About Harbor View
Presbyterian Church
Charleston Presbytery purchased a four
acre site for a new church at 900 Harbor View Road in 1967. Rev. W.
Larry Crocker was called to be the organizing pastor and began his
ministry on June 1, 1968. The first service was held on August 4, 1968
at the James Island YMCA with eighty people attending.
On October 6, 1968 Harbor View
Presbyterians were officially organized into a congregation at a
commissioning service during which one hundred twenty eight charter
members were received, eight ruling elders ordained, and the Rev.
Crocker installed as pastor. In April 1969, services were first held
on church property in the Activities Building. The church was
dedicated to the Glory of God on January 18, 1970. To accommodate
growth, a new education wing and an addition to the sanctuary were
constructed in 1973.
In September 1974, Rev. Crocker was
dismissed to assume another call, and in June 1975, the Rev. Robert L.
Catlin was installed as the second pastor. During Rev. Catlin's five
and a half years as pastor, the church began a Day Care Program for
children, reorganized the session committee structure, and purchased an
additional three acres of property for future development. Rev. Catlin
resigned in December 1980 and the Rev. Donald Day became the third
pastor in October 1981.
The sanctuary was remodeled and the
1886 Harrison tracker organ was rebuilt in 1984. The first worship
service was held in the new sanctuary on November 10, 1985.
Our excellent music program was
enhanced in 1992 when a memorial gift was used to purchase a Young
Chang grand piano. Other memorials enabled us to add hand bells
several years later. The church's 25th anniversary was celebrated with
the addition of a new fellowship hall and kitchen in 1993.
Dr. Day resigned his ministry in
October 1995 to continue his education in pastoral counseling. After a
year and a half of interim pastors, the Rev. J. Patrick Vaughn
accepted a call to serve as Harbor View's fourth pastor and was
installed on April 27, 1997. He served until June 30, 2005
In February 1998, a Vision Committee
was appointed by the session to determine how Harbor View can grow in
faithfulness and strengthen our basic mission of service to God. The
committee set long and short term goals and presented them to the
session and the congregation.
Herb Miller, a church consultant, was
engaged by the session to lead a Futuring Conference in October 2002.
The session adopted his recommendations for our spiritual and physical
growth in November 2002. A Futuring Committee was appointed to oversee
the program through the first year of the program's implementation. We
are in the midst of exciting changes and are preparing to grow in our
service to God by opening our doors to more of our neighbors with two
services. Dr. Gary Hill was added to the staff to direct the music
program of the first worship service, and Anne Wirth accepted the new
position of Director of Hospitality and Discipleship to welcome guests
and to help new members assimilate into the life of the church,. Plans
for expanding the church's facilities were put into fast forward in
2003 when 2.1 acres of property adjacent to the church became
available and were purchased. A Property Planning Committee is working
with an architectural firm to develop plans for expanding the facilities
and to build a new sanctuary in the coming years.
We face the future with faith, hope,
and enthusiasm as we continue to grow in service to God and our
neighbors through outreach, evangelism, fellowship, education,
and Christian love.
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