CHURCH OF THE COVENANT - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The CHURCH OF THE COVENANT, the Presbyterian Church, located at 11205 EUCLID AVE.. in UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, resulted in 1920 from mergers of 3 churches. The Euclid St. (United) Presbyterian Church, originally located at Euclid and E. 14th St., organized in 1853. Known as the Euclid Ave. Church after 1880, it merged in 1906 with Beckwith Memorial Presbyterian Church (organized in 1885), located at Fairmount (E. 107th) St. and Deering St., and became the Euclid Ave. Presbyterian Church. In 1909 this church constructed an English Gothic building on land adjacent to Women's College of Western Reserve Univ. Designed by Cram and Ferguson, the building featured a rose window and a 140' tower between the parish house and sanctuary.

In 1920 the Second Presbyterian Church (chartered in 1837), located at the corner of Prospect St. and E. 30th St., joined the Euclid Ave. Presbyterian Church at its Euclid Ave. location; the name changed to Church of the Covenant. Dr. PAUL F. SUTPHEN† of Second Presbyterian and Dr. Alexander McGaffin of the Euclid Ave. Church served as associate pastors until 1928, when Dr. PHILIP SMEAD BIRD† came from Utica, NY, to serve as the first minister of the combined congregations. Following Bird's death, Dr. Harry B. Taylor served as senior pastor (1949-66). He was followed by Rev. Albert L. Jeandheur (1967-88) and Rev. James Dowd (1989-present).

The Covenant carries out its stated mission, "To provide Christian outreach to persons of all ages," through the Community Day Care Center, ministry to students of CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, a weekly radio broadcast, and many overseas projects. In 1972 a contemporary-style community education building, designed by Richard Fleishman, was added to the original structure. In 1980 the Church of the Covenant was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1983 the Covenant, as a participating member of the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, joined in the National Plan of Union and changed from United Presbyterian to Presbyterian Church (USA).

Bourne, Henry E. The Church of the Covenant (1945).

The Covenant Speaks (1954).

See also RELIGION and PRESBYTERIANS.

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