Rev. George Yates ~ 1978-1983

Ordained July 2, 1978. Installed October 15, 1978. George majored in Philosophy and Religion at Grove City College in Pa. and studied the Hebrew Language at Lancester Seminary A graduate of Princeton University. He and his wife Jane have three children, daughters Joy, Julie and son Jonathan. Rev. Yates was instrumental in starting the 2:7 Navigators Study Groups at Bethel. Also during Rev. Yates pastorate the board of Deacons was reestablished in 1979 .George has always been an avid fisherman and hunter. Jane is an accomplished pianist and was always ready to help out with the music for church function.
Rev. Yates left Bethel in November 1983 to become an active duty Army Chaplain. He was stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia where he served as battalion chaplain to a training unit of 1200 troops. In addition to Sunday worship, he did counseling, troop visitations, and organized special events and services. In 1985 Chaplain Yates was reassigned to the 67th Battalion, a rapid deployment force. He spent many weeks on field maneuvers, received the Army Achievement medal, and the meritorious Service Medal, the highest award given to Captains in peace time. Rev. Yates became pastor of the Oakwood Presbyterian Church in New Bethlehem, Pa and then served as pastor at 2nd Presbyterian Church New Castle, Pa. He is now pastor of New Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church of New Castle, Pa. He was called in 2003 to serve in Iraq in his capacity as Chaplain. He is now retired from the Army. As of the year 2009 George and Jane have been married 35 years and have three grandchildren.

Rev. James Thomson ~ 1974-1977

Ordained and installed August 11, 1974. A graduate of Gordon Conwell Seminary. Jim and his wife Shirley were instrumental in starting the Seekers Sunday School Class which began a new growth and spirit in the church. After leaving Bethel they went to a church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Shirley passed away in August 1980. She was very active with the children. A stained Glass window with the picture of Jesus and the children was installed and dedicated to her memory in 1983. Jim and his present wife, Beth lived in East Liverpool, Ohio in 1988 and he was pastor of First Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Jim and Shirley's two daughters are Liza, born while they were at Bethel, and Amy born Cincinnati.

Rev. Dr. David Osborn ~ 1972-1973

Ordained June 8, 1941. Installed July 16, 1972. Dr. Osborn was born in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. His family moved to Alberta, Canada when he was a small boy. He studied medicine at University of Alberta for three years. At this time he felt God calling him to the ministry. He started his studies at Quenst University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Here he earned his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Divinity and master of Divinity degrees. He received his Doctor of Philosophy from University of Chicago. He was ordained in Christian Ministry in the United Church of Canada in June, 1941. This denomination later became part of the Presbyterian Church. He did mission work in the Yukon Territory and along what is now the Alaskan Highway. He served churches in Montreal, Quebec and Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
He came to the United States in 1951. Served churches in Cochranton, Reading, Scranton, Williamsport and Pittsburgh before coming to the Shenango Presbytery. He and his wife Janet came to Bethel July, 1972. After leaving Bethel his health was poor. He continued to preach for a number of years and was an Interim Supply for many churches. Dr. Osborn died June, 1986 at the age of 76 and is buried in Rich Hill Presbyterian Church cemetery. The addition of a pastor's study, office, and conference room was completed during Dr. Osborn's pastorate.

Rev. James S. Yount ~ 1965-1970

Installed July 4, 1965. Served Bethel five years. He accepted a call to Braddock United Presbyterian Church near Pittsburgh. They have been back to renew old friendships many times over the years. Due to illness Rev. Yount retired. Their children are: Richard, Rebecca and James.

