Sunday, May 21, will be the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Christ Presbyterian Church. Guest pastor for this special day will be The Rev. Dr. Jack Schutte of the Sierra Mission Partnership office in Sacramento. Schutte serves as associate for congregational support for three Presbyteries. The service will include the Lord's Supper served by Chaplain Jeffrey Quinn and The Rev. Dr. Bob Stover.
Byron and Judi Waite who had a vision of a Presbyterian church in the Carson Valley established Christ Presbyterian Church in 1990. It began with a few families meeting in homes for Bible study but soon the group grew and moved to the Episcopal Church in Minden where services were held at 4 p.m.
In September 1990 the Nevada Presbytery recognized Christ Presbyterian Church as a New Church Development. In July of 1994 the church called Rev. Tom Summers as its organizing pastor. Soon the congregation grew so that it was necessary to move to Douglas County High School. For several years the group was known as the "church in the box" since every Sunday all of the sound equipment, hymnals, bulletins and other items were packed in and out of the high school in order to conduct not only a worship service but also Sunday school and child care.
On May 12, 1996, the Nevada Presbytery chartered the church as a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). A year later construction was begun on a church on Lucerne in Minden. The building was not completed before the high school said it was no longer possible to meet in their facility. God is good because, Tim Huether, then publisher of The Record-Courier, offered a room in The Record-Courier building for a short time. In July 1998, the congregation moved to the Lucerne facility and opened a child care center to serve the community.
In May 1999, Rev. Summers chose to leave the church to pursue his doctorate degree at Princeton. Soon Rev. Al Fry came to serve as interim pastor for more than a year. In the spring of 2001, Chaplain Andrew Sholtes, who was serving at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Pickle Meadows, Calif., became the pulpit supply pastor. He blessed the church family with spirit-filled sermons and Bible studies. In July 2003, it was necessary for the congregation to give up the Minden building and move to a smaller facility in Gardnerville. When Chaplain Andrew was reassigned to Guam, God again blessed the congregation by bringing Chaplain Jeffrey Quinn and his wife, Laura, to fill our pulpit. Jeffrey continues to bring sound Biblical teaching on Sundays and at Wednesday Bible studies. A Pastor Nominating Committee is presently seeking a permanent pastor to serve this faithful church family. God has been faithful more than 10 years to this congregation.
Following the 9 a.m. Sunday worship service, members and friends will be gathering at noon at the Corley Ranch, located south of Gardnerville, to continue the celebrations with a western barbecue, fellowship, special remembrance of their history and special music and cowboy poetry by Pete Coates. The public is invited to attend but reservations must be made for the luncheon no later than Sunday, May 14. Cost is $12.50 for adults and $7 for children. For more information you may contact Sharon Stride at 783-4006 or mail your check to Christ Presbyterian Church, 1436 Industrial Way, Unit A & C, Gardnerville, NV 89410.
