One More 150 Post (of gratitude)

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133

2024 has been one amazing celebration! A full year of inspiration; a festival of love; one party after another!

One post cannot begin to capture all of the beauty, the wonder, the inspiration and the joy that marked Sunday’s big anniversary here at HMPC. The celebration team understood that from the get-go, hence the series of imaginative events.

But there had to be a day, one day, The Day, where everything was going to come into focus and, Oh my goodness! Sunday, October 20th it sure did.

The people just poured in, until fifteen minutes before worship we were packed. Fun fact: it is apparently possible to shoehorn 316 people into HMPC’s sanctuary. The spirit of celebration, of belief, of love, of flat out joy was overwhelming and true and saturated with the good news and the promise that defines the Gospel.

We are not surprised, because this is what church is like. Worship is the coming together of God’s children in gratitude and in joy!

And this is what community is: people who know they are loved and forgiven and free showing up to celebrate.

Praise, laughter and music; congratulations from our mayor; greetings from the greater church; inspiration and heart from Christopher Edmonston; all moderated by Rebekah with enthusiasm and belief and joy.

There is nothing that comes close to the spirit of community here. How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity — and in genuine love.

What a privilege to write about! Thanks - Derek

God Knows Us Each By Name

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” - Isaiah 43:1

It has been a number of years since HMPC put out a new pictorial directory. So what better time to update the names and faces of our congregation than this 150th anniversary celebration.

It has been a big project, significantly more extensive than anyone other than those putting the directory together could imagine. The result is a state of the art booklet produced by Susan Roberson, Diane LeFiles, Bill Goode, Anna Vaughn Kincheloe and the combined efforts of many more than I could begin to name.

The team achieved an attractive publication that not only features portraits but also captures some of the vibrant life that pulsates throughout HMPC’s beautiful and historic campus.

God makes a point, throughout the Bible, of saying he knows us by name. It’s a powerful idea that lands squarely in the sweet spot of the deeply personal nature of God’s love.

The theme is picked up in the sacrament of baptism too. Sunday, September 22 the latest set of twins - Lance Cherry III and Lauryn Cherry - were welcomed into the family of God and they were baptized, by name and in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God knows each one of us by name. We are heirs of the Kingdom, named as such. Here is an idea: Pick up a new directory, look at each picture in turn, and thank God for that individual - by name.

In love and in gratitude - Derek

Rally Day and Why Church is More Important than Ever

Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it. - Proverbs 22-6

Rebekah and I both agree that “Rally Day” is always one of our favorite Sundays in the year. Of course we’re enthusiastic just about all of the time, but there is something particularly invigorating about the community coming back together after Labor Day, and the sense of renewed commitment to education for all ages. 

I am personally excited to be guest teaching the “Finding Your Faith” class during the fall. This is where many of our parents with school-aged children attend and I am looking forward to learning from their perspective.

During worship Rebekah and Andrea (HMPC’s director for children and youth) gathered the children around the communion table for a “blessing of the backpacks.” This was a powerful moment, especially in reaffirming the consequential connection between learning and faith in Christian community.

The energy present during Rally Day worship was inspirational. And, as the sermon focused on our essential reason for being as a congregation, we all felt the gravity of the moment and the importance of education for all ages during this season in our history - both as a church and as Americans.

There is no substitute for church when it comes to promoting and undergirding the importance of community, and of learning, and of mutual forbearance. Because forbearance - which means our ability to live together in peace despite our differences - is almost impossible to cultivate in society outside the work of the church. 

Simply put, this nation needs the church, now more than ever - Derek

HMPC Garden Club Award Helps Tell the Story

In celebrating 150 years as an active, community-focused, missional congregation, Howard Memorial is a statistical anomaly. Typically, churches don’t stay this healthy this long.

Neighborhoods change, city residents move to the suburbs, congregations split because they argue over things less important than the Good News, mission plays second fiddle to self-interest, numbers decrease until the bills can’t be paid, people hold to tradition so tightly they squeeze the spirit out and churches - of all denominations - lose touch with the life and enthusiasm that called them into being.

For 150 years, Howard Memorial has consistently done two things exceptionally well: First, we are not afraid to pray, “Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.” Then, we are committed to sharing the Good News.

