The Coral Gables Times

GRANADA PRESBYTERIAN / THE Coral Gables TIMES THE CITY BEAUTIFUL / GRANADA PRESBYTERIAN

Thursday, October 12, 1961 THE CORAL GABLES TIMES 13 GRANADA PRESBYTERIAN THE Coral Gables TIMES THE CITY BEAUTIFUL GRANADA PRESBYTERIAN

Granada Church Will Dedicate Service on Sunday For New Sanctuary

By RAYMOND LANG Times Reporter Granada Presbyterian Church, which founded its ministry at one of the City's busiest intersections 14 years ago, will realize its dream Sunday afternoon. At 5 o'clock, the church will dedicate its stately new $500,000 sanctuary. The day of dedication also is the 100th anniversary of the Presbyterian Church, U.S. Ministers of Coral Gables and Greater Miami along with Gables Mayor Robert L. Searle will take part in the ceremonies. Dr. Frank Alfred Mathes is pastor. DOMINATES INTERSECTION The new structure dominates the five-way intersection of Granada Boulevard-University Drive-Bird Road. The exterior of the building is old brick with simple stained glass windows to accent the architecture. Inside the sanctuary, there is the glisten of white pews and the soft tones of deep red cushions. Predominating behind the pulpit is an art window depicting Jesus. Contributing to the spacious feeling inside are the balcony and high ceiling. There is seating for about 900 people. Construction started about 15 months ago and it wasn't too long after that motorists driving down Granada Boulevard or Bird Road could see an eye-catching feature of the sanctuary, its 118-foot high spire, topped by a six-foot cross. Ross Apgar was the general contractor and Lloyd Frank Vann the architect. DR. BROYLES TO PREACH Dedication sermon will be preached by Dr. Vernon S. Broyles Jr., pastor of the North Avenue Presbyterian Church, Atlanta. Music director Lin Mason and Granada's four choirs will provide the music. There will be refreshments and a tour of the building after the service. Granada Presbyterian Church, 950 University Dr., was formed in June 29, 1947 with 36 charter members. The congregation now totals almost 1,000. Dr. B. M. Larson was the first pastor. He resigned in 1957 and the pastorate was assumed by the present pastor, Dr. Mathes. He came from South Highland Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Ala. Service to the community and the world as well as its members comes into focus through religion at Granada Presbyterian Church. SPONSORS 7 SCOUT TROOPS The church sponsors two Boy Scout and five Girl Scout troops, a kindergarten day school, a youth and music program. The church also helps support seven missionaries. Those scheduled to take part in the dedication ceremonies are Dr. T. Rupert Coleman pastor of nearby University Baptist Church; the Rev. Claude Allen Jr., assistant minister at Granada; the Rev. Frank L. Elvery of Homestead. The Very Rev. Frank L. Titus, rector of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church; Dr. W. Ivan Hoy of the University of Miami; ruling elders at Granada, Charles A. Kimbrell and Selden Stewart II; and Don Friis, president of the Senior High Fellowship at Granada. Among the leadership of the church are chairman of the Board of Deacons, H. E. Magann, 1515 Mantua Ave.; stated clerk of the church session, F. F. Patterson, 8001 SW 100th St. PRESIDENTS OF MEN, WOMEN President of the Men of the Church, Charles L. Wackerle, 7001 SW 71st Ave.; president of the Women of the Church, Mrs. Fred C. Meadows, 5663 Michelangelo St. Treasurer, A. H. Nimmo, 6219 Cellini St.; Sunday School superintendent James M. Stewart, 2623 Alhambra Cir.; Chairman of the building expansion committee, L. Allen Morris, 4140 Pinta Ct.; co-chairmen W. J. McLeod Jr., 1233 Alegriano Ave.; and Mrs. Carol Latimer, 931 University Dr.; and chairman of building construction, Charles A. Kimbrell, 4809 Alhambra Cir.

