Location: New Kensington, Pa.

Presbytery: Alleghenies

Organization: 1870

Membership: 48 communicant; 8 baptized

Pastor: Vince Scavo

Website: manchesterrpchurch.org

Hidden in the hills of Upper Burrell, near New Kensington, Pa., sits the Manchester Reformed Presbyter­ian Church building. You may be surprised to read about a congregation called Manchester that is located in western Pennsylvania. You may be even more surprised to find out that we are one of the older congregations in the RPCNA.

Manchester originated as a society in 1795 and was established in 1870 as a yoked congregation, with another worship site in nearby Parnassus. The congregation eventually consolidated to the Parnassus site, although the Manchester land was kept. Many decades later, the Parnassus site was closed in 1961 and the congregation relocated to a new building on the old Manchester land. In 1969 a new sanctuary was added, giving the congregation plenty of space to worship and fellowship. Despite being out of the way and little known, our church family has members from all over the surrounding area, from as close as Lower Burrell to as far as Butler and Ligonier, Pa.—each an hour away.

An average of 50 people gather to worship every Lord’s Day morning and listen to Pastor Vince Scavo preach, currently through the book of Matthew. When the congregation is all together, we are 48 communicant members, 8 baptized members, and 6 adherents. Our little family has been growing a lot this year, welcoming four new communicant members, two of whom were covenant children, and preparing to welcome four more as they complete membership classes. The Lord has blessed us with many new visitors, and we praise Him for the growth of our little church family. We also give thanks for the imminent birth of another covenant child.

Because many of us come from far and wide, it can make fellowship a challenge. We have met this with an increasing frequency of fellowship meals. What started as a gathering once a month has become a weekly tradition. The fellowship hall is not uncommonly filled well into the afternoon with chatting people and playful children. We also enjoy regular fellowship events, including a church picnic in the summer (graciously hosted by Ed Panichelle for the use of his pool); psalm sings in the fall and in the spring; and the occasional summer Fry Night to enjoy the blessing of fried foods, including but not limited to candy bars, chicken wings, and jalapeno bites.

This has been a year of great joys and growth, but also great sorrow. In February we were sad to say goodbye to two of our covenant members as the Lord called home Robert “Mac” McConnell and Dorey Panichelle. While we mourn their loss and miss them greatly, we rejoice that they are with our Lord and Savior and that we will see them again in glory. In honor of Dorey, her husband Ed has set up a college scholarship for the children of Manchester.

Manchester is glad to host several weekly Bible studies at the church, in homes, and in downtown Pittsburgh. These are great times of spiritual growth and outreach. The newest study is a young adult group that meets in the parsonage on Wednesdays, led by intern Joshua Giesler. The group has been well received by the younger members of the congregation. They have recently finished a study in the book of Romans, have sufficiently mastered Psalm 119X, and are now studying the book of Daniel. Other groups include a men’s Bible study in the church, general adult studies in downtown Pittsburgh and in Lower Burrell, and a prayer group in Ligonier.

Outreach and ministry are a challenge for us as we are a rural church. We would ask for prayer as we strive to bring the Word of God to those in our area and surrounding areas, and to minister to them through these groups and other outreach opportunities. Our church family is small, not well known, and a little out of the way, but it holds many who are faithfully serving and seeking Christ. Here at Manchester, we worship passionately, pray fervently, and strive to honor Christ in all we do.