One more visible yet subtle connection to the community is the ongoing commitment to downtown Tarboro via a campus that is both beautiful and accessible.

It’s more than being a good neighbor, it’s about reinforcing the theological truth that salvation involves partnership with God to bring reconciliation to people and creation.

To that end the local Garden Club recently recognized HMPC’s contribution to the community with the seasonal “Yard Award.”

It’s another confirmation that longterm ministry involves a commitment to serve beyond our doors and being a sure and positive presence right here in historic downtown, exactly where we were first planted.

Care around here runs deep. Sometimes people know it just by walking by. - Derek Maul

Herds of Elephant and Barrels of Monkeys

“How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.” - 2 John 1:4

If there is one thing Vacation Bible School does well, it is to remind everyone how good it is to have children buzzing around… stomping around… the church.

This year’s theme centered around the jungle, and running into the children was either like meeting a herd of elephants or opening a barrel of monkeys!

The curriculum used words designed to summarize the whole Bible story: “Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross and Consummation.” As Presbyterians we could narrow it down to one: “Covenant.”

“Covenant” is the thread that runs throughout HMPC’s 150-year history, much as it is the thread that knits God’s Word together from Genesis to Revelation.

Covenant is also the word that links the heart of our congregation to the serious fun and games of VBS, of children’s ministries and of programs for youth.

Because when these children were baptized, we as a congregation made promises too. This is why baptism in the Presbyterian tradition is part of corporate worship and a covenant with three parties in on the promises.

Those parties are God, the parents and the congregation. The church instructs that a local congregation “shall profess its faith, voice its support of the baptized and express its willingness to take responsibility for the nurture of those baptized.”

Personally, I do not know how anyone could be part of such a covenant and not be deeply invested in the presence and the nurture of children.

Such a covenant is, after all, the way and the heart of Jesus - DEREK

Jesus Wants us to Learn from the Children

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” - Matthew 19:14

One of the best TED Talks I ever heard was offered by British author, speaker and educational philosopher Sir Ken Robinson (1950-2020). He was talking about children and creativity.

Robinson’s message had to do with the natural abilities children come to school with at around age five, and then what school often does to squash that potential over the next dozen or so years.

The majority of kids, he said, demonstrate exceptional and gifted levels of creativity when they begin. Twelve years later, when we test them again, only a handful score above low average.

Sir Ken went on to extol the beauty and the joy of children’s natural creativity, and to discuss how we could do a better job of nurturing the belief, the wonder, the inquisitiveness, the trust and the genius that is too easily lost.

I believe Jesus was/is on the same page as Sir Ken Robinson. Jesus recognized the amazing spirit of trust and belief and joy that characterizes young children, and he suggested we all learn from them.

This week HMPC’s Andrea Drake (Director for Children and Youth) and her team are channeling some of that energetic spirit in and through Vacation Bible School. “The Great Jungle Journey” is billed as “an epic cruise from Genesis to Revelation,” and is designed to equip our children with faith, Bible knowledge and inspiration.

These are the children who may well go on to be church leaders as we approach celebrating 200 years in 2074. Maybe - and I believe Jesus would be on board with this idea - we could put ourselves in the position to learn some belief, and wonder, and fun, and faith from them?

Andrea and our Christian Education team would love to help you find out how. - DEREK

The Irrepressible Power that Sustains HMPC

Sunday July 21 comprised another significant milestone in Howard Memorial’s ongoing Celebration 150.

Not a party, not a festival, not a dedication; not a run, not a luncheon but simply a worship service where we considered the powerful truth that “Jesus is the resurrection and the life.”

The most exciting miracle in Christ’s ministry was - and still is - that of infusing people with new life and then giving them (giving us) the power to live with undaunted purpose and joy and belief.

This is why our amazing church is still here 150 years after first being organized in 1874. And it is the only reason we will have the opportunity to celebrate 175 down the road, and 200 in 2074.

This resurrection life that Jesus talks about also serves as the power that called and will equip the 2027 class of elders serving as leaders over the short term. That’s Zora Drake, Jonathan Cobb, Jerome Creech, Steven Spruill and Bennett Bradley.