GRANADA CHURCH'S NEW HOUSE OF WORSHIP

'Make a Joyful Noise Unto...'

What would Sunday service be without music? At Granada Presbyterian Church there are four choirs, for first graders to adults. Adults make up the Chancel Choir while the young people compose the Chapel Choir. The Echo Choir recently formed for children in grades four to six. For children in grades one to three, they have their chance to sing in the Cherub Choir. Music director is Lin Mason and pianist is Mrs. Frank R. Goulding.

Expansion Was Led By Morris

When Granada Presbyterian Church dedicates its sanctuary Sunday, the Building Expansion Committee and its four sub-groups will have completed a project that cost a half-million dollars. The four sub-committees are Construction, Kitchen, and Decorating and Furnishing and Landscaping. Some of the persons listed below worked on more than one committee, so their names will be repeated. Heading the Building Expansion Committee is L. Allen Morris, 4140 Pinta Ct. Co-chairmen are W. J. McLeod Jr., 1233 Alegriano Ave., and Mrs. Carol Latimer, 931 University Dr. Committee members are Mrs. Frank Goulding, 1444 Robbia Ave.; Paul Shipe, 3202 Alhambra Cir.; George Kimmel, 5121 Granada Blvd.; and Mrs. Shelby Smith, 4419 University Dr. Construction committee chairman is Charles Kimbrell, 4809 Alhambra Cir. Members are H. E. Magann, 1515 Mantua Ave.; George Kimmel, and Mrs. Carol Latimer. Mrs. Carol Latimer is chairman of the decorating and furnishing committee. Members are Mrs. Frank Goulding, Mrs. James Stewart, 2623 Alhambra Cir.; Mrs. Paul Davis, 3120 Segovia St.; Thurston Hatcher, 9301 SW 60th Ct.; E. E. Spaulding, 7440 SW 74th Ct.; and J. E. Neahr, 739 Anastasia Ave.; Charles Kimbrell and Dr. Frank A. Mathes. Landscape committee chairman is H. C. Sumrall, 1560 Malaga Ave. Members are Robert J. Godbey; Mrs. Robert M. Pitts, 6901 Mindello St.; and Mrs. F. C. Meadows, 5663 Michelangelo St.

Came in 1957 Their Pastor: Frank Alfred Mathes

The text and photographs for this special section are the work of Raymond Lang of our staff. For Dr. Frank Alfred Mathes, ordained a Presbyterian minister 20 years ago, the ministry once took a temporary backseat to insurance and coaching. Dr. Mathes, pastor at Granada Presbyterian Church, was graduated from Georgia Tech in 1932 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Before college and during school summers, Dr. Mathes worked in insurance. After college, he was an athletic coach and teacher in the early 30's. When 1941 came, the boy who was valedictorian of his high school class was ordained. It was a long road from Riverdale, Ga., where he was born April 30, 1910, to Jonesboro High School and on to his first official job in a church, that of a student minister and business manager of the North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. While working at the Atlanta church, the young man whose father was a minister for 40 years, attended Columbia Theological Seminary from 1938 to 1941. After Dr. Mathes was ordained in 1941, the next years saw him assume the pastorate of the First Presbyterian Church in Meridian, Miss., and the South Highland Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. He left the Birmingham church in 1957, after being pastor there for 10 years, to fill that position at his present church at 950 University Dr. Dr. Mathes has filled his hours outside the church and its congregation of 1,000 people with membership in organizations, travel, and conferences. He was the host pastor in 1957, of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, Southern Branch, U.S., and has atetnded various World Mission Conferences in New York, Toronto and Atlanta. Dr. Mathes is married to the former Jacqueline Woolfolk of Fort Valley, Ga., and they live at 900 University Dr., next door to the church. The Mathes' have four girls. They are Rachel, 20, a senior at Birmingham Southern College; Elizabeth, 14, 10th grader at Coral Gables High; Martha, 11, sixth grader, and Mary 8, third grader at Coral Gables Elementary School.