Who We Are
First Presbyterian Church is a family of believers gathered around the good news of Jesus Christ. We hold to the historic Christian faith as summarized in the Westminster Standards, and we belong to the Presbyterian Church in America. Our desire is simple: to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, together.
Our services are marked by reverent, joyful worship and the faithful preaching of God's Word. Whether you have walked with Christ for decades or are exploring the Christian faith for the first time, we warmly invite you to join us.
Our History
The First Presbyterian Church of Water Valley was organized at a picnic on the bank of Town Creek as the “Otocloffa” church, as spelled in the original handwritten Session (council of elders) minutes book from 1843. Remarks in quotes except the 1 Timothy verse are from those original documents.
That picnic was Saturday, October 14, 1843, when seventeen people assembled to await a committee from the Chickasaw Presbytery of the “Old School General Assembly” of the Presbyterian Church to organize the local church. (A “presbytery” is a gathering of elders and ministers from churches within a geographic region or district.) However, on that day the Chickasaw Presbytery organizing committee never arrived.
Undaunted, the organizing evangelist, Rev. Angus Johnson, proceeded to preach a dedication sermon from 1 Timothy 3:15, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth.”
The minutes then report Rev. Johnson “pronounced he was called to moderate the meeting. After the object of the meeting was stated, it was resolved and unanimously passed that we proceed to organize.” Thus, the group petitioned the Chickasaw Presbytery to become a particular church.
These are the names of the organizing petitioners:
- Jas. M. Morrison
- Robert Nickel
- Peter Johnson
- Wm. A. Morrison
- Robert H. Morrison
- Eliza Morrison
- Jane E. Morrison
- Margaret J. Morrison
- H. J. Gardner
- Catherine E. Cloud
- Jane Nickel
- Lucinda A. Morrison
- Mary A. S. Johnson
- Wm. M. Giles
- Martha D. Gardner
- Mary E. Morrison
The first elders elected by the new church were Mr. James M. Morrison and Mr. Robert Nickel. The church met for worship the next day, Sunday, October 15, 1843. They installed the new elders “after which the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered in view of an attentive and serious congregation.” Rev. Johnson was called to be their first minister.
His life spanned the nineteenth century and is worth comment. He was born August 26, 1809 in Robeson County, North Carolina, an area rich in Presbyterian and Reformed heritage. He graduated with one of the early classes of Columbia Theological Seminary located in Decatur, Georgia. He was licensed to preach the Gospel on April 10, 1836, by Harmony Presbytery. He initially served churches in North Carolina.
He came to Mississippi at a time when many North Carolinians came to the young state. He was a man of strong health and evangelistic spirit, helping to organize several churches around Yalobusha County between 1843 and 1859. After he left Water Valley he served churches in Tennessee, Florida, and Texas until age seventy-six. He continued evangelistic work until his death on January 19, 1905, at Avalon, Texas.
“Otocloffa Presbyterian” church was renamed “First Presbyterian” in 1850. There have been several Presbyterian denominations; Water Valley Presbyterians originally affiliated with the “Old School General Assembly” of the Presbyterian Church. In 1973 we united with the conservative, Bible-believing Presbyterian Church in America.
We have been blessed with at least three worship places. Perhaps the earliest, circa 1852, was on Simmons Street. In 1866 the church built a wooden structure including a tall steeple at the current address. That building was lost to fire the night of January 8, 1896. The present building was begun in September 1896, completed October 1898. The Education Building on Church Street was dedicated in 1968.
We have always supported Christian missions. Around 1905 this church supported a missionary to Cuba, Miss Edith McClung. Not much is known of her now; perhaps you could tell us something.
Today and Looking Forward
We currently help support missionaries and church planters, and we are pleased to participate with many area churches to assist the labors of “Compassion Ministries.”
Our Christian Education includes Sunday School for children and adults, we have a core group trained for outreach using Evangelism Explosion, and we have hosted the youth program Pioneer Clubs.
If you are looking for a church home, you are welcome to worship with us!
In closing, we invite you to consider this thought from our doctrinal standards, the original (1647) Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms: “What is the chief and highest end of man? Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever.”
May you enjoy Him forever, by trusting in Jesus Christ alone, in repentance and faith, for everlasting life.
What We Believe
We confess the faith once delivered to the saints: that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. As a PCA congregation, we subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.