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Howey Community Church

1920

Services

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In 1920, five years before the incorporation of the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills, The Community Church of Howey-in-the-Hills got its start. With only 17 houses within a three mile radius, 10 dedicated members began meeting for Sunday School in the Town's dilapidated school house in hopes of establishing a church fir the people of the area. This venture proved to be a challenge from the beginning.

In 1922, Mr. Mare (grandfather of one of the first elders) came to Howey for the winter and offered to lead worship services. These were held in "tent city" which was a group of tents pitched on the hill where the Floridan Country Club was later located.

From the spring of 1923 until the summer of 1924, no services were held. Then the Rev. Stearnes, a Methodist minister from Lady Lake, Florida came and held weekly services for a year and a half in the new school house. The school house site later became the site of the Howey Academy Chapel. By this time, the Town had grown considerably and people felt ready to maintain their own religious program. Another Sunday School was started with Dr. Roy as superintendent, and two winter residents, Dr. Wright and Elder Pitts, often preached at worship services.

On January 1, 1927, twenty six people signed a petition and requested Dr. J. F. Shepherd, Eustis, Florida, Synodical executive for the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. to furnish a minister and help in the organization of a community church. The petition also requested assurance of care, guidance and financial aid in the building of the church, attendance, and support of the minister. As a result, the Rev. Alexander Linn, a Sunday School missionary for the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., took a religious census and encouraged the people to become an organized church. A year later, the members, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (often called the northern Presbyterian Church).

For the first few years, the infant church was led by a procession of supply pastors, one of whom was Robert M. Stevenson, cousin a Robert Louis Stevenson. Although he reportedly gave several entertaining and inspiring lectures on the life and works of his cousin, because of his own familiarity with the Scriptures and the Holy Land, he was noted for linking prophecies in the Scriptures with our present day conditions. His travels to the South Sea Islands, South America, his service in the British Army under General Allenby in Mesopotamia, and especially his entry with the army into Jerusalem enabled him to hold his audience spellbound, and impart a sense of increased value of life's most important facts. Others included Lloyd Anderson, H. L. Brown, Walter R. Courtenay, Allen G. Bowering, J. F. Vernon, and Dr Shepherd. Like Mr. Stevenson, Dr. Courtenay had travels extensively, seeing Europe, Central and South America, South Sea Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, and the Holy Land. From Howey, Dr. Courtenay went on to excel as Minister Emeritus of the First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee.

People went to great lengths in their search for a pastor. In the 20's when a tropical storm struck the community and knocked trees across the road, the two men who were scheduled to pick up the preacher for a service had to chop and saw their way to Leesburg, Florida, while the preacher waited for them. The church's first visiting minister was paid $50 a month

Finally the church acquired its first regular minister, Rev. Henry O. Moore. he served during the summer of 1932 while still a student at Princeton Seminary. He then was called back after graduation and served from 1933-1939. During this time the town grew, and the church developed to the point of planning for their own building, since their meetings had been held all this time in the old Howey Academy auditorium. One of the best friends of the church was W. J. Howey, the largest contributor to the support of the church. His company set aside a portion of a block to be used as a site for a church building. On February 3, 1937, the Circuit Court  of the District granted a Charter of Incorporation, and on February 13, 1938, the church members held their tenth anniversary observance for which the Rev. Mr. Linn was asked back to preach. records are not available for two years after Mr. Moore departed, except to indicate that Rev. David Lang of Pittsburgh served as "tourist pastor" until the fall of 1942, at which time in October the Rev. William Cady arrived and served the congregation as "stated supply pastor" on a year-by-year basis until the end of 1949.

A letter in the archives to Rev. Cady dated May 11, 1949 relates a report by attorney Harry E. Gaylord in Eustis, Florida, that the church was incorporated on March 3, 1937 as the Howey-in-the-Hills Community Church of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, leaving some question as to the exact legal name of the church. Further, he indicated there was a deed on record as of March 31, 1942 showing the transfer of a piece of property by the W. M. Company to the Howey Community Church, further complicating the legal name.

In 1949, under Dr. Cady's pastorate, the present sanctuary was built for an initial cost of $23,500 on land donated by the W. J. Howey Company. C. V. Griffin and Dodge Taylor, then owners of the company after Mr. Howey's death, were especially liberal in their support of the struggling congregation. Among other things, Mr. griffin gave the air conditioning, seats and carpet. In addition, he helped interest the Yoder brothers and their families of Cleveland, Ohio in the church. Because that family contributed very generously to the building fund, the church was designated as a memorial to Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Yoder, and the church elected to call itself the Yoder Memorial Community Church. This is the name on the cornerstone of the church. That name remained for a number of years before reverting to the original name, Community Church of Howey-in-the-Hills.

