Following the Reverend Oglesby’s move to Arkansas in January 1922, the Reverend Francis Fleenor Comerford was called in May as pastor. A native of Holston Valley, Tennessee, he was a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He was married to Miss Anna Mahaffey. He preached at his first service in June 1922 in the Court House due to repair work at the church. Even then this was an old building.
The Reverend Comerford also preached at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in 1923. It was during his pastorate that plans were made to build the present church at Geneva. His encouragement and efforts made its completion possible. In 1833, our church had given Geneva an old building for their place of worship. Mr. William Clement deeded a tract of five acres to the new church. Mr. Clement was the father of the late Miss Helen Clement of Oxford Presbyterian Church and her deceased sister, Miss Ella Clement, and their brothers - A.B. and Jack Clement. In 1925, Mr. Comerford accepted a call to Porter Street Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia. He died in Norfolk in March 1926.
Presbytery met in Oxford in April 1924, and more than 39 persons attended representing the eleven adjacent counties.
The Reverend Thomas Herbert Dimmock served as pastor from 1925 - 1928. He was a native of Darien, Georgia; a graduate of Davidson College with a B.A. Degree in 1910; in 1914, he received a B.S. from Union Theological Seminary; and in 1915, a B.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. He was licensed and ordained by Savannah Presbytery in 1915. He was married to Miss Martha Belle Amis. It was reported that he was a deep student of Scripture and a fluent speaker. The church budget for 1925 was $10,000.00 from the 200 members. The Reverend Dimmock’s final sermon was on October 28, 1928. He also served the Geneva Presbyterian Church in 1925. His death was later reported thus: “He went to Heaven from a meeting of Norfolk Presbytery, April 21, 1942, at Ocean View, Virginia.”
In 1924, while Francis F. Comerford was pastor, on the front cover of the bulletin as this statement: We earnestly desire for this church the distinction of being known as the “Friendly Church” and we intend that none who wishes to worship with us, shall ever feel himself or herself, to be a stranger in our midst.
In the Session records of 1926, we can read, A letter of appreciation to the following as volunteers for a life of service to the church:
Miss Virginia Hart - (Presbyterian School Christian Education, Richmond, Virginia; sister of Ed Hart).
William I. Howell, Jr. - (Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia; brother of Mrs. Edith Wheeler).
William B. McSwain - (Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia; brother of the late E.G. McSwain, elder).
In 1927, the Session record reads, In September 1927, William I. Howell, Jr. (son of Mr. and Mrs. