Happy Anniversary!

Bear with me . . . This post is going somewhere.

Manokin Presbyterian Church in Princess Anne, Maryland, was organized in 1683. The structure pictured here was erected in 1765, although the Bell Tower did not go up until 1888.

The establishment of Manokin Presbyterian Church was the fruit of God’s grace through the work of Francis Makemie (1658-1708), who is deservedly known as “The Father of American Presbyterianism.” Makemie planted the first Presbyterian church in Snow Hill, Maryland, and four other churches on the Delmarva Peninsula. But you can’t have Presbyterianism without a Presbytery, and under Makemie’s leadership, the first American Presbytery, the Presbytery of Philadelphia, was organized in 1706, and he was elected its first moderator.

My admiration for Makemie is great, but it pales in comparison to the esteem with which I hold another major figure in American Presbyterianism, the talented, witty, and beautiful, Mrs. Lynne Wingard. On this day in 2002, Lynne and I were united in Christian marriage at Manokin Presbyterian Church. (Thank you, Pastor Makemie, for providing the venue.) The Lord gave me my best friend and the most splendid partner in life and ministry imaginable.

Happy Anniversary, Lynne!