Additionally, this resurrection life is calling and will empower the new pastor who will serve beyond the short term and into our future. To that end our PNC comprises David Anderson, Michael Peters, Bennett Bradley, Bonnie Whitehurst, Katie Schultz, June Cherry and youth rep Michael Bolivar.

But it is the people in the pews who will be here for and in the long term, and if the resurrection power of Jesus resides in us, then we will worship together and serve together and witness together to the glory of God and this church will continue to give light like a city on a hill!

Pastor Rebekah Maul completed her message Sunday by reminding us of the words Jesus shared in John 11:25-26. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Do we believe this?” Rebekah asked the congregation again. “Do we?”

In love and hope - DEREK

Praise God with the Organ!

“Praise God with the timbrel and dance: praise God with stringed instruments and organs.” Psalm 150:4

A couple of Sundays ago, sitting in my pew during the offertory, I suddenly noticed tears welling up in my eyes and realized that Bill Hilderbrandt had done it again, sharing evocative organ music that connected my heart directly to my home church in Folkestone, England, where master organist Paul Powell would flood the sanctuary with beautifully crafted hymns of praise.

This time it was “No-one Understands Like Jesus,” possibly my mother’s favorite hymn. All Bill would have to do is play Elgar’s arrangement of Blake’s “Jerusalem” and somebody would have to bring Kleenex for the whole pew.

Fine organ music may be one of the trademark privileges of worshipping at Howard Memorial, but is likely one of the most overlooked. Who can honestly say they come into church on a Sunday morning, sit down, then silently thank God for what we have grown accustomed to?

Well, this recent transplant from a congregation without an organ can say “Yes. Yes I do.” And I guarantee people do think about the organ when they either A) attend a church with no organ or B) - and this is worse - attend a church with an organ that is played poorly.

But not to worry, here at HMPC in Tarboro we are blessed to enjoy the expertise and the commitment of Bill Hilderbrandt, who has been on board since 2007 and truly knows how to coax beautiful and powerful music from the historic 1913 21 Rank Austin organ, refurbished in 2017 with a new consul.

Sadly, organ playing is a dying skill in a world where many of the refinements and the arts we take for granted are now considered disposable even in school.

So thanks, Bill, for being such a faithful steward of your gifts. Grateful, and still drying my eyes - Derek

150 Years of Bread, Wine, Cookies and Lemonade

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you.” - Matthew 26:26-27

Christians have been taking communion, participating in The Lord’s Supper, since Jesus first broke the bread and poured the wine in the Upper Room the day before his crucifixion. Here at Howard Memorial the sacrament is celebrated the first Sunday of every month.

Then, during these hot summer Sundays and likely for the past 150 years, delicious cold lemonade and cookies are served on the lawn after worship.

Both experiences are eucharistic in the sense that Christ intended when he charged his disciples — instructed us -with the practice of “doing this in remembrance of me.”

Jesus, as Rebekah pointed out in her message June 2nd, chose the most common and accessible elements for his followers to use as a mnemonic device.

The Master knew that “breaking bread together” was already sacramental in terms of gathering for sustenance and fellowship and encouragement and devotion.

Sitting in the congregation this past Sunday, having taken the bread and the wine, I felt deeply connected both to Jesus and to my sisters and brothers coming forward to receive the elements.

Then, standing outside under the huge crepe myrtle in front of the sanctuary, munching a goldfish and sipping lemonade with the same good people, I felt a moistening in my eyes because I understood that this is communion too.

At home, over lunch, Rebekah and I paused to remember and offer our gratitude to God. Later this week, when we break bread with friends both from the church and from the community we will - again - take the cup, give thanks, and share God’s love.

Jesus often talked about “living water” and “the bread of life.” To live, then, it is necessary to be sustained both in body and in spirit.

Water, wine, bread, lemonade, cookies… goldfish.
- Derek

HMPC’s Men’s Ministry is a Strong Foundation

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:23-24)

In most Presbyterian churches - even large ones - a strong and active men’s ministry is a dream from the distant past. Howard Memorial, however, is not “most churches” and we need look no further than Tuesday

mornings.

