Mill Creek History

“The first days of the Mill Creek Presbyterian Church are somewhat clouded in the mist” is the opening line of its history written in 1934 by Rev. James Reed for the celebration of the Sesquicentennial.

In April of 1785, a request was made for preaching supplies by the Mill Creek group but it is thought that they had been meeting for some time before that date. The year 1784 is the accepted date for its beginning as a church, placing Mill Creek as the oldest Presbyterian congregation in the region.

They were part of the Red Stone Presbytery — the first presbytery organized west of theAllegheny Mountains. Minutes of the presbytery indicated that sometimes meetings could not be held due to “incursions of the savages,” so even the most dedicated were deterred by circumstances at times.

The first meeting places for worship were probably pulpits hewn from logs and people seated on logs. Mill Creek’s first meeting house was an 18′ x 20′ log structure with no windows and no doors and lighted from the roof. The entrance was by underground tunnel to afford protection from the Indians in the area. This building was on ground where the Old Mill Creek Cemetery is now, located on the Old Mill Creek Rd. between Rte. 168S and Rte. 30W. Later church buildings were built on property across the road from the cemetery.

The Mill Creek congregation was instrumental in the establishment of a number of other congregations in the area. In 1854 the Hookstown Presbyterian Church was founded as a mission of the Mill Creek Presbyterian Church, and served the Hookstown community for many years.

In the 1960s discussion of a merger of the congregations took place, resulting in the establishment of the Mill Creek United Presbyterian Church of Hookstown in its present location. The original building has been expanded to encompass a large sanctuary, fellowship hall, and many classrooms. The building is completely handicap accessible, with an elevator between the two levels.

In August 2015 the congregation voted for dismissal from the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. in order to seek a denominational home more in line with its historic Presbyterian roots and orthodox Christian faith. In September 2016, the Presbytery of the Alleghenies of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church received Mill Creek into its membership, and the name was subsequently changed to Mill Creek Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Hookstown.

Throughout its more than 230 years, Mill Creek has faithfully served the Lord in ministry and mission. As we look to the future, we do so with great expectation that God has many more years to work through this congregation.