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44 Board of Deacons were John McPhail, John Hill, John Middleton and Felder McLaurin. The membership numbered 94 at the end of 1969, and there were 21 additions for the year. At the end of 1970, the church's total membership, including non-resident and inactive members, was considered to be 140. (On December 6, 1970, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fisher were taken into the church, the 281st and 282nd members.) There were, however, 14 on the inactive list, 10 more were dismissed, and there were 10 deaths among members. Thus, the church ended the year with 100 members, a net increase of six, the first increase in some t ime. It was also during this year, on May 12, 1970, that the Session had advised the Board of Deacons "that anyone of any race, creed or color that wishes to sincerely worship in our church will be seated," thus ending the practice of the so-called "greeters" in the narthex being there to also dissuade persons of the wrong "race, creed or color" from worshiping in the church. It was noted by some that the adverb "sincerely" still gave sufficient leeway to those who might not entirely favor this so-called "change." In February of 1971, Mr. and Mrs. Orrin H. Pilkey joined the church, at the same time the Session noted that the need for a new organ was becoming critical. Retired Army Brigadeer General and Mrs. Haines also transferred to the church, from Columbus, Ohio. "Howie" and Sue Haines would be gracious and unstinting givers to their newly adopted church and community. On August 1, 1971, Mrs. Bessie Mounger died. To many, her death was attributable to Hurricane Camille --or its aftermath. So would be the death of Norman Renshaw within another year. Others who also survived the storm, but did not live much longer afterwards were Mrs. Buelah Phillips and her husband Fred. On November 1, 1971, Fred Fisher, William Haldeman and Orrin Pilkey were elected Deacons, their ordination in two weeks. In 1972, on January 23rd, the congregation voted to purchase, for additional parking space, the old service station building laying immediately
First Presbyterian Church History-of-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-48