Not once a month, but every week; not a devotion followed by chitchat but focused Bible study; not a handful talking about “the good old days” but over twenty men, actively engaged, serious about encouraging one another as followers of the Way of Jesus.

I have a theory about men’s ministry that has been at the heart of my commitment to The Church for several decades. My theory is that “active participation, by men, in prayer and Bible study” is a key demographic that would speak volumes if incorporated into the metrics the Presbyterian Church looks at to identify healthy congregations.

Simply put, a congregation where men gather for Bible study, prayer, mutual encouragement and accountability is a church where other key indicators are likely healthy too.

If you are curious, we would love to see you. Tuesday mornings, at 7:30, in the session room, all squeezed around the long table.

If your schedule does not allow for Tuesday mornings, or you would like to be in a group maybe with younger men, let the church office know. We will start a data base. Maybe this is a ministry slated for expansion in the fall?

Regardless, pray for the men of Howard Memorial, God is doing some creative work with your brothers every Tuesday morning. - Derek Maul

Someone (Creative) to Tell the Story

“For we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” - Acts 4:20

Here on the “150th Anniversary” page I’d like to highlight a couple of key elements that make this part of the website stay alive.

First, there is always something new to help this community celebrate.

• The last weekend in April, “Arts in the Garden” brought together creativity, talent, craftsmanship, passion, ministry, mission and support from the community.

• The first weekend in May featured the rededication of our 1909 sanctuary and the dedication of the 2024 Carillon, a state-of-the-art collection of chimes dedicated to the glory of God and HMPC’s commitment to sharing the Good News.

Then, the folk who are committed to telling the Howard Memorial story are faithful, inspirational, very well organized and relentless!

So here’s a shout out to Faye Price and Cindy Brittain, who are coordinating all things 150, and then — the particular focus of this column — Ann Margaret Taylor, who is putting her creative passion to work by directing, filming and editing the video series that shares this page.

To date, seven interviews have been published and several more are in the pipeline.

These are the witnesses. And, just like Peter and John in the dramatic scene played out in Acts Chapter Four, they “cannot keep from talking about what we have seen and heard.”

Thanks, Ann Margaret, for helping to tell the story, and for showing how alive and vital God’s love is, both in and through the witnesses you are showcasing.

“And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone telling the story?” - Romans 10:14

Lights in the Darkness — and Bells in the Steeple!

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (Ephesians 5:8)

Several years ago I spoke at men’s a retreat in a remote mountain camp. I checked in then walked the half mile from my cabin to the assembly hall. “Let’s take this short cut behind the lake,” my host said. We were chatting and I hardly paid attention to the route.

We ate dinner, I delivered my keynote, we had breakout groups, then I closed with a devotion. That’s when they broke out the snacks and settled in for games and conversation.

It was almost 10:00 and I was exhausted from the day’s travel. “I have to go over my notes for the morning,” I said. “So I’m heading to my cabin.”

There was a murmur of goodnights and I slipped out. I remembered to stay on the trail side of the lake, left the parking area and aimed for the track leading to the cabins.

Three minutes into what should have been a 15-minute stroll some sort of timer triggered, and all the outside lights went off. That included those marking the trail. When I say it was dark it was “can’t see my shoes” dark, “can’t see my hand in front of my face” dark. Cloudy, no moon. It was dark dark. My phone was in my room.

I wasn’t sure I was even on the correct path.

So I shuffled, moving my hands in front of my face in case I left the trail, which I did, frequently. I’d already turned a corner so going back was no better. The 15-minute walk took me more than an hour.

Just a point of light, a reference, was all I would have needed.

This church, Howard Memorial Presbyterian, has been a point of light in Tarboro for 150 years. Sunday, May 5 we will dedicate a new carillon to the glory of God. It will also be another reference point for Tarboro, another point of light for people who need to find their way home.

Don’t miss it. May 5 is going to be a great day! - Derek

"I Believe in the Communion of the Saints"

There is a phrase I often think about during the The Lord’s Supper. It goes like this: “I believe in the communion of the saints;” it assumes a continuity of belief and purpose and fellowship over the years that includes absolutely everyone who Loves God and follows Jesus.

