The First 50 Years

EPILOGUE

The foregoing narrative has dealt largely with facts, figures, and people. It was intended as a history, and history is a recounting of events and the persons connected with such events. The story tells of considerable material progress during the first fifty years in the life of our church.

But the accomplishments of a church or a congregation cannot be accurately measured in terms of numbers or finances or buildings. The true value of any church to its community, rather, is based upon the spiritual values it has been able to stimulate, nurture and develop within its membership. In other words, the church speaks almost entirely through its members as they go about their daily lives, whether it be in the office, the factory, the school or the home. Unless reflected in the lives and conduct of the members who embrace it, formal religion has but little value. Unless the community which our church serves is today better because we have been here for fifty years, we have not been successful in our mission, despite a very beautiful church property, a membership of almost three thousand persons and a staff of ten trained workers.

It is probably not for us to appraise our value to the community over these last fifty years. Let us hope that an impartial appraisal, however, would indicate that The First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak during its first fifty years has contributed to Christian peace and well-being in the community, and that the Christian cause has been substantially advanced because of our having been here for a half century.

And as to the future? We can only suggest with the prophet of old that "where there is no vision, the people perish."