December 6 Today in OPC History

On December 6, 1938, Faith Presbyterian Church in Trenton, New Jersey, disbanded as the members joined the newly created Grace Presbyterian Church in Trenton. The primary reason for the members of Faith Church to make the move was that their previous pastor, the Rev. Bruce Coie, has accepted a call to start a new church in Franklin Square, New York. Grace Church, however, had a pastor that was willing to take the call, the Rev. Leslie Dunn. Mr. Dunn was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church (USA) in Columbus, New Jersey, fifteen miles south of Trenton, which had voted to leave the PCUSA and then voted a second time to stay in the PCUSA. Mr. Dunn and a remnant withdrew in order to form Grace Church. Dunn was received into the Presbytery of New Jersey and was installed as the first pastor of the united congregations in Trenton on March 31, 1939.

Picture: Everett DeVelde and Leslie Dunn (right) in 1945