The phrase appears in the Apostles Creed, that essential statement of faith from the Second Century. And it is particularly apropos during this epic 150th celebration. Why? Because The Communion of the Saints is a concept that knits together the entire history of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, from 1874 through to the excitement and the sense of promise that is animating our church this year, 2024.

From my perspective — as a believer in Jesus who knows and loves so many people so very deeply, from each of the four congregations Rebekah served and beyond — The Communion of the Saints came into sharp focus this past Sunday, April 7, when I travelled to Wake Forest Presbyterian Church to plant a rose bush in memory of my mother.

It was a Communion Sunday. And as I stood in line to take the bread and the wine I understood that I was also taking communion with the people I love in Tarboro, and with my mother, and with my dad and my brother too.

Then, and in addition to all the beautiful people at our two Florida churches, I shared the Lord’s Supper with “The Three Annas” who helped to start HMPC in 1874, and with the men in the Bible-study groups I have led, and with the families who built our beautiful sanctuary in 1909, and with Rev. Iverson, and Bob Burns, and Christopher Edmonston, and more.

The Communion of the Saints is the living history of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church. Nothing we do here, nothing we say here, nothing we believe here, and nothing we love here stands in isolation. It cannot, because we are all part of that Great Cloud of Witnesses.

We live today as the fullest expression of the faith that has sustained this church for One Hundred Fifty years… and that will undergird our future with hope and with promise too.

I believe in the Communion of the Saints - DEREK

Nice Work on the 5K Mission Run and Thanks for Letting Me Sit in

One of the (very many) cool things about being here at Howard Memorial as the spouse of the “Interim” pastor is this sense of being a spectator, but also invited to be 100% a part of everything that happens.

It’s like showing up for a well-known play on Broadway, then being welcomed on stage and given a few lines. Or sitting on a comfortable seat in the middle of a talented symphony orchestra — awash in the bright and beautiful sounds — and being handed a tambourine to shake at just the right time.

All the history here is so rich and compelling, and all the hard work for the future is ongoing, and here I am — front and center — soaking it all in.

It was like that at Saturday morning’s 17th annual “Movin’ for Community Outreach 5K.” A popular Tarboro event supporting local initiatives that fight hunger and homelessness.

Tarboro Community Outreach is a vital ministry that exists and thrives exactly because of the vision and dedication of Howard Memorial. Not just an idea, but an ongoing commitment rooted in this congregation’s longtime practice of following Jesus. Reaching out with the love of God to so many people experiencing homelessness, and people experiencing food insecurity.

The March 23 5K was, no surprise, a big success - despite all the rain and the threat of more rain. Money was raised and the generosity exceeded expectations. But, more importantly, is this deep sense of community spirit and awareness, with Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church stating, loud and clear, that we are right here in Tarboro and we are doing everything we can to be the presence of Christ in this community.

And when I say “we” I mean the members of this hardworking, well-rehearsed, accomplished and faithful orchestra. Plus the occasional “ding” of my tambourine. Thanks for letting me sit in - DEREK

A Community with a Presbyterian Heart

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”
(John 13:35).

Today’s blog post is more personal. The focus of this space may be to celebrate Howard Memorial’s 150 years of faithful witness in Tarboro, but my view is very much that of a newcomer and the unique role of pastor’s spouse.

When Rebekah and I started this adventure (her first call was in 1982) there was no such thing as a “Preacher’s Husband.” There were many expectations in place for preachers’ wives - both reasonable and not so much - but nobody knew what to do with me!

Rebekah’s mother, who had a lifetime of experience, gave me great advice: “Take care of the following and you will be fine,” she said. “Love the Lord. Love the preacher. Love the church.”

Love is, first and foremost, a choice. One gift Rebekah and I have always given the place where we live is to love it. We don’t wait to see if we love it, we show up choosing to love. Pensacola; Brandon; Wake Forest; Tarboro.

This is also the best advice we give younger ministers. “If you love a church from the first day, they will love you back. If you love a community from the moment you show up, that community - those good people - will love you back.”

Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church must be on the same page! This congregation did not hold back to see if we were going to be lovable! You have opened your hearts and loved us, generously, from the get-go.

