In the beginning of the new year, 1982, the Rev. Dr. O. Morton Harris, Jr. began his ministry with us, serving as our 4th pastor of this church, as well as Pastor of the Castlewood Presbyterian Church. Dr. Harris assumed his first full time position in the ministerial field of the Presbyterian Church here in Russell County.
He grew up in Martinsville VA, where he was a life-long member of the Forest Hills Presbyterian Church. His family was always active in the Forest Hills congregation and he was brought up with a strong Christian faith. However, when Dr. Harris first entered college, he did not consider a career in the ministry. He attended Duke University and graduated magna cum laude in 1977 with a degree in biomedical engineering and in mathematics.
The following year, he entered Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA and graduated in 1981 with a Doctor of Ministry degree. Dr. Harris worked in a variety of summer and work study jobs during his undergraduate and seminary careers. During the summer of 1978, he worked as a summer youth program director at the First Presbyterian Church of Whiteville, NC. The following summer, he was a chaplain in a Clinical Pastoral education program in Memphis, TN. His study in ministry was at the First Presbyterian Church of Hickory, NC.
Rev. Dr. Morton Harris, Jr was installed and ordinated on March 7th at LPC. His sermons were educational and always well-structured. During his time here, he became close friends with many in his congregation. He also found a companion in a stray cat that came to the church/manse area. “Nat the Cat” and Morton became best of friends. Morton baptized many people at LPC, Sandra Garrett, Robbie Herndon, Jamie Combs, Mary Sue Fields, Shelly Dingler, Charlie Sword, Prudence Holliday, James Hunter Holliday, Charlene Dingler, Lanessa Prater, John Welmers, Rhonda Welmers, Raina Beth Deel, and Phyllis Deel.
Being a young, well educated, single man coming to a small town, he was quick to let the women of his congregation know that he did not “want to be fixed up with anyone.” He must have known in his heart that he had found interest already, because during his time in the seminary, Morton met Sue Lowcock. Sue would come to visit Morton and stayed with Rev. Milton and Eleanor Reid. Mrs. Reid always enjoyed her visits and the congregation enjoyed her visits. Morton and Sue were married in February 1986 and several of his friends from LPC traveled to Norfolk for the wedding. For a while Morton remained in Lebanon, while Sue was active in campus ministry in Norfolk, VA. On August 31, 1986, Morton resigned from LPC, in order to join his wife and establish a home together in Norfolk.
After he left LPC, a major change of our church came on Nov 16th, 1986 when the congregation decided to separate from the Castlewood Presbyterian Church. The churches had shared the connection since they were organized in 1959. After a congregation vote, Lebanon Presbyterian Church became an independent one-church field.
Today, Rev. Dr. O. Morton and Sue are Co-Pastors at the First Presbyterian Church of Howard County, in Columbia, Maryland. Many current members have those fond memories and loved his time here with LPC.
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