Centennial Celebration

In the life of a church, 100 years matters, because that 100 years is made up of dedicated pastors who led church congregants who were committed first to God and to the teachings of the Bible, and then to the church and its body of Christ. To recognize a Century of church fellowship is to first acknowledge the blessings provided by God that have sustained us. Those blessings cause us to reflect on the faithfulness and determination of our forefathers who forged the path. In reflecting, we are inspired anew to continue the good work, with the desire to instill in future generations this same passion.

In this fast-paced, hectic, over-scheduled world we live in, its important that we pause and reflect on how far we've come these 100 years and the heritage we've built in the life of the church. Specifically, we honor our heritage through actions that reflect our lasting legacy; the fellowship of family and friends, service to our community and those in need, and commitment to our faith through worship.

Throughout our lives we celebrate milestones, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and as I get older these occasions become more meaningful, because of the memories of what came before. My life’s journey that has brought me to where I am now. Serving on the FPC Centennial Committee is much the same experience, to see where we began, where we are now and where we maybe in the future. In observing through the window of our shared church history it becomes possible to clearly see the greater arc of God’s will over these past 100 years. In 1927 a group of people were called by God to build a new church. A home to worship, fellowship, raise their children and serve this burgeoning new community of Myrtle Beach that wouldn’t even be incorporated as a town until 1938. Imagine their pressing immediate needs, a location, a building, a minister and funding. A daunting task but they were faithful to God and in 1928 the doors opened to First Presbyterian Church in Myrtle Beach. They could have never foreseen the growth that this sleepy little beach town would undergo and the way that God would grow their little church into the beacon of Christ’s love and grace that FPC has become. Now almost 100 years later the lesson is the same for us. As we move FPC forward into a new century the future will never unfold the way we imagine, for as Paul said…”For now we see through a glass, darkly…” but what we can see clearly if we choose, and we do, is where we came from. A centennial is a milestone worth celebrating. One hundred years of worship, physical growth, music, missions, baptisms, ministry to our community and the challenges and joys all that brings. By honoring the faithful who came before we give glory to God and are reminded of our responsibility to go forth and continue to build on faith upon their foundation so that the greater arc of God’s will may prevail through us for the next 100 years.

One hundred years, 10 decades, 36,525 days, 876,600 hours, 52,596,000 minutes, 3.156 billion seconds—these numbers mark the life of First Presbyterian Church of Myrtle Beach. But a church is about much more than time passing or numbers adding up. A church is people. It is the stories of lives changed, friendships formed, faith strengthened, and moments shared. Over the last century, through members, visitors, ministries, worship, weddings, funerals, community gatherings, and care for children and families, First Presbyterian has touched hundreds of thousands of lives. Through missions, food ministries, youth programs, schools, counseling, outreach, and service, that impact has reached far beyond our walls and into millions of lives. But even those numbers do not tell the whole story. Every number represents a person. Every person has a story. And your story is part of this one. So why does one hundred years matter? Because you are reading this today. Because God’s work through this church did not stop in the past—it continues through the people who are here now. Over the coming months, we will be sharing stories of how God has moved through First Presbyterian Church and the lasting impact those stories have had in our church, our community, and around the world.