First Presbyterian Church of Lake Mary

First Presbyterian Church of Lake Mary. . (side 1) , In 1894, under the leadership of Rev. J.F. Sundell, a group of Lake Mary's founding fathers joined to form a community church. Gathering signatures of other early residents, a petition was signed and submitted by Reverend Sundell to the governing board of the South Florida Presbytery in Lakeland, Florida, to request affiliation with the Presbyterian Church. Approval was granted on October 10, 1894., Over the next 30 years, the church served the community as a place of worship, as well as a meeting place for many social events, open to residents of all faiths and denominations., On December 15, 1927, the members of the church, under the guidance of the Reverend James Thompson, began making plans to erect a building. Work began on December 26, 1927, with over fifty volunteers taking part to construct the building that now sits on the original site. With credit granted for materials, (Continued on other side). (side 2) (Continued from other side). generous monetary donations and hundreds of volunteer hours, the building was completed over a period of two and one half years., Even before its completion and dedication on March 30, 1930, the members of the church held worship services in their new building. This structure was a testament to the true community spirit of its members and those who chose to worship there., Housed at the church was a bell that could be heard throughout the community. During World War II, it sounded as an air raid signal and at other times it was used to call the volunteer firemen., In November 1972, the interior of the church was gutted by fire and again volunteers rallied to rebuild the church. Services resumed in the new sanctuary in July 1973 and has served as a cornerstone of the community. Covenant Presbyterian Church united with the Lake Mary Church in 1987.