The Mill City Presbyterian Church has hired a new pastor. Reverend LaVonne Alexander began her duties with the church on Aug. 1.
The Rev. Alexander is a Master of Divinity graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. She is an experienced pastor, having served congregations as an ordained minister for more than 20 years.
The Reverand previously served churches in Nevada, Oklahoma and California. Prior to her call to ordained ministry, the Rev. Alexander was a classically trained professional opera singer.
Mill City Presbyterian Church is 128 years old. It has a rich and varied history in serving the communities of the Santiam Canyon.
Besides providing worship and fellowship for its congregation the church has in the past been the location for a Head Start program, a 4-H program, and has been a distribution site for holiday meal boxes and Giving Tree Christmas presents.
After interruptions caused by COVID the church is again serving the communities in the Canyon through the following:
Senior Nutrition Site and Meals on Wheels: For more than 50 years the church has been the location of an on-site twice weekly lunch program for seniors as well as the headquarters for Meals on Wheels. The nutrition site and Meals on Wheels are administered by Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments. Senior Meals are served at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Food Bank: For almost 30 years the local food bank has been housed in a building owned by and located behind the church. The food bank is a program of Marion-Polk Food Share and overseen by a local governing board. The Food Bank is open Tuesdays 10 a.m. – noon and Thursday evenings 6 – 8 p.m.
Mill City Library: Following the loss of the Mill City Library in the 2020 wildfires, the Library Board worked to reestablish the library in rooms provided at the church. It is staffed by volunteers and also overseen by a local governing board. The library is open when the sign is out in front.
JAM Time: JAM, an acronym for Jesus and Me, is a program that takes place during the school year. After school, elementary age students in grades K through 5 walk to the church for the one-hour, once-per-week program. The program’s main leadership comes from the Gates Community Church with assistance from the Presbyterian Church.
Harmony Park: Harmony Park is a small, well shaded, fenced playground located behind the church. It is used by a variety of folks in the community. It is also one of the sites used by Family Building Blocks for its Playgroup.
Worship services at the church are at 10 a.m. Sunday mornings. All are welcome.
More information can be found at the Mill City Presbyterian Facebook page, or you can e-mail [email protected]
