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Our First 100 Years
History of Southern Heights Presbyterian Church[1]
1908
Women of the Seventh Day Adventist church in College View thought there ought to be a church and Sunday school for non-Adventist families living in the College View community. Fourteen people gathered to organize a Sunday School class at the College View High School on the 2nd Sunday afternoon in June 1908. Within a few weeks worship services were added with the Rev L. P. Ludden of Grace Lutheran Church giving the first sermon. That fall, the Rev. Byron Beal was elected as the first pastor. When he died a few months later, the Rev. Frank Mills became the pastor and served for 27 years until his death in 1938. During the first three years meetings were held in the College View High School and in the Hornung Building.
1911
On May 4, 1911, the group adopted a constitution and The Union Church as organized as a non-denominational church with the Rev. Mills as the pastor. That year plans were made to build a basement at 4619 Prescott Avenue for temporary use as the church until funds could be obtained for the rest of the building.
1912
April 30, 1912, was the dedication of the Union church. The entire church was completed at a cost $8,000 with $5,000 of that raised by pledges and cash donations.
1918
August of 1918 they paid off the $3,000 loan.
1938
The Rev. William Morton Spence became the new pastor following the death of the Rev. Frank Mills. The Rev. Spence was a graduate of the Presbyterian Seminary in Omaha. The Rev. Spence served as pastor until 1944, when he was drafted in the Army as a chaplain. During that time the membership was 268.
1944
The Rev. Darrel Berg became pastor and served until 1948. Eventually he became a Bishop in the Methodist church.
1946
In 1946, the name of the church was changed to The College View Community Church.
1947
The College View Church decided to buy a house from out of town and move it in next to the church to serve as the parsonage. Membership was 253.
1948
The Reverends Ritchter and Molzahn served as pastors between the Reverends Berg and Hollingsworth.
1950
The Rev. T. R. Hollingworth served as Interim Pastor.
1951
The Rev. Richard E. Penaluna became the pastor. The congregation decided to support Miss Vonna Biddle as a missionary nurse in Africa and the Sunday School decided to aid the ministry of the Rev. Harold Farmer in Africa.
1952
Started a building fund for an educational addition.
1953
The Rev. T. R. Hollingworth again served as Interim Pastor. July 28, 1958 the College View congregation voted to affiliate with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and became part of the PCUSA Presbytery of Nebraska City. A letter sent to the congregation September 17, 1953 expressed the hope of the church board at the time, “We earnestly covet your cooperation and prayers in making the witness of our church felt not only in College View, but in the regions beyond.”
1954
April 25, 1954, the congregation changed the name of the church to The College View Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Garrett R. Carpenter, a graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary, was installed as pastor on June 30, 1954. There were 289 members. An old and inadequate addition behind the church was dismantled and work began on the education addition.
1955
The one story educational addition to the College View church was dedicated on September 25, 1955.
1957
The Rev. L. Dean Hay was called to the College View church in December 1957.
1958
Planning began for a building program that would include a second story on the educational addition, remodel the Sanctuary, and acquire additional property by the College View church.
1959
A building fund began. The Dodge property, adjacent to the Church on the East was acquired.
1960
October 7, 1960 construction on the remodeling and 2nd story addition began at the College View church. As part of the renovation the original red brick church was painted white. The house east of the church was acquired and used for the church school during the building of the 2nd addition. There were 420 members.
1961
March 26, 1961, College View church school moved into the new addition.
May 21, 1961, College View Presbyterian Church held the Service of Dedication of the renovated and new facilities at 4619 Prescott Ave. The Rev. L. Dean Hay pastor. In honored memory of his many years of service and leadership, the Session resolved that the smaller fellowship room under the Church be designated Mills Hall.
1968
The Rev. Samuel Lee was installed as pastor.
1969
The Rev. Ronald L. Bump was installed as pastor.
1973
In June 1973 College View Presbyterian Church changed it’s name to Southeast Presbyterian Church to emphasize its desire to minister not just to a neighborhood, but to the entire southeast section of Lincoln.
1974
In the early 1970’s the Presbytery initiated a new church development for south Lincoln. An elder from each existing Presbyterian congregation in Lincoln was “loaned” to form the new church’s session. November 19, 1974, the Presbytery of Nebraska City called the Rev. Brent A Scott to be an “Organizing Pastor” for a new church development in southeast Lincoln and commissioned him as “evangelist’ for the Presbytery.
1975
February 16, 1975 was the first worship of the Southern Hill United Presbyterian Church held at the Briarhurst Clubhouse. At an ice cream social in July 1975 the idea of moving an old church building to the 40th and Old Cheney property was first discussed.
In the fall of 1975, the 105 year old Staplehurst Presbyterian Church closed due to declining population and turned the title of the building over to the Nebraska City Presbytery.
September 7,1975 Southern Hills United Presbyterian church began worshipping at Zieman Elementary school.
