This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

ministers were the Reverend L.A. Beckman, Jr., Superintendent of Home Missions in the Presbytery; Dr. Norton Smith, Professor of Bible at Belhaven College; Dr. G.T. Preer, Student Minister at Mississippi Southern College; and the Reverend Edward Morren, Pastor. The Ruling Elders were Messrs. H.B, Barber, a lawyer, D.A. McCandliss, an agricultural and nursery operator, Paul L. Wright, Jr., an accountant, and W.L. Rigby, Superintendent of the Gulfport City Schools.
The following thirty-one worshipers were united to become charter members of the newly organized church: Mrs. Charlotte Burns, Mrs. A.J. Butz, Colonel and Mrs. P.S. Finn, Jr., the daughter of Col. and Mrs. Finn, Miss Sybil Koeniger, Mrs. George Marshall, Mr. and Mrs. John Middleton, Mr. and Mrs. W.P. McCutchon, Miss Laura O'Leary, Miss Betty Ann McCutchon, Bill McCutchon, Bob McCutchon, Earl F. Gates, Mrs. Whitney L. Pinnell, Mr. and Mrs. T.T. Reboul, Mr. and Mrs. Christian L. Reab, Dr. and Mrs. Walter Russo, Mr. and Mrs. Camille Schaefer, Richard Schaefer, Miss Kathleen Schaefer, Mrs. A1 Voight, Mrs. Margaret Wilson, and Mr. and Mrs. H.G. Wingo.
The following words of the pastor were printed in the Bulletin for that Sunday. "It is indeed a happy moment that we of the Presbyterian church in Bay St. Louis should become an organized church. We are grateful to God for this blessing of His upon the work that has made this possible."
Following the service, the charter members elected their officers, to wit: Elders: Mr. Chris Reab, Mr. T.T. Reboul, Dr. W.A. Russo, and Mr. W.P. McCutchon; as Deacons:	Mr. Camille Schaefer, Mr.
Earl Gates, Mr. H.G. Wingo, and Col. P.S. Finn, Jr. In May, 1957, Mr. Reboul was elected Clerk of the Session, as the organization of the Ruling Elders is called; Mr. Schaefer was elected Chairman of the Board of Deacons or Diaconate; and Mr. Gates became Treasurer.
In November, the first budget was proposed, the Board of Deacons launching a drive to solicit every member of the congregation for a pledge, and approximately $2,300 was so pledged.	So
financially successful was the church that the next year an additional Sunday school room was provided,