Rev. J. Harry Fisher ~ 1958-1964

Ordained June 15, 1958. Installed July 15, 1958. Rev. Fisher is remembered as having a zeal for teaching the Word of God. His fist love was God, his family, and then the youth of Bethel. He was very influential in bringing many of the youth to know Christ. Rev. Fisher, with his wife Ellen, returned on occasion to be a guest speaker for Sunday worship. After leaving Bethel the family went to Lower Burrell United Presbyterian Church near Pittsburgh. He passed away January 1, 1984. They have two sons, John and Timothy

Rev. Hugh Rose ~ 1954-1957

Installed November 19, 1954. Rev. Rose left Bethel to accept a call to Jefferson U.P. Church, Clairton, Pa. and served there until 1964. After leaving Jefferson in 1964 he served College Hill Presbyterian Church of Beaver Falls, Pa for seven years. It was very gratifying to see as may as sixty college students at each Sunday morning worship. The pastor has studied at the American School of Oriental Research, Jerusalem. Rev. Rose has been senior pastor of Cortland United Presbyterian Church, Cortland, New York since 1971. His wife Mary Catharine (Wayne) is full-time Christian Educator on the staff. Hugh and Cathy were married November 20, 1954 at Bethel. They are the parents of Hugh Scott, Jonathan Wayne, and Mary Kay.
The above information is all we had on Rev. Rose. We contacted Cortland United Presbyterian Church in Cortland, New York and ask if they could add to our history. We received the following from Bill Whiting the archivist of the Cortland Church. Our thanks to Bill for giving us permission to add this wonderful information about Rev. Rose to our Bethel Church History.
BY ANY OTHER NAME
Hugh King Rose 1971-1989

When our church observed its 175th anniversary in 2000, Hugh Rose was here to take part in the celebration and to receive the title of Pastor Emeritus – the first time it has been given in our church’s history. It was an apt demonstration of the claim made in the newsletter after Hugh’s death by John Wavle, whom the newsletter characterized as “a pillar of the church for many years, clerk of the Session and a member of the search committee that brought the Roses to Cortland: “To know him was to love, revere, and respect him.”
Hugh King Rose was born 23 July 1929 in South Kortright (according to his obituary) or Stamford (according to an article there when he came to Cortland) and spent his formative years working on the family farm, which his father fully expected him to take over some day. But when Hugh came home from Muskingham College upon completing his B.A. and showed his father a book of Robert Frost-inspired reflections, the elder Rose encouraged him to pursue further education, which took him to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. There he met and married fellow student Catherine Wayne, intent upon completing work in religious education. “The two shared a profound love,” the obituary in the Cortland Standard recalls, “expressing the love as a team, in both their family and professional lives.”
Hugh held two previous pastorates before coming to UPC: at Jefferson United Presbyterian Church in Clairton PA and at College Hill Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls, PA. (Trivia Question: which previous pastor of our church received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA.?)
“Hugh was not a charismatic, flamboyant, back-slapping fist-shaking, pulpit-pounding evangelist,” wrote John Wavle. “He was the exact antithesis – a quiet man. He was a cheerful, thoughtful listener who cared for all of us. He was a compassionate, forthright, unassuming man of God. A close personal friend of his recently described High as a ‘sweet’ person, He was ‘sweet’ in the purest sense of the word.”
“Someone described his sermons,” said Janis Martin when naming him Pastor Emeritus during our 175th Anniversary Celebration, “as little packages wrapped with a bow and dropped in the laps of the congregation.” He was the only minister who never bought a car from John Wavle, she claimed, and recalled that he got down on his knees to beg Sue Bonne to be our choir director (for which we will be eternally grateful).
On the tenth anniversary of their arrival, a committee consisting of Warren Bartholomew, Adele Bement, Eleanor Blodgett, Gary Marsted, Eudene Steinfeldt, Rosemary Taylor, Arthur Rice, and John Wavle sent a letter to all the members of the congregation. “The past ten years in which Hugh and Cathy Rose have been with us have been most fortunate years for our Church,” it began. “Through their guidance and example our personal lives have been enriched and our will to work together in Christian service has been strengthened. Each one of us can think of special occasions for thankfulness or enlightenment through their ministry. As a consequence many have expressed a desire to put their gratitude into tangible form”
The “tangible form” was a vacation trip that sent them to Scotland to trace family roots and on to the Holy Land. “It was the easiest fund-raiser of all times,” wrote John.
Hugh was here for eighteen years, putting him right up there in the long-run category with Carl Scovel, Ralph Lankler, and James Robertson (who received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA.). A press release announcing his departure said, “Rose’s gift for relating Biblical narratives to current situations has been a blessing to all who have heard him preach. The clear and concise interpretations he presents so vividly are without peer.” Hugh and Cathy died within the same year – she in October of 2001 and he in July of 2002. It was a sad time for the any friends they left behind in our church.

Rev. Willard George ~ 1949-1954

Ordained and installed May 10, 1949. He was welcome in every home, is the first comment we hear of Rev. George and his wife Dorothy. He was a person who loved people and made a point to visit. He was a very organized person and kept a schedule and notebook from day to day of his visits. The 1950's sanctuary addition was added during Rev. George's pastorate. Dorothy was very active in prayer groups and Bible studies. After leaving Bethel they went to Second U.P. church in New Castle, Pa and then to Youngstown, Ohio. Eventually went to Miami, Florida to be Ass't Pastor to Rev. Cal Rose. He returned in the early 1980's to be guest speaker at a Father & Son Banquet. he died March of 1984. His beloved wife Dorothy died in 1980. Hearing of Dorothy's death, Timothy Croft of Miami Shores Pres. Tower Talk wrote, "As far as Dorothy was concerned, to be a Christian simply meant to be as Christ to other people. And so she was. She unselfishly gave of herself to others, particularly to those whom most of us casually ignore and quietly pass by on the other side of the road. We have been richly blessed to have shared life with Dorothy." the Georges had four children: Virginia, Jean, Fred and Liza Jane who died at the age of 10.

Rev. J. Harold McCausland ~ 1947-1948

Rev. McCausland returned for a year. He was considered by many as a very intelligent person and very interested in the history of Bethel. He was the driving force in the celebration of the Sesquicentennial. The history book which was compiled at this time was a valuable tool for the 1988 history committee.

Rev. Roland Marshall Wilson ~ 1945-1947

Ordained and installed November 18, 1945. A graduate of Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary. He was from Chase City, Va. attended seminary under the care of Tennessee Presbytery. He was graduated in 1931 from Hampden-Sydney College, Hampton-Sydney, Va. He served Bethel two years as pastor. He resigned to accept a teaching position at Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. He was a bachelor while at Bethel.

Rev. J. Harold McCausland 1942~1945

Rev. McCausland was ordained May 20, 1942 and installed by Westmoreland Presbytery as pastor of Briton Avenue United Presbyterian Church of North Braddock, May 20, 1940.He was installed at Bethel on September 7, 1942. He had served as a student pastor during his senior seminary year. He was born in Indiana County, but spent most of his early life in Apollo. He is a graduate of Vandergrifth High School and Muskingum College where he received an A.B. degree in 1937. From Pittsburgh Xenia Theological Seminary he earned the TH. B degree in 1940 and received the M.A. degree in June 1948. He and Helen Marie Boyer were married May 28, 1904. Their homes were separated by a very short distance; they were raised in the same church and their family pews separated by the width of an aisle. They have two children James Harold born during the pastorate at North Braddock and Robert Wayne born while at Bethel.

Rev. C. Bradley Watkins ~ 1939-1942

Installed February 7, 1939. He was a senior at the Pittsburgh_Xenia Theological Seminary. During his time at Bethel the mission subscription was increased from three hundred dollars to six hundred dollars. He was instrumental in starting the Mizpah Sunday School class which still meets in 2008. Hee resignedMarch 8, 1942 to accept a call to Valencia U.P. Church. He was there a year then requested an overseas assignment. He and his wife Martha were sent to the mission field in Luxor Egypt from 1944 to 1967. He also worked with American Bible Society in the translations department from 1968 to 1976 before accepting his final pastorate at First United Presbyterian in Chester, W. Va. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity at Westminster College in 1999. He went home to be with his Lord September 20, 2007, two days before his 93rd birthday. He was preceded in death by his wife Martha. They had four children, Charles, Franklin, Virginia and Marilyn, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.