It is obvious that this church loves the community too. There is a deep affection that runs both ways, and Tarboro is not just a town with a Presbyterian Church, it is a community with a Presbyterian Heart!

So here we are, 2024: not just 150 years of church but 150 years of intentional love. “This is how Tarboro is going to know that you are my disciples!” Jesus says. “When they see how much you love one another.”

In love, and because of love - Derek Maul

Taking the Light from the Stained Glass Out into the World

Through the Word was life,
and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
(John 1:4-5)

First-time visitors to Howard Memorial are struck immediately by the beauty of the light in the sanctuary, the way the morning sun filters through the 1909 stained-glass to illuminate the space with a golden, muted iridescence.

It is a glow that tells the story of how light entered the world through the birth and life of Jesus Christ, and also how light continues to be refracted and multiplied through the lives of those called to be Followers of the Living Way. The power of this story is told not just in the meditative receiving of light in the sanctuary, but also in the intentional living that comes in response to worship, and to preaching, and to listening, and to prayer.

It is our call to shine, and this congregation’s enthusiastic faithful response, that marks Tarboro’s Presbyterians. HMPC is as much defined by action as meditation. But the signal beauty of this sanctuary is a strong invitation to reflection and prayer. Walk into the sanctuary one weekday morning, when it is not crowded with people, then spend some quiet time alone with God.

It is not too much to say that — in the right context — great architecture helps facilitate faithful discipleship. Regardless, Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church is blessed. A blessing translated both into meditation and outreach. Amen.

The Day the Saints Came Marching In

“For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake his saints; they are preserved forever…” (Psalm 37:28)

Sunday February 11, much to the delight of worshippers, a small detachment from “The Great Cloud of Witnesses” made their way to Tarboro, where they attended services at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church.

The illustrious band of saints comprised five men and five women, including the legendary “Three Annas” and the inimitable Sally Drew. All ten were instrumental in establishing 1874’s original iteration of Tarboro’s Presbyterians.

One by one, and with the help of an admirable narrator (Kate Brittain) the visitors told inspirational stories telling how the love of Jesus had shaped their lives and the beginnings of this church.

The ten shared a compelling message about the passion that gave birth to the vision that is now HMPC, and the faithfulness that has sustained it. Our 19th Century forebears may be numbered among the saints, but their story is less about the spectacular and more about the real. For they are the Presbyterian Church, women and men who are being transformed daily by genuine faith, regular people building a community where love and grace and acceptance and generosity and service continue to define life together.

The vision our time-traveling visitors shared remains as vital, as alive, as true, as compelling, as charged with life and as flat out necessary today as it was in 1874. Fortunately, we are still equipped with the mighty power of God, the deep deep love of Jesus, and the animating breath of the Holy Spirit.

Check back soon for more reporting from this yearlong celebration of not only our history but our future too.

– Derek

Immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Greetings, friends! We have much to celebrate here at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church. This is the first in a series of blog posts I have been asked to write as we navigate this amazing year.

I pray that, here in this digital space, we can emulate the spirit of Anna Stamps Howard, one of “The Three Annas” who worked tirelessly to organize the congregation that became HMPC. “Amazed by the lack of any Presbyterian influence in Tarboro,” one account states, “she became a driving force for the establishment of a Presbyterian Church.”

The PC(USA) congregation, officially chartered in 1874, has enjoyed a strong history marked by an extraordinary legacy of leadership both within the community and beyond. It was here in 1926, in his office just off the entry to the sanctuary, that then pastor Daniel Iverson penned the original text to “Spirit of the Living God.”

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

The hymn, destined to become a classic, captured deep truths about the nature of God and quickly took on a life of its own — much like the witness of Howard Memorial — immeasurably more than anyone could have asked or imagined.

As the 150th birthday observances begin to build momentum in this year-long celebration, it is humbling to look back on the work of God’s Living Spirit in this place. It is more thrilling still to look forward, with hope and anticipation for the future.

According to some authorities, Iverson’s original wording included the more challenging invitation for God to, “Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.” Regardless, the implication is clear; our future, as our past, is only possible to the extent that we give ourselves over completely to God’s initiatives of restoration, grace, mercy, love, redemption, justice, and healing.

In Christ’s constant love — Derek Maul