October 5, 1975 Southern Hills United Presbyterian Church was the service of organization at Eastridge Presbyterian church with the Rev. Jeamby, moderator of the session, delivering the sermon. Dick and Cathy Campbell are the lone remaining charter members. The Rev. Brent A Scott was the organizational minister. The Rev. Scott served till 1976.
1976
In 1976 Southern Hills United Presbyterian Church purchased 5 acres of land on the southeast corner of 40th & Old Cheney.
February 24, 1976 the Rev. Richard K Horn was installed as minister at Southern Hills.
March 29, 1976, the Nebraska City Presbytery gave the title of the Staplehurst Presbyterian Church to the new church development Southern Hills United Presbyterian church. May 2, 1976 was the ground breaking for the new church and the old Staplehurst church building was moved to the new location. October 3, 1976 was the re-dedication of the Staplehurst church as the new Southern Hills United Presbyterian church, (an official Bi-Centennial event.) Saturday October 30, 1976 the steeple was placed on the Southern Hills United Presbyterian church.
1979
At the invitation of Southeast Presbyterian Church, the Southern Hills United Presbyterian church worshipped with Southeast Presbyterian Church on February 18, 1979. A breakfast will be served by the combined youth groups.
On February 21, 1979 the Southern Hills session approved a contract with Davis/Fenton/Stang/Darling/Inc for a schematic master plan and site analysis for a new Christian Education facility in conjunction with the existing church facility.[2] The architect fee not to exceed $2,000.
The Rev. Ronald R Bump, Presbytery moderator, met with the Southern Hills’ session in response to a letter the church sent to the General Council of Presbytery seeking guidance as to the future plans concerning the church’s building plans. A meeting with the General Council was planned for November 27, 1979.
1980
It became apparent in the early 1980s that each congregation had reached their growth potential due to sanctuary size and with Southeast the location. Individually and without the knowledge of the other, each sought a solution. Southeast decided to move and notified Southern Hills. It then became apparent that South Lincoln needed one strong, viable Presbyterian church not two smaller ones. September 22, 1980, Rev. Bob Moorhead, Executive Presbyter, gave a report from the General Council of Presbytery. They recommended: that every effort be made to move ahead to construct a first unit of a comprehensive design for a new church; that as soon as adequate facilities are constructed to meet the current and immediate future needs of the congregation, that the old structure be removed; and that the Presbytery continue to fund the ministry of Southern Hills at a level which will affirm the ministry of the congregation and assist it in the achievement of its goals and objectives.
1982
August 16, 1982 the Rev Richard Horn moderated his last session meeting.
December 5, 1982, the Rev. Peter Frazier-Koontz was invited to serve as the Stated Supply for Southern Hills United Presbyterian Church. He served until the consolidation of the two churches and then served as the associate pastor with the consolidated church.
1983
Out of concern over Southeast Presbyterian church profile for the ensuring ten years, the session voted on July 25, 1983 to recommend to the congregation to begin the explorations necessary for relocating.
November 6, 1983 at a congregational meeting Southern Hills United Presbyterian Church to Southern Hills Presbyterian Church. This action was taken to comply with the reunion of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States.
1984
The design team of Southeast & Southern Hills Presbyterian Churches met for the first time on May 31, 1984 to begin working out the details of consolidation or the two churches. Following the merger of the two congregations, a series of analysis and actions was initiated concerning the selection of a site for the new church. These studies and deliberations ultimately lead to the purchase of additional land adjacent to the existing Southern Hills site at 40th & Old Cheney and to sell the Southeast Presbyterian church property at 4619 Prescott Ave.
October 21, 1984, the agreement of consolidation between Southern Hills and Southeast Presbyterian churches were filed with the State of Nebraska.
December 30, 1984 was the final service at Southern Hills United Presbyterian church.
1985
January 6, 1985 Southern Heights Presbyterian Church was born with the Rev. Ronald L. Bump called as pastor of the combined congregations and the Rev. Peter Frazier-Koontz called as the part- time associate pastor.
1986
April 4, 1986 SHPC purchased 3 additional acres south of the present church property at 40th & Old Cheney. The purchase price as $10,000 per acre.
1989
A ground braking ceremony at 7pm on August 13, 1989 for the new Southern Heights church building at 40th & Old Cheney. The cost of the new building was $750,000.
1990
August 26, 1990, Southern Heights conducts its last service at the 46th & Prescott location. The following Sunday service is conducted in the new church building at 40th & Old Cheney. The dedication of the new church was on October 21, 1990.
2003
August 31, 2003 the Rev. Dr. Ronald L Bump retires and is named “Pastor Emeritus” and the Rev. Stephen Brownlee becomes the interim pastor.
2005
July 10, 2005 Rev. Stephen Brownlee’s farewell reception. The Rev Bob Snell is installed as pastor.
2009
Rev Bob Snell resigns.
2010
Rev. Gail Neal begins as installed as interim pastor.
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