Dr. J. C. Hayes ministered from January 1950 to April 1952, sharing his time in the pulpit at the Center Hill Presbyterian Church.

In January 1953, Rev. Russell Vernon Carr accepted the calls of these churches and served them for four years, ministering over the substantial growth of the congregation and purchase and improvement of a manse on Palm Ave. Rev. Carr left Howey in February 1957, returning to the South Lake Presbyterian Church in Clermont, Florida which he was instrumental in organizing.

The next pastor was Charles A. Schroeder, also a young man fresh from theological seminary like Mr. Moore. He served for two years from August 1957 through 1959. In January 1960, Dr. Walter D. Ritter came out of retirement for the second time to serve for three years before returning to retirement, moving back to Daytona Beach, Florida in October 1962, where he died in 1968.

Rev. Gordon E. Jowers arrived in June of 1963, occupying the manse on Palm Ave. until 1977 when it was sold and a new manse was built on Palmetto Ave. This was made possible by a very generous bequest from the Rodgers estate. Ultimately, the manse on Palmetto was also sold, this time to the then-current pastor Fred Ashworth, who lives there with his wife Donis, where they continue to live after his retirement at the end of 1996.

In September 1964, the church broke ground for a $28,000 addition that added 2500 square feet of space under central heat and air conditioning, comprising two Sunday School rooms, an assembly and fellowship auditorium with a stage, and a modern kitchen to host social meetings of the church and community.

Other improvements made possible by memorial gifts were the electric candelabra in 1970, amplifying system, pew Bibles and racks, baptismal fount, slide projector and screen. In May 1974, remodeling made possible a new pastor's study and library. The church was very fortunate to be able to purchase a beautiful Allen organ in 1977 as a memorial gift from the estate of Dr. Harry J. Heeb, replacing a Conn electronic organ secured in 1964 with the help of many friends. Shortly afterward, Dr. Heeb and Mrs. Amanda Heeb presented a tower chime system for the benefit of the neighborhood. The most recent improvements are the lovely stained glass windows in the sanctuary, library and pastor's study that were donated as  memorial gifts to replace the original windows, the new carpeting, and the new east door which makes a level entrance to church accessible to the handicapped and is also more convenient to the parking area. The church has also acquired the lot across Palmetto for additional parking in the early 90's, and in April 2002, purchased the property at 500 North Palm Ave (across from the church on Palmetto Ave.) for rental investment and additional parking.

There have been a number of ministers  who have served as pastor of this church. the two who have served the longest are Rev. Gordon E. Jowers, who was the pastor for 14 years (1963-1977), and Rev. Fredric Ashworth with longest continuous service of 19 years (1978-1996). In early 1997, Rev. Robert Merrell, a retired Air Force Chaplain, began serving as stated supply, but it was immediately apparent that it was in the best interests of the Pastor Nominating committee to place him on an annual renewable basis to which he was agreeable. His intention is to build the membership until it is feasible to select a new permanent pastor. 

So many obstacles have been overcome by so many to bring us to our present position, making it difficult to summarize the outstanding accomplishments. In addition to the foregoing pivotal actions, a few other interesting activities should be noted. One from the records is that apparently the church has had women pastors appear only rarely, and then only as "pulpit supply" for a brief visit. The pioneer in this category was Florence Dianna Pohlman, the first women chaplain commissioned by the Navy and a United Presbyterian minister, who agree in a letter to Rev. Jowers, dated June 20, 1974 to appear as guest minister on June 30, 1974. Secondly, Rev. Jowers has been the only resident pastor to date ever sent to the General Assembly as a Commissioner from Presbytery.

Our present membership is over 100, plus 66 "friends of the church", who attend regularly and are active in the church. As in many areas of Florida, the number of people in attendance increases in the winter and decreases in the summer when many people go north until the fall. During the winter months, an early service at 8:30 am is required in addition to the 11:00 am service to accommodate the increased attendance.

Communion on the first Sunday of each month is open to everyone professing Christian beliefs, regardless of denomination. Fellowship activities following the 11:00 am service on the second Sunday of the winter months allow time to enjoy free refreshments and get better acquainted with visitors and new residents.

Though having a denominational affiliation with the United Presbyterian Church USA, the local Community Church seeks to truly serve the community, since it is the only church in town, providing meeting facilities for groups such as Rails to Trails, Howey Homeowners, and many others. Members and friends of the church are from many religious backgrounds. We welcome all to worship with us and to attend our various church activities and programs.