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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI 40th ANNIVERSARY - APRIL, 1997
Prior to 1949 there was no Presbyterian church in Bay St. Louis. A neighborly conversation between Mrs. Fred Koeniger, her daughter Miss Sybil Koeninger, and the Misses Hilda and Barbara Sick soon burst forth into action. In November, 1949, the Misses Barbara and Hilda Sick contacted the Rev. J. N. Brown of the First Presbyterian Church of Gulfport, who agreed to preside at a meeting of Bay St. Louis Presbyterians.
Invitations through the local press and personal contacts resulted in the first official meeting.for the establishment of a Presbyterian mission. It was held in the home of Mrs. Fred Koeniger at 636 North Beach Boulevard on December 13, 1949. Plans were formed to have religious services regularly on the second and fourth Sundays of each month in this home. The following fficers for the Mission group were elected:
Mr. Christian Reab, Chairman	Miss	Barbara	Sick,	Secretary
Miss Sybil Koeniger, Treasurer The ministers present were Rev. Brown, First Presbyterian Church, Gulfport and Rev. L. A. Beckman, Jr., Superintendent of Home Missions for the Meridian Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church. Others attending this meeting were Miss Barbara Sick, Miss Hilda Sick, Mr. and Mrs. Christian Reab,
Mr. and Mrs. Camille Schaefer, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Koeniger, Kathleen Schaefer, Richard Schaefer, and Miss Sybil Koeniger.
The first service was held on Sunday, January 8, 1950, with the Rev. Brown officiating and with the original eleven members in attendance. Thereafter, the Rev. Beckman drove from Ellisville an the second and fourth Sundays for the four o'clock services. A year later on January 14, 1951, Rev. Beckman onducted the first anniversary service with approximately fifty persons attending, many from Gulfport.
On Tuesday, May 23,	1950,	the	Presbyterian	Circle	of	the	Women	of	the	Church
_	-	,	^	i	____	 Q i r k!