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‘Doors Are Open’: Pilgrim Memorial Church celebrates 125th anniversary

By Sara Holthouse 4 min read

 A Jamestown church that began as a Sunday School ministry outreach of downtown's historic First Congregational Church in the 1800s recently celebrated its 125th anniversary.

The chapel that is home to Pilgrim Memorial Church, located at 70 McKinley Avenue, on the corner of Forest and McKinley Avenue was built in 1888. In 1901 Pilgrim Memorial became its own church.

"One of the things that struck me from our celebration is that we started as a Sunday School, an outreach really of historic First Congregational downtown," Pastor Rick Miller said. "It's interesting because it has a connection to Chautauqua Institution as well."

The Sunday School movement itself was about 100 years old when Pilgrim Memorial started in 1888, and Miller noted that in that day Sunday School was not just teaching Bible lessons, but included a social component as well of education and literacy for the poor. This was before child labor laws, Miller said, and public education was not as accessible as it is today, so the church "picked up the slack". He also noted the Bible was used as a tool for teaching, but it was not just about teaching Bible stories. Pilgrim Memorial's chapel held this same Sunday School movement for 13 years until the church became its own official church.

Pilgrim Memorial became a church in 1901, officially joining the Congregational Church denomination in 1908, which would later become the United Church of Christ.

Celebrating 125 years of ministry and service means a lot to the church, Miller said, as it means they are still in existence and serving the community.

"I said this yesterday in my sermon, we can be 125 years old or we can be 125 years young," Miller said. "Churches can renew themselves and they can become healthy and missional again. My hope is that we're not just celebrating what we've been, but still looking forward to what God might still yet do with us."

Church Organist, Ralph Farrar, added to that, saying it is good to celebrate what has passed, but to not dwell on it. Miller said the church is looking forward to what comes next.

"It is expected that thousands of churches across the United States are going to close in the next 10 years; there was an article in the Atlantic about it, just a month or so ago," Miller said. "They actually said 100,000 churches is what's projected. I don't know if this one will survive or not, but we are going out with a bang if not. We are striving to be healthy and missional still, which isn't as easy to do with an older congregation and smaller numbers, but this church still has a lot of heart and soul, and a generous heart."

It was also noted that Farrar is only the fourth organist in the history of the church, with about 30 pastors. The church did not have an organ until 1915. Miller said that while Jamestown has a lot of churches, what sets their church apart is that they are considered more progressive and welcoming of everyone, and truly meaning it. The church had a special service last Sunday to celebrate the anniversary, with special music and a lunch following church. Miller said follow up conversations are expected about where the church would like to go from here. Miller added the church is officially made up of two churches now, Pilgrim Memorial and First Congregational.

"We're still here and we are committed to serving our community however we are able to do that," Miller said. "It is a community of people who care about each other, and it is growing."

There have been years where the church had no children's program and these days there is one every Sunday during the service and a children's message in the service as well. Miller said the church is moving in the right direction, and Farrar added the church tries to do a lot of community outreach as well such as with donations and the recent Trunk or Treat.

"If folks are looking for a spiritual home and a place of welcome and inclusion, our doors are open," Miller said.

For more information on Pilgrim Memorial Church, visit pilgrimmemorialucc.org.

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