Covenant Presbyterian Church congregation marks milestone

Robert Tomkavage, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·2 min read

Sep. 17—SCRANTON — A congregation immersed in the city for 175 years continues to give back to the community.

As Covenant Presbyterian Church on Madison Avenue marks the milestone, its 370 parishioners remain committed to those in need.

Stephen Carter, the church's treasurer and member of its board of trustees, noted Covenant donates more than $125,000 each year to local missions.

Carter said about $5,000 to $6,000 is distributed yearly to those in need or in crisis and $10,000 to $15,000 to high school students pursuing post-secondary education.

"We support a lot of community organizations, including NEPA Youth Shelter, Women's Resource Center, Outreach Center for Community Resources and NeighborWorks, either by helping them with a project or through financial assistance," said Judy Kosydar of Olyphant, a church elder.

The funding proves vital for local nonprofits, said Lori Chaffers, executive director of Outreach.

"The money comes in regular intervals," she said. "We count on it and use it on things like our Children's Career Fair or backpacks for kids. They also help us with donations for Christmas."

First Presbyterian Church of Harrison — a former name of Scranton — started in 1848 on North Washington Avenue with 17 members, Kosydar said.

"Of the 17 founding members, many of them were the Scrantons and the Platts and Madisons who helped form the city of Scranton," she said. "As the congregation grew, it consisted of people who worked in the mines, people who worked in the blast furnaces, and people who worked in textile industry."

The church was later known as First Presbyterian Church of Scrantonia and then First Presbyterian Church of Scranton, Kosydar said.

"We've been in this building (on Madison) since 1904 when it was dedicated," Kosydar said.

The congregation later grew to the point where they decided to start a sister church called Second Presbyterian Church at Jefferson Avenue at Vine Street, she said.

The First Presbyterian Church of Scranton merged with the Second Presbyterian Church in 1926 and became known as Westminster Presbyterian Church.

In 1981, Green Ridge Presbyterian Church merged with Westminster to form Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Kosydar raved about the beauty of the church, specifically its 19 stained-glass windows.

"Some were built with the original building, and some were added later on," she said. "Each window tells its own story."

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rtomkavage@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131;

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