Second Presbyterian Church has stood at 42 East Church Street in downtown Newark, Ohio, since the congregation was organized in December of 1836. For nearly two centuries, members and neighbors have gathered in the same block of the central business district, and the building itself, begun in 1868 and expanded over the years, remains the spiritual home of a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation that calls itself, simply, "Serving People in Our Community." The church belongs to the Presbytery of Scioto Valley and describes itself as part of a "Big Tent" reformed tradition with room for varied convictions.
A Building Full of Symbols and Sound
The current sanctuary was begun in 1868 and has been added to several times since. Its most distinctive features are the stained glass windows and the bell carillon that crowns the building. The windows along the south wall were installed first; their original imported glass still shows the finest detail, while the windows elsewhere were replaced with newer glass at some point in the church's history. Every window contains symbols worked into plain black silhouettes: the fleur-de-lis pointing to resurrection and the Trinity, crowns for the kingship of Christ, Greek crosses with arms of equal length, vines reminding worshipers that Christ is the true vine and the church the branches, and flowers that bloom from seeds as Christ rose from death.
Higher in the glass, three-quarters of the way up, a single medallion carries its own meaning. One shows a stylized Roman cross with three pearls on each arm for the Trinity. Another carries lilies, present in the chancel and on the communion table at Easter. The communion cup recalls the Last Supper. An open Bible rests on a Roman cross to show that the Word reveals God's Son. Two ancient tablets, marked with Roman numerals one through ten, speak of the Ten Commandments, surrounded by clouds like those over Sinai. Other medallions show a lamb carrying a banner, a sheaf of wheat for the Bread of Life, a cluster of grapes, an anchor for faith, an oil lamp for the Light of the World, lilies of the field, a flower with seed pods for the church that grows from age to age, a descending dove, a pelican feeding its young with its own blood, and on the south wall the Alpha and Omega above eight points that stand for immortality. Even the stairwell glass continues the teaching: an eagle for Saint John, a winged lion for Saint Mark, an angel with a crown for Saint Matthew, and a winged ox for Saint Luke.
On the roof sits something rarer. The Second Presbyterian carillon was the first small bell carillon in the United States when it was installed in the 1960s. The story begins with Pastor Robert Cleveland Holland, who fell in love with the sound of larger European carillons on a trip abroad. The price was well beyond the church's reach, but Holland kept talking with the Verdin Company, and the engineers eventually designed the smaller instrument that is now mounted on the tower. Thirty-five bells span three octaves; the largest weighs 119 pounds and the smallest eighteen and a half. The playing board has wooden keys connected by pulleys and wires to the bells, and the carillonneur strikes each one with both fists and feet. Katherine Flory donated the carillon to the church in memory of her father, ruling elder Charles Flory. The largest bell bears his name; the second is named MacDonald for the first Presbyterian minister in this territory in 1802; the third for the Reverend Alexander Duncan, founding pastor of Second Presbyterian Church; and the remaining thirty-two for the original charter members of 1836. Wendell Westcott of Michigan State University played the first concert, and listeners compared the sound to a giant music box. Five church members later traveled to Michigan State to learn the instrument.
Sunday Morning in the Sanctuary
Worship is the heart of the congregation, and it centers on a single weekly gathering. Each Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. the people of Second Presbyterian Church assemble in the historic sanctuary for a traditional service. They sing hymns, listen to the chancel choir or the bell choir, pray for one another, read scripture, share in the sacraments, and give of themselves. All people of all ages are welcome, including those watching from home; the service is livestreamed on YouTube each week, and recordings remain available afterward. The chancel choir sings multiple selections each Sunday in a repertoire that runs from classical to contemporary, while the bell choir plays on an occasional basis with its set of English-cast White Chapel Handbells.
Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month. Worshippers are usually served in their seats, and both gluten-free bread and grape juice are available. Children are welcome at the table as parents see fit. After the service, a coffee hour with snacks takes place in the dining room, and newcomers are warmly invited to stay.
Visitors often wonder what to wear, and the congregation answers simply: there is no expectation of a certain style of dress. Some members arrive in suits and ties or dresses, others in much more casual clothing. The main desire is that everyone be comfortable in whatever they choose.
Children and the Prayground
Children are a central part of the life of Second Presbyterian Church and are always welcome in the sanctuary. At the front of the room, near the chancel, low tables form a "prayground" where the smallest worshippers can sit with age-appropriate materials that help them engage with the service. Parents can sit in the pew just behind their children to guide them through the experience. For families with very young children, a livestream of the service is shown in the dining room downstairs so that anyone who steps away can still follow along.
The rhythm of the month shapes how children participate. On the first Sunday, Family Worship Sunday, all children remain in the sanctuary for the entire service. On the second, third, and fourth Sundays, elementary-aged children are invited to Sunday School following the Time with Young Disciples; teachers lead them from the sanctuary to the Sunday School rooms, where parents can pick them up after the service. On Fifth Sundays, children and youth help lead the congregation in worship, and Associate Pastor Lanie Sipes welcomes young people who would like to take part in whatever way feels comfortable to them. A short children's program called Worship +15 meets on selected Sundays at 11:15 a.m. for about fifteen minutes after worship ends.
The church keeps a current Child Safety and Protection Policy on its site and requires a Kid's Ministry Form on file for any child who participates in activities outside the Sunday service. Worship +15 and Kids' Day Out, a free all-day event for children age four through grade five, both fall under the policy's care.
