RPCNA | St. Lawrence Presbytery | 154 City Line Road Oswego, New York, USA 13126
Established: 1980
Session: Pastor Gabriel Wingfield (Teaching Elder), John McGrath & Clerk Kevin Plummer (Ruling Elders)
Diaconate: Chris Danar, Chairman, Gary Dahar, Kevin Hayden, Aaron Standish, Deb Standish
Membership 68: 53 Communicant Members, 15 Baptized Members
Oswego means “outpouring” and refers to the Oswego River which flows north and empties into Lake Ontario. We are well known for our lake effect snow storms which give us an average snowfall of about 150 inches per year, but because of our proximity to the lake, we also enjoy extra warmth in the winter and natural cooling in the summer compared to inland areas of Central NY.
History
The Oswego (NY) Reformed Presbyterian Church began as a result of Syracuse RP Pastor, Ed Robson’s radio program on a Syracuse Christian Radio Station. Oswego resident Frank Soranno having heard the broadcast. began commuting to the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church for worship each week. Hearing of the interest of an Oswego church plant, George Hueber and family moved from Pittsburgh to Oswego and began hosting a Bible Study in his home taught by Syracuse Asst. Pastor, Charles Leach followed soon after by Sunday Evening Worship at the Oswego Town Hall. With the commitment of Syracuse members Peter & Joanne Howe, the Syracuse Session submitted a petition to St. Lawrence Presbytery requesting a date for the organization of the Oswego Congregation. On October 7, 1980 the Oswego Congregation, which consisted of three families and adherents was organized by the St. Lawrence Presbytery. George Hueber was elected to serve as a Ruling Elder and Kit Swartz was elected to be Oswego’s TE/Pastor. He was ordained and installed on December 2, 1980. Kit and his wife Karen relocated from Syracuse to Oswego in January 1981 and arrived as a significant amount of our average 150” of snow was being deposited.
For 19 years, the Congregation met for formal worship at the Oswego YMCA, the Dante Alighieri Lodge, the American Legion, formerly the 1st Presbyterian Church of Oswego and for about a year, we shared space with the First United Methodist Church. During this time of leasing space, the Oswego Congregation was privileged to daughter the Fulton RPC, now pastored by Martin Monteith and several years later, Christ Church, now located in Floyd, NY and pastored by Aaron Goerner. Having been blessed by God during these years with people and resources, the Congregation was able to purchase the former Wesleyan Church property and begin in establishing our own church home on a spacious piece of land with plenty of trees, berry bushes and ample room for the children to use up all their energy. After 23 years and in need of additional space, our Diaconate is nearly complete with plans for a building expansion and within the past month has also been made aware of another suitably sized church property coming up for sale. God is good!
In 2020, after 40 years of pastoring the Congregation, Pastor Kit Swartz retired and Gabriel Wingfield succeeded him as the second Pastor of the Oswego RPC. As all of this occurred during the middle of the Covid pandemic, the hoped-for gradual transition did not occur. Nonetheless, the Lord was gracious to us all and after 3 years, Gabriel & his family are well adjusted in the community and his work as the new Pastor is going very well. Pastor Swartz & his wife Karen are using their years of ministry experience in providing for the Fulton RPC, with Kit recently being elected there as a Ruling Elder.
Current Ministries
At the present time, the Oswego Congregation consists of 12 Baptized and 52 Communicant members. The congregation demographic consists of a healthy balance of all age groups, including several college students form the local university (SUNY College @ Oswego) and a variety of employment occupations. In addition to Morning Worship and Evening Catechism fellowship, our mid-week meeting consisting of classes for all age groups, is very well attended by the membership, as well as many persons from other Congregations within our community. Earlier this year, the Session installed the newest member of our Diaconate, Mr. Kevin Hayden, which brings their number to 5 members. In October, the Congregation elected two men for the Eldership and it is the Sessions intention to move toward Ordination and installation in January 2024.
Learn More and Pray
Although it is scheduled to be redesigned, the Congregation sponsors its own web site @ www.oswegorpc.org and posts it sermons on Sermon Audio @ https://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=oswegorpc.
We would especially appreciate prayer for aging members with various health conditions and a middle age member recovering from cancer, as well as God’s blessing on our marriages, child rearing, personal relationships and community outreach. As we look forward to our facility needs, our Diaconate would appreciate prayer for God’s wisdom as they weigh available options.
Lastly, if you are ever in our area, we invite all to visit us for mutual encouragement and fellowship.
Thanks to John W. McGrath, Clerk of Session for putting together this article. John McGrath has been with the Oswego Congregation since 1984. Having served as a Deacon from 1988-1993, he was elected as a Ruling Elder in 1993 and has served as its Clerk since 1994. He is still employed part-time as a Plant Manager for the City of Oswego Wastewater Treatment Facilities and resides in Oswego, NY. John enjoyed 35 years with his wife Mella until she was welcomed home by our Lord Jesus in July 2011.
