by Don Herschell
A year before our country declared its independence and six years before Washington County was created, the congregation that would become North Buffalo Presbyterian Church was founded.
In September of 1775, Buffalo Associate Presbyterian Church was chartered on the outskirts of what was not yet Washington, PA. Members of that church soon became North Buffalo, and for six years, they met outdoors among huge oak trees and worshiped without a regular pastor.
On May 18, not far from that original meeting site, North Buffalo joined with her sister congregation, Taylorstown Presbyterian, to worship God and celebrate 250 years of ministry. The Rev. Clayton LaPosta, who pastors both churches, led the service.
“Today we celebrate a huge milestone for our church. Today we mark the 250th anniversary of North Buffalo Presbyterian Church,” he said to the 100 or so people who attended. “This church for 250 years has been a place where people have gathered to worship God together. And so, what a fitting way to end this celebration — to be here, to do what we have always done.”
Although services are traditional, the people get involved in various parts of worship and are quick to welcome both guests and old friends. Its genuine friendliness has been a hallmark of the church for many years. That is a major reason the church has seen some membership growth in the two years since LaPosta accepted the call as pastor.
“We want to foster a church that is a place for true Christian friendship because we need that,” he said during an interview in February with John Hall on the WORD-FM podcast “Church of the Week.” “This walk isn’t alone. We do it with one another, and I believe our church really does that well.
“God has blessed us this year,” he added. “We’ve welcomed new members and baptized infants. We’ve had an array of baptisms this year. It’s been a wonderful year.”
In addition to Sunday worship, the church offers educational, mission and fellowship opportunities throughout the week. Each week separate men’s and women’s Bible studies are held in the pastor’s home, and the Women’s Missionary Society meets biweekly. North Buffalo began a dartball team last year, joining Taylorstown Church in an ecumenical league. The two churches recently conducted a joint vacation Bible school, and LaPosta is hoping to start a summer youth sports camp as well.
“That’s one of the great things about North Buffalo,” he told Hall. “We’re not just an old building that sits on top of a hill. We have been heavily involved with our community. The church is a mainstay in our town. We get involved with tons of organizations where we either give financially or partner with folks.”
The church supports ministries such as Pine Springs Camp, Washington City Mission, Washington Christian Outreach, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and many others. With donations from congregants, a few faithful members have also operated a food pantry out of the church for many years.
In October, North Buffalo and Taylorstown churches, along with several other local churches, collected cleaning supplies and hygiene items and organized them into 5-gallon buckets to deliver them to victims of Hurricane Helene. The effort was spearheaded by Elder Bryan Bell who, along with LaPosta, drove them to North Carolina.
“We try to focus on where there is need recognized in our community and see where the church can answer that call,” LaPosta told Hall. “We have faithful folks that are ready to go and serve, and that’s a real blessing to us. We’re always looking for ways to give back and partner with the community that God has placed us in.”
Because mission outreach is such a central part of North Buffalo’s identity, the 250th anniversary committee decided to make it part of the celebration as well. Each month during the year, the church focuses on a different mission outreach to support. In January, for example, the church collected blankets that it donated to Charleroi Presbyterian Church to aid in their ministry to the Haitian community. Many Haitian refugees are living there on Temporary Protected Status because of the violence in their country.
North Buffalo Church has had about 20 pastors over the years, although the ministries of the longest-serving pastors spanned more than 100 of those years. The Rev. David French served for more than 42 years, from 1811 to 1854; the Rev. John Mark Scott was pastor for more than 34 years, from 1946 to 1981; and CRE Gary Gibson served as pastor for 25 years, from 1995 to 2020.
The church has experienced membership increases and declines over its many years, at least once being in danger of closing its doors. Before his death in 2020 at 100 years old, Scott would often recount something that happened not long after he arrived at the church. A man from the presbytery drove up while Scott was reading a book of Shakespeare on the front steps, he said. The man told him Scott was there simply to help in closing the church, which would happen in a few months. Scott told him he did not believe that was going to happen. The man drove away.
In a few years, thanks to Scott’s ministry and, undoubtedly, the beginning of the Baby Boom, the church rapidly increased in numbers and introduced several choirs and a burgeoning youth group. Membership also increased under Gibson’s ministry.
During the weeklong observance, the church hosted the regular meeting of Washington Presbytery. On another night, the Ron Retzer Trio performed a Christian concert. During the concert, the church honored Gibson for his many years of ministry, and he was roasted by his sister, CRE Linda Mankey.
The May 18 worship service was followed by a catered meal. After the service, worshipers gathered outside for a group photo that will be placed along with other artifacts in a time capsule. Many in the photo were older, which is representative of the congregation, but younger people and newer members were there as well.
“I look at the folks in our congregation, especially those who have been there for 80 years, and the wealth of faithfulness and service and all these wonderful things that they are. They are just true models of faithfulness,” LaPosta said. “Every church wants to have more younger people, but it’s such a blessing to have folks who have walked this walk for so long and can pour into the younger generation. That is such a blessing that we have at our church.”
