(As submitted by First Presbyterian Church in BG)
On October 2 at 2:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green will hold a special service dedicating the newly restored stained glass windows. The windows, created by the Henry Keck Glass Studio of Syracuse, NY, were installed in 1938, and have been restored by the Bigelow Glass Company of Findlay as the crowning piece of an all-church capital campaign in 2012. The project took 20 months with a cost of $150,000, involving over 20,000 pieces of glass.
The restoration will help anchor the role of the church as a historic religious and community center in downtown Bowling Green. Co-pastor Rev. Gary Saunders says, “We are a church deeply committed to our city and our downtown neighborhood. It is our profound hope that the restored windows will be a gift to the entire Bowling Green community as the light shines through them to beautify our town.” The city council has been invited, and the service will feature special remarks by Bowling Green Mayor Richard Edwards.
The dedication ceremony will also be the debut of the book “A Bible in Glass” that describes the windows in detail and tells the history of their installation. The layout of the book was done by Ethan Jordan, with the introduction by Marcy St. John and the text by co-pastor Rev. Mary Jane Saunders. The books will be available for purchase following the service.
Each of the twenty-four windows includes a scene from the life of Christ, a historical church symbol and a verse of scripture. The twelve windows on the north side are now visible to the community from W. Wooster Street, following the demolition of the former Junior High School and the creation of a green space. These windows depict scenes from the life of Jesus, while the twelve on the south side are themed on his parables and miracles.
The dedication service is designed as a community event, and all are welcome. Guest soloist Diane Martin McEwen will offer a special musical piece. Following the dedication, refreshments will be served in the church Fellowship Hall. Those with questions may call the church at 419 352 5176.
