Oakmont Presbyterian Church to celebrate 50th anniversary
Oakmont Presbyterian Church, at 1817 Patton Chapel Road in Hoover, celebrates its 50th anniversary as a church this year. The celebration will be on Sunday, May 17. The celebration begins at 9 a.m. and continues to 3 p.m.
Oakmont was chartered as a church on July 4, 1965 with 53 charter members. The church is part of the Presbyterian Church, USA, in the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley. Its first worship service was on July 5, 1964, with a seminary student and eight worshippers. A house on Patton Chapel Road was the first church building, with the living room used as the sanctuary and Sunday School classes in the former bedrooms. Its first minister, Rev. James W. “Bill” Patton, came in November, 1964.The present sanctuary and educational buildings were constructed between 1967 and 1973. Now, in 2015, the church looks forward to another 50 years of service to God.
Oakmont has a long history of service to the community. Over the decades the church has given to Greater Birmingham Ministries, Operation Christmas Child, and the Boyd’s Boys Home in Green Pond, Alabama, to mention a few. Members have worked on Habitat for Humanity houses and volunteered at shelters for the homeless. At the present, Oakmont hosts English as a Second Language classes. Its 2014 Pentecost Can Campaign collected over 6,400 cans of food, which went to the Green Valley Baptist Church food bank. In 2014, the church raised $2,900 for mission projects in the Congo and Zambia. Oakmont has also long been a polling center for elections.
From its beginning Oakmont has been involved with Scouting. It has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 93 since 1966. This is is a very active troop, with over 150 young men earning their Eagle badges in the troop’s existence. The Boy Scouts meet on Tuesday nights. For younger boys, Cub Scout Pack 93 meets at Oakmont on Monday nights. Also, Brownie Troop 791 meets on Sunday afternoons, once a month.
The 50th anniversary celebration begins at 9 a.m. on May 17, with a continental breakfast. The worship service is at 11:00. We will have lunch at noon. A Musical Extravaganza will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in which Oakmont members will share their talents. Some of the groups that will be performing include a barbershop quartet, a madrigal group, and a guitar trio.
For those who want to join us, please call Oakmont at 822-5910 or contact the church at OakmontChurch.org. to make a reservation. The church needs to know how much food to prepare for its guests.
-Submitted by Ralls Coston