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CHAPTER 5: THE CHANGES
The new pastor, the Reverend Terry Crimm, met with the Session on December 9,	1974. The tall,
handsome minister was barely out of seminary, yet he had a presence and a maturity well beyond his years. The Elders he met with were John Middleton, Charles Maumas, Jay Howe (who was also Clerk of the Session), Max Dossett, Neil Jeffrey, Scotty Thomson, John McPhail and Fred Fisher. There were also eight Deacons, John Hill being Treasurer.
Starting the new year, there were 103 persons on the church's rolls and 42 enrolled in Sunday school. The budget for the year was $17,993. 40 . However, by mid-year, only $10,000 had been pledged, and the bank was still owed $4,000. It was reported that only about one-fourth of the congregation "give regularly."
An every-person canvas was, thus, undertaken, and tithing immediately improved. By the end of the year, $20,302 was collected, but not all benevolences were able to be paid, it was noted.
This year, though, would be a banner one for the church. For one thing, on October 6, 1975, Mr. Joe and Mrs. Vivian Murrow were received into the church by certificate of transfer. This African American family was the first of its race to join the church. It would not be the last, however, and they would add measurably to the growth of the church over the coming years. Joe and Vivian are special joys to this congregation.
An unmatched set, Joe was and remains six foot one inches tall, his pert wife but five foot one. They had transferred their church memberships from