Sesquicentennial celebrated at Spencerport church

The First Congregational Church of Spencerport is just concluding the celebration of its Sesquicentennial Year. The church was founded in October 1850 and has served the Spencerport community for the past 150 years. The opening of the Erie Canal prompted a group, led by Austin Spencer, to form a new church in the village. The church building was begun in June 1850 and completed in December of the same year. The original church burned in November 1852 and a second building was erected and dedicated in September 1853.

The celebration of that history began on October 8, 1999 when the New York State Interim Conference Minister, Reverend C. Jack Richards, visited the church and preached at the Sunday Service. It reached its climax when the newly elected New York State Conference Minister, Reverend Geoffrey Black, preached on October 8, 2000. That Sunday was also the occasion of a banquet at which 200 members and guests acknowledged their history and their role in the Spencerport community.

The banquet featured the presentation of proclamations, which emphasized the mission of the church in Spencerport and the wider community. Ted Walker, on behalf of the Village of Spencerport, Gay Lenhard, representing the Town of Ogden and Dennis Pelletier, president of the Monroe County Legislature, each presented a commemorative plaque to the church. Nick Minunni was the Master of Ceremonies for this event. Reverend Harold Lloyd, pastor of the First Congregational Church, delivered the invocation and the benediction.

Between October 1999 and October 2000, the sesquicentennial included a long list of activities that focused on the heritage of both the church and the community. The restoration of the stained glass windows was a major undertaking that spanned much of the year. A formal, printed history was collected, organized and published for the October banquet. A second history, in the form of videotape, was developed from a collection of photographs and an oral tradition. The videotape was a unique contribution to the yearlong celebration. Special music was an important part of the year and included the Rochester Philharmonic Brass Quintet, John Bauer, and organist Larry Delahooke. Many of the youth of the church built a float that was entered in the annual Firemen's Parade in June. With the sesquicentennial moving into the background, the church is again beginning to focus on its future. The past is quickly becoming the standard by which the future can be judged.