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Orestimba Presbyterian Church marks 150 years of worship and community service
opc

By Grant Goble

Orestimba Presbyterian Church will celebrate 150 years of worship and ministry in the Newman community on Sept. 7, 2026, with a larger anniversary celebration planned for the weekend of Sept. 25–27. This year’s theme is “Great is Thy Faithfulness!”

The church was organized on Sept. 7, 1876, by the Rev. Eli C. Latta, a minister and evangelist for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Early services were held in the Orestimba School House from 1876 to 1889 in the foothills near Orestimba Creek.

In 1889, the congregation moved into Newman and built its first church building at P and Kern streets on land donated by early member O.C. Eastin. The structure cost $1,600. In 1906, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Newman joined PC(USA) and became the First Presbyterian Church of Newman. As the congregation grew, it added Westminster Hall in 1961 as an educational and multi‑purpose building.

Rev. Latta also helped establish a Presbyterian church in Crows Landing in 1892. That congregation later merged with the First Presbyterian Church of Newman in 1963, forming Orestimba United Presbyterian Church.

A major turning point came on Jan. 14, 1979, when the 90‑year‑old wooden sanctuary burned down. The congregation met in Westminster Hall while a new sanctuary was built. The contemporary structure was completed at the end of 1980, allowing the congregation to celebrate Christmas there. It was formally dedicated in May 1981. The original bell tower and bell were salvaged, restored and rededicated in 1982.

The Gothic Window from the old sanctuary was partially saved after the fire and later fully refurbished with a new center panel designed by Interim Pastor August Harris and crafted by artist Bob McConnell. It remains a symbol of the congregation’s enduring legacy. In 1997, six stained‑glass windows were added to the east side of the sanctuary facing P Street.

In 2013, the congregation voted to join ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. The church is currently pastored by the Rev. Dr. Grant Goble.

As Orestimba Presbyterian Church marks 150 years of ministry on the West Side, the congregation invites the community to join the celebration Sept. 26–27. More information is available at orestimbapc.org, on the church’s Facebook page, or by calling the church office at 209‑862‑2661.