MOUNT VERNON — The First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon vibrated with laughter, conversation and memories on Saturday evening as the congregation celebrated its 200th year with a fellowship dinner and special program.

To mark its bicentennial, elder William Shriver compiled a history of the church from 1808 to the present. Shriver, who teaches history and comparative religion at Mount Vernon High School, incorporated into the book historical photos, research garnered from denominational archives, interviews with former pastors and handwritten documents found in the church basement. His book bears the same title as the bicentennial celebration: “Forward in Faithfulness.”

“The First Presbyterian Church is one of the two oldest congregations in Knox County,” wrote Shriver. The other is First Presbyterian in Fredericktown. “[It] started as a frontier congregation with a pastor [the Rev. James Scott] who came to them from an Indian mission in northwest Ohio.”

At the dinner Saturday, Shriver said, “This is a congregation that has been worshipping God together for 200 years. We call ourselves a church family. I’ve been thinking about that ... it’s true. We share the joys and disappointments and tragedies of each other’s lives, the baptisms and funerals, from generation to generation. This group has been together for generations. Tonight’s celebration is a sort of rededication as we continue forward into the future.”

Asked how his church preserved so many of its historical records over two centuries, Shriver said the Presbyterian denomination has always been highly organized and kept good records. But, he also added, “Luck.”

“We had a fire in 1858 and we haven’t been able to find formal records from that time,” he said.

But one break came when a transcription of the Rev. Dwight Hervey’s 1870 sermon was rediscovered.

“A lot of what we know about Rev. Scott comes from Rev. Hervey’s sermon, in which he reminisced about having known Scott and about the church’s early days,” Shriver said.

The original church building was in Clinton, a town that once flourished on Clinton Road. The Fredericktown and now-defunct Martinsburg churches were also founded in 1808. Until 1827, the churches shared a pastor; Scott walked from Mount Vernon to Fredericktown to Martinsburg weekly, or more often, and was said to pray aloud as he walked.

When Mount Vernon was named the county seat, most businesses — and eventually the church — moved there, leaving Clinton abandoned. Since 1824, the Presbyterian congregation has worshipped at the corner of North Gay and East Chestnut streets.

“A whole bunch of people came together to make and serve the meal tonight. It was an answer to prayer that the weather cooperated,” said Melanie Bolender, chairwoman of the bicentennial celebration committee, at the dinner.

“I’m pleased with everything,” she said.

Fettig read a proclamation from Mayor Richard Mavis declaring Sunday “First Presbyterian Church Day.” Member Linda Smith created a video of the church’s history, from the early days to contemporary youth groups, picnics, softball games, pancake breakfasts and mission trips. The audience laughed and cried to see family members and friends from their past, and cheered the congregation’s achievements and successes. The video is available for purchase.

“There is still much to do,” Fettig told them. “God has a purpose for this congregation. So forward we go into faithfulness.”

The congregation had a special bicentennial worship service Sunday morning.

The Fredericktown church will celebrate its bicentennial Saturday, Sept. 27, with a dinner at 6 p.m. and on Sunday, Sept. 28, with a 10 a.m. worship service. There is a charge for the dinner, which includes a commemorative program and an historical proclamation by a distinguished guest. For more information call 694-4751.