If you remember, our last post was about Bethany’s pastors and Willard Wellman being the longest serving pastor at 22 years. Here is a newspaper clipping of Pastor Wellman in front of what many of you may recognize. Extra brownie points if you can tell us where it is located!

Back in the day, our church was named Bethany Collegiate Presbyterian Church and was known  as "Wanamaker's Church." It had one of the world's largest Sunday schools, and the largest Presbyterian congregation in Philadelphia. John Wanamaker himself was superintendent of the Sunday school. But times changed and WWII happened. Many of the congregation moved away from the city proper, and the church's ministry reached fewer and fewer people. In 1948, under Wellman's guidance, the old church structure was sold and the new building started in Havertown.  This tablet shown came from the original church structure in downtown Philadelphia. It has a beautifully colorful mosaic pattern embedded in the plaque.

The newspaper clipping is of Pastor Wellman with his father, Earl Wellman, of Lewiston, Minnesota, after dedication of Bethany's new building in Havertown.