CONNECT Youth Group
Young people in grades six through twelve are invited into CONNECT, an ecumenical youth group shared with several other congregations, including First Presbyterian Church, Hanover Presbyterian Church, Heath Christ United Methodist Church, Highwater United Church of Christ, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Newark Central Christian Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church. CONNECT gathers on Sunday evenings for fellowship, games, lessons, and small group time, with outings planned throughout the year. The form signed by youth and parents reads more like a covenant, asking members to be open to the surprising work of God, to honor one another and the adults who give their time, to avoid actions that detract from Christian community, and to leave places better than they found them. Background checks, the Rule of Three, and completed registration are part of the safety net around the group.
Music for the Long Tradition
Music is woven into nearly every part of life at Second Presbyterian. The chancel choir rehearses each Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. and is open to anyone in sixth grade or older who enjoys singing. The bell choir rehearses at 6:00 p.m. on Thursdays in the choir room and is described as a great place for those who like to make music but do not necessarily like to sing; all a ringer needs to be able to do is count. Music Director Richard Black and Choir Director Cara Noyes lead the program together.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the sanctuary hosts a regular series of special music events. Organist Rick Black and pianist Ann Marie Robinson partner for an annual Community Gospel Hymn Sing that benefits the Food Pantry Network of Licking County's Operation Feed campaign, blending gospel, classical, traditional, and contemporary pieces. The Community Christmas Carol Sing-a-Long, performed with choral groups from Heath and Licking Valley High Schools, raises funds for Job and Family Services' "Families Helping Families" gift program. Local harpist Olivia Claggett returns each fall for a free concert in the sanctuary. Other offerings include Music Camp and a Christmas Carol Sing.
Learning Together
The Adult Discipleship team gathers several recurring opportunities for grown-ups. On Wednesdays at noon, Pastor Todd Tracy leads the Brown Bag Bible Study, an informal conversation over lunch in which members read the text before they come. Wednesdays run from John chapter 17 through the Elijah narrative in 1 Kings and 2 Kings over the course of a semester. Other ongoing groups include a Book Club that meets in the evening, Second Sunday Socials that gather on Sunday afternoons, and an All Church Retreat. Recent book club selections have included "Just Mercy."
The Food Pantry and the Free Community Dinner
Serving the neighborhood is part of the church's daily rhythm. The food pantry, housed in the rear of the building with its own glass-door entrance, opens on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. until noon. It is a choice pantry, meaning guests select what their families will use from the categories on the shelves. Volunteers handle check-in, assist with selections, and keep the shelves stocked. The pantry is a partner of the Food Pantry Network of Licking County, which acquires and distributes food, sets guidelines, organizes lead volunteers, and supports the pantries that make up its network.
On Mondays each month from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., the dining room becomes a free community kitchen. Volunteers cook and serve a sit-down meal, and anyone who would rather take dinner home can come to the kitchen door on Second Street for a to-go plate. The meal is offered at no cost to those who come to eat.
The congregation also supports the Y Healthy Kids Backpack program, working with several area churches to provide backpacks of nutritious, easy-to-prepare food for elementary students to take home on weekends across nine school districts and more than five hundred children each weekend. Other mission efforts include an annual Wall Build, the Rise Against Hunger meal packing event, and ongoing support for the Coalition for Care, the Salvation Army, and the Vertical 196 warming shelter. Outreach funds also flow through denominational offerings and the Church World Service Blanket Sunday.
Presbyterian Women and the Wider Church
Presbyterian Women at Second Presbyterian Church is connected through the Presbytery of Scioto Valley and the Synod to the church-wide organization of Presbyterian Women, Inc. The Coordinating Team welcomes all women of the church to meet on the fourth Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Emmaus room, except in June, July, and December. The group's purpose is to nurture faith through prayer and Bible study, to support the mission of the church worldwide, to work for justice and peace, and to build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and witnesses to the promise of God's kingdom. The women participate in the church-wide Birthday Offering and Thank Offering, support local and global mission outreach, and provide funeral team assistance and luncheons for SPC families.
Leadership and Governance
The congregation is governed by a Session of elders elected by the members and ordained to the office, with committees covering education, personnel, outreach and partnership, facilities, budget and finance, fellowship, worship and music, marketing, and the Second Funds endowment. Deacons are likewise elected and ordained; each is assigned a "flock," or portion of the membership, and the Board of Deacons as a whole plans special care for members in nursing facilities or at home, contributes to collections for the Salvation Army and personal care items for BHP residents, arranges distribution of communion to members who can no longer attend, and works with the pastors to lead monthly worship at the Inn at Chapel Grove and Sharonbrooke. Doug Kullman serves as Clerk of Session and Treasurer.
Special Services Across the Year
Several services mark the seasons of the church year. Kirkin' o' the Tartans follows an ancient Scottish tradition in which clan tartans are brought into the Kirk to be blessed; the service acknowledges the importance of the Kirk and Presbyterian heritage in shaping Scottish culture. NAMA's Thanksgiving Service is an ecumenical gathering hosted with the Newark Area Ministerial Association, with donations going to the Licking County Coalition of Care. The Ecumenical Blue Christmas Service, also held with NAMA, is offered for those who find it hard to find joy in the holiday season. Christmas Eve worship is held in the historic sanctuary as well. Sunday mornings continue through all of these seasons, and the bell choir, chancel choir, and carillon together fill the sanctuary with music each week.
Joining in
Anyone who wants to visit can find the church at 42 East Church Street in Newark, with the office reachable at 740-349-8691 or office@spcnewark.org. Giving is available online through a secure portal run by the Presbyterian Foundation, by bank bill payment, or by direct electronic funds transfer arranged through the finance office. The Second Scoop, a weekly e-blast, keeps the wider community informed of upcoming events, and prayer requests can be sent in through a form on the site. For nearly two hundred years, the people of Second Presbyterian Church have gathered in the same block of downtown Newark to sing, pray, learn, serve, and welcome the stranger. The doors stay open for the next neighbor who walks through.