History of Calabash Presbyterian Church
Calabash Presbyterian Church was first envisioned in 1987 when a small group of people were interested in establishing a Presbyterian church in Calabash. Newspaper advertisements and door-to-door visits drew enough potential members to begin services as a mission, which met for the first time in July 1988 in the VFW building in Calabash.
In February 1989, the Reverand Jerry McCann became the first full-time interim minister of the small mission. Within a year, membership grew to 51, and the mission was organized as a church on February 25, 1990.
The first regular minister, the Reverand Francis Womack, began his service in November 1990 and land was purchased on Old Georgetown Road for a new building.
In March 1991, an important ministry of the church, the beach worship service, was begun. Services take place on Sunset Beach Easter morning and every Sunday morning from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The first service was Easter morning 1991 with 300 people attending. Since then, attendance has grown to 3,500 on Easter morning and more than 500 on Sundays. The offerings collected at these services are used for local mission work.
In November 1991, the initial phase of the building plan was completed and the first service in the new church building took place. Membership continued to grow and in September 1993, an education wing was added.
The congregation continued to grow rapidly, and by the year 2000, with a membership of 260, plans were begun for a new sanctuary, which was completed in April 2003. Stained glass windows in the sanctuary came from a church in Trenton, New Jersey that had closed.
In the summer of 2006, the Reverand Jack Patrick was called to serve Calabash Presbyterian Church. Under his leadership, membership has grown to more than 300 active members. There are three adult Bible study classes and a children's Sunday school.
In addition, Reverand Patrick conducts a Tuesday even Bible study with a repeat lesson on Wednesday morning. Two choirs, instumentalists, and a handbell choir provide music for two Sunday morning worship services.
In 2009 Calabash Presbyterian Church gave $100,000 to local and worldwide mission work, sent 150 Christmas shoeboxes to children around the world, and gave away more than 500 Bibles to beach service attendees.
(This article is a re-print of the one appearing in the Brunswick Beacon on February 4, 2010)
