The Same God Different Pulpits

The sermons in this book were preached in three different churches.  I strive to make the sermons relevant to the congregation so to understand them, let me tell you about the churches.  I first served Douglas Presbyterian Church in Lancaster South Carolina.  This church has about 100 people in worship and it was centered in the middle of farmlands.  The church was truly a family, but it was a family under stress due to the closing of Springs Industries, which was the main employer of the town.  The second church was Old First Church in Huntington, and the differences between Old First and Douglas were like night and day.  Old First had about 150 people in worship, and these folks were mainly well to do and well educated.  Also gone was the farmland to be replaced by suburban sprawl found in Long Island.  The concerns, the attitude, and the relationship between pastor and congregation were much different than what I was used to and at times very painful for me.  These forces affected my sermons.  The church I am serving now, Westminster United Presbyterian Church, as an interim, is a small family church with about 55 in worship.  Together we are seeking God’s will for this place and looking toward the future.  This church is truly a family church where people care for each other and the community.

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Andrew Hart serves Westminster Presbyterian Church in Long Island, New York as Interim Pastor.  He is also the group chaplain for Long Island Group of the Civil Air Patrol.  Andrew is married with four children.