Makin’ history at the Presbyterian Church for 150 years…

Mike Vouri places his hand on Reverend T.J. Weekes' Bible held by Pastor Joe Bettridge, after their presentation Tuesday night. Photo by Peggy Sue McRae.

Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church Celebrates 150 Year History

Tuesday night Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church commemorated serving its San Juan Island congregation for 150 years with the first of a two-part series beginning with the 19th century.

Older than the Town of Friday Harbor, San Juan’s Presbyterian congregation pre-dates even the Pig War. Historian and author Mike Vouri set the stage by sharing stories, photographs and excerpts from his and his wife Julie’s new book, Images of America: San Juan Island (scheduled to come out Nov 1st). Painting a lively picture of the Island in the 19th century Mike then turned the story telling over the Pastor Joe Bettridge.

It began in 1860 when Reverend Summerville from Victoria crossed Haro Strait to hold services in the log schoolhouse at Portland Fair Hill.

In 1870 T.J. Weekes became the first full-time minister to serve the Island. Weekes was an Englishman who sailed around the Horn to San Francisco, prospected for gold, and was lifetime pen pals with Mark Twain. Pastor Weekes taught Island children to read and convinced many of the European-American men and the native women they settled down with to get married.

In his diary he wrote about the first time he passed a collection plate on the Island. All that came of it were 3 lonely nickels. To make matters worse, after the service a member of the congregation confided to the reverend that he was going to need his 2 nickels back. “Why” asked the reverend, “if you knew you would need them back did you put them in the offering plate?” To this the reluctant donor answered, “I thought it best to keep up appearances.”

On October 26th Mike Vouri and Joe Bettridge will tell more stories about the church, this time from the 20th century.

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