Westminster Presbyterian Church Centennial Books

Our first pastor, Dr. DuBose served for just two years and resigned October 21, 1925, Dr. George West Deihl, president of Concord College, served as supply pastor until May 2, 1926.

Dr. Charles G. Gunn 1926 – 1943

A call was extended to the Dr. Charles Groshon Gunn, then assistant pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He accepted and preached his first sermon on May 9 and was formally installed on June, 1926. Dr. Gunn, a native of Missouri, served as Westminster ’ s pastor for more than 17 years, until November, 1943 when he resigned to become pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Some decades end up with names. As you know, this decade, when all this construction was going on, was known as the “ Roaring Twenties, ” a time of great economic

God had a plan for my family and it started when my Mother decided one Sunday to go to Westminster Church. God put His plan in motion and the rest is history. Westminster continues to inspire us through the preaching of Pastor Rockness and all that have come before him. We have God to thank for and he used my mother to accomplish His plan.

development, as we ’ ve highlighted, the building of lots of new businesses, new colleges, and new homes. But as you well know, that prosperity came to a sudden halt on Black Tuesday, October 24, 1929.

Angie and Ron McCall

I thank God for a church that opens their doors and welcomes anyone who is hungry for His Word … and I know that as long as Westminster continues to welcome our neighbors and support our missionaries, God will be with us, to the end of the age.

Dr. Gunn headed the church during the troublesome Depression years. Even though we started out with zero debt, thanks to First Presbyterian Church giving us the Sunday School building and the manse on North Street, it was time for the congregation of Westminster to make pledges to finance the construction of the sanctuary. Substantial pledges were made by some members who lost almost everything they had in the hard times of the 1930s. Almost immediately, savings and investments were gone. As challenging as this was, imagine if we were still paying off the debt for the Sunday School building and the manse too! Imagine the faith that was needed. Imagine the depth of their prayers. Imagine the challenge of living through those ten years of a desperate situation that was completely out of their control.

Jenny Carriker

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