990)

Stewards have received what they have for the very purpose of giving it away.
"No surer rule and no more valid exhortation .. could be devised than when we are taught that all the gifts we possess have been bestowed by God and entrusted to us on condition that they be distributed for our neighbor's benefit." (John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.6.5)

He goes on to say that since there is no way we can increase God's possessions, the way we extend generosity toward God is by practicing it toward the saints on earth.

The First Presbyterian Church of Blairsville was officially organized on September 11, 1822 by the Rev. Francis Herron of Pittsburgh. It was located 1 miles NE of the town and was called the West Union Church. Due to its location, the congregation of West Union was made up primarily of country folk. A frame meeting house was completed and used as a place of worship. On October 11, 1822 the newly organized church, in connection with Salem Church, presented a call to Redstone Presbytery for the pastoral services of Mr. Thomas Davis, who had been ministering to the congregation. On November 13, 1822, he was ordained and installed as minister over the two congregations. As Blairsville grew, Rev. Davis became aware of the need for a worship service in Blairsville. He began preaching an evening service there on the Sundays when he preached at West Union in the morning. In 1828 steps were taken to build a Presbyterian Meeting House in Blairsville, however the plan met opposition in the West Union Church. To solve the problem, Rev. Davis purchased the West Union Church building and moved it to Blairsville. Prior to this time, a log meeting house in town was used as a place of worship. In 1831, a brick Presbyterian Church was built in Blairsville and in 1832 at the request of the congregation, the Presbytery changed the name to the First Presbyterian Church of Blairsville. It is interesting to note that there was a Sabbath School in 1821, even before the church was organized.