On Saint Patrick’s Sunday with the sun shining brightly and the temperature well below zero, the First Presbyterian Church of Fairbanks was installed as not only the first EPC church in Alaska but also by far the northernmost EPC church in the world. The Fairbanks Church is 110 years old and the congregation of 256 members was joined by friends in a real celebration of the Lord’s continued blessing of the ministry in that community.

The photo documents the occasion when five commissioners from the ” lower 48″ joined the two pastors to properly install the congregation and all of it’s officers in the EPC Presbytery of the Pacific. From left to right in the photo are; TE Mark Toone, TE Ed Cummings, Associate Pastor Dave Moody and Pastor Andy Ekblad of Fairbanks, RE Bob Welsh, RE Ron Bengelink, and RE Gene Louden. The flowers were sent by the Eastminster Presbyterian Church of Wichita (newly EPC) in recognition of Dave Moody who is a son of that church.

Ron Bengelink, Stated Clerk-Presbytery of the Pacific