Years of Rapid Growth 1950-2005

In 1950 a Building Committee was appointed to draw up plans for remodeling the sanctuary. Plans included a kitchen, rest rooms, a recreation room and a assembly room. In spite of an unexpected collapse of an entire wall, weakened by excavation, the building was completed along lines it had when the congregation moved to its new location in 2001.

Nest to the Church edifice there was a double building, really two buildings joined together. One Half was owned by Mr. And Mrs. D. Ray Gehres. When Mrs. Gehres died in 1958, it was disclosed that she willed her half of the building to the Presbyterian Church for educational purposes. The trustees then bought the other half and made it into the educational building which served the growing needs of the church.

Two developments had a profound effect on the First Presbyterian Church, Waverly The first was the construction of the uranium enrichment plant just south of Piketon in 1952. This brought in many temporary construction workers and, more important to the church, administrative and engineering employees. Many of the latter were or became Presbyterian. They had families with children who came to the Sunday School, one time had over 40 children. Membership grew from 118 in 1953 to 451 in 1967. Up until the mid 1980s two services were held each Sunday.

The other development was the establishment of Bristol Village Retirement Community in 1962. Waverly First Presbyterian was one of four sponsoring Presbyterian Churches (the others being Columbus North Broadway, Chillicothe First, Portsmouth Second). Under the leadership of the Reverend John Glenn then pastor of North Broadway Presbyterian Church, a government housing project constructed but never used by the Piketon Plant construction workers, was purchased and converted into a vibrant retirement community that celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2002, as one of the foremost retirement facilities in the nation. Since its founding, many of the members of the Presbyterian Church have been among the five hundred and more residents of Bristol Village.. This holds true in 2005, while the Piketon plant continues to down size and adapt to changing conditions, while the Sunday School children of former years have grown up and moved away.

Pastors 1950 - Present

• Rev. Eli Mowry, SS, January 1951 - September 1957 (6 years)
• Rev. Glenn Carlson, P, October 1957 - February 1961 (4 years)
• Ralph Lewis Lay Preacher, April 1961 - July 1961 (3 months)
• Rev. Roger Kelsey, P, October 1961 - April 1968 (7 years)
• Rev. Jack Lewis Pursell, P, January 1, 1969 - June 30, 1986 (18 years)
• Rev. Richard Secrest Hays, P, October 4, 1987 (Current)
• Rev. E. John Hamlin Parish Associate, September 28, 1997 (Current)