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Rev. Harry P. Ruppenthal |
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| Durham, NC - January 23, 2002 | ||
| My father Harry Preston Ruppenthal was a former member of the
Virginia Conference of the EUB Church. He first served in Keegleton and
Shenandoah City, VA., and later was pastor of the St. Paul's EUB Church (now United Methodist) in Staunton, VA. from 1922 until 1927. After
deciding he wanted to become a minister in the Presbyterian Church he moved
his wife and two young daughters (Lois and Ethel) to Richmond, VA. where he
attended Union Theological Seminary for three years.
After graduating from UTS he accepted a call in 1930 to become paster of the Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Durham NC where he served for 14 years. It became a very active church and during his pastorate there the membership more than doubled. He loved to visit people, and was interested in all the community activities of the West Durham section of the city. The people he served loved him, and although he has been dead almost 40 years, I occasionally meet someone who speaks with much respect for him. While serving the Blacknall church he became aware of the need for outpost ministry in Durham and its suburbs. Under my father's leadership the Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church was organized on the NW side of the city on Cole Mill Rd. and Rose of Sharon. His method was first to take a religious census of the area, then outside the city limits in 1935. He then started Sunday afternoon services in a small, old store building. By 1938 a church was officially organized by the Granville Presbytery. This led to the cornerstone laying for a small, beautiful colonial brick building in 1944. Because of his enthusiastic and successful ministry at Mt. Bethel, the Home Mission Committee of the Granville Presbytery and the Presbyterian Layman's League of Durham, in 1944 requested Rev. Ruppenthal to become Director of the Extension Work of the Presbyterian Church in Durham County. He resigned his pastorate at Blacknall, and thereafter he devoted himself full time to the founding of another mission church, the Northgate Presbyterian Church which was organized in 1944 with twenty-seven charter members. |
He continued to serve also the Mt. Bethel Church.
In its early years Northgate Presbyterian Church held Sunday School and
worship services in the Bird Sanctuary Museum in a nearby park as well as
the manse purchased to serve also as headquarters of this mission work on
the west and north side of the city of Durham. Late in 1944 this church purchased land with a small frame house on it. In 1948-49 the present In 1958 the Reverend H. P. Ruppenthal retired from active ministry, and he was awarded a special citation from the Synod of North Carolina for his outstanding ministry of 28 years with the Presbyterian Church in Durham. My father found retirement difficult because he missed serving the church in full time ministry. Therefore, after two years he accepted a call to Mebane Memorial Presbyterian Church in Roxboro, NC. There he was very happy and he was very much appreciated until he suffered a stroke in 1962 which resulted in total disability. He died January 6, 1966 after another stroke. Throughout my father's ministry he was a strong advocate of the youth, promoted week-day nursery in the churches he served, and develop many other projects related to the Christian growth and enrichment of the family, the church, and the community. He believed the church and community ought to support each other in promoting Christianity. In his ministry he was devoted to the needs not only of his church members but to all who came in contact with him. Personal Note from Lois
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