We Have a Rich History
Judith Hansen recalled coming to Big Bay in 1912 when there were no churches. Ministers would come up from Marquette by train, conduct services and return the next day. The Rev. John Hammel, a missionary, was the most frequent minister of that era.
About 1923 resident Bertha Raymen invited a small group of women to her home to discuss plans for a church building. They called themselves the “Busy Bees”. The group began raising funds to build a church. Dinners, plays and bake sales were organized, and held wherever space was available. By persistence and hard work they raised the first one-thousand dollars for the building fund.
Documented records begin on June 23, 1931. At this meeting the trustee’s approved plans were submitted for approval by the “Busy Bees” for a church building. By August of 1931 construction was in progress, a corner stone was purchased and lumber from Brunswick Lumber Co. in Big Bay was approved by the trustees. The following year the church requested funds from businesses in Marquette, sent letters to protestant families in Big Bay and worked on a request by the Missions Board for financial disclosure. In March of 1932 construction stopped for a period due to lack of funds. Even in the middle of the depression the church survived its tenuous start. By June of 1932 small bills were paid in full, larger bills were paid on, and two-hundred dollars was retained to finish the church. The insurance value of the new building was reported at seven thousand dollars.
Throughout the remainder of the 1930’s the church continued to be improved. In 1939 the building suffered damage when the school next door burned down. Shingles were scorched and repainting inside and out were required. The school donated one-hundred dollars towards the repair cost.
Some things remain the same. In October 1950 the “Harvest Dinner” menu was changed from stew to turkey. In May of 1953 the first Easter breakfast was served.
In January and February of 1954 money was raised by writing all former members and friends of the church for a contribution to make the last payment on the church loan. In July of 1954 the mortgage was paid. A celebration mortgage burning was held in September.
The church continued throughout the next 30 years with the typical fund raisers, concern over bills and pulpit supply. As a mission church of Presbytery we did not have an installed minister. The list of ministers serving the church from 1931-2004 is a long one. The membership and attendance fluctuated, both seasonally and annually. Big Bay Community Presbyterian Church annually made their mission payment to Presbytery even though we were a mission church ourselves.
Several changes have been made to the church building over the last 20 years. The addition of ramps to both the upper and lower levels of the church for handicapped access were completed in the 1980’s. As we turned the calendar to a new century we began planning the addition and reconstruction of the church. On June 13, 2004 the new church was dedicated.
Oh how we have grown and changed. That growth continues today. The “Busy Bees” are now called “Missionary Aid”, and include men and women. We are no longer a mission church. On August 18, 2006 Rev. Carolyn Raffensperger became the first installed pastor of Community Presbyterian Church of Big Bay. We continue to grow with new members and visitors. We welcome everyone!
A Brief History of the Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian Church was founded on the ideals of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation’s official beginning was signaled by Martin Luther tacking 95. Theses on a church door in Germany in 1517. These statements attacked alleged false doctrine and practice by the Roman Catholic Church. Sentiment for reform then spread rapidly throughout Northern and Central Europe. Those who led this Reformation were called Reformers, and the churches that grew out of the movement today comprise churches of the Reformed tradition.
The father of Presbyterianism was John Calvin. Calvin, who studied theology, languages and law in France, fled to Switzerland when he experienced opposition to his religious views. There he wrote his theological masterpiece, Institutes of the Christian Religion, which became a guidebook for Protestants and established Calvin as the leader of Reformed thought, a infuence that lasts to today. Among Calvin’s beliefs are the sovereignty of God, the priesthood of all believers, that God alone is Lord of the conscience and the centrality of Scripture.
During the 1500’s Presbyterianism spread from Switzerland, particularly Geneva, to France, the Netherlands and the British Isles, especially Scotland, where John Knox was the early church’s leader. From Scotland Presbyterianism was taken to Northern Ireland, from where many settlers in the American colonies emigrated in succeeding centuries.
The history of the Presbyterian Church in American began in the 1600’s on the eastern seaboard. During those years Presbyterian churches were concentrated from New York to Georgia. The father of American Presbyterianism was Rev. Francis Makemie, who came from Ireland to the Middle Atlantic States. The 18th Century was a time of growth for the Presbyterian Church with many churches chartered and the first presbytery, synod and General Assembly organizing and meeting.
In the 1800’s, as the newly formed United States of America began its Westward Expansion, the Presbyterian Church did the same. As fledgling states like Michigan were settled, grew and joined the union, churches like the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor were organized (1826). Thanks to early missionary activity during the 19th century, even today Presbyterian churches are quite evenly distributed throughout the continental United States and Alaska.
Just as the nation split over the Civil War, so too did Presbyterians. Today there are a variety of branches of churches who call themselves Presbyterians. Presbyterian, a word coming for the Greek word for elder, refers to choosing leaders from among the wisest members of the Church. The church is led by the Session, composed of elders who serve three year terms. Members of the church’s Board of Deacons live out their ministry through pastoral care and service within the congregation.
The Presbyterian Church, as a denomination and within the context of a local congregation, is at its best when it embraces and lives out a two-legged gospel of individual spirituality and community involvement. Its members are called to worship, learn, share fellowship, pray, share the Good News and be involved in mission locally and globally, always embracing the love and justice of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church.