Waltham Presbyterian to celebrate 175 years

Waltham Presbyterian Church will celebrate its 175th anniversary with a hymn sing service at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 17.

During the service, the choir will sing an anthem specially composed for the celebration by Ruth Elaine Schram. The church has invited previous pastors to join in the celebration. After the service, there will be a fellowship with cake and refreshments.

On Dec. 28, 1849, in Waltham Township a meeting was called for the purpose of forming a church. By examination, 17 persons voted to be constituted into a church and to be, by denomination, the Presbyterian Church of Waltham. The Rev. J. H. Baldwin was called to serve as its first pastor. The church’s first prayer meetings were held in a local barn, but soon began to utilize a log schoolhouse, a mile north of its present facility.

An addition was made to the schoolhouse soon afterwards to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1853, the church completed a temporary structure which served until the completion of a more permanent structure in 1866. The “old church” served for 100 years until the dedication of the current facility on June 6, 1965.

While in its early years people would gather from a 3- to 5-mile radius, today’s church members are drawn from a much larger radius. Through the years, Waltham Presbyterian Church has successfully made the transition from an agribusiness-based congregation to one which represents most professions and trades, although agribusiness still plays an important role in its life.

When COVID-19 shut down in-person worship services in 2020, the church streamed live services through its Facebook account. The church continues to post live services on Facebook to reach people who are unable to attend or out of the area. The church currently offers a Sunday School program, choir, special music, coffee hour and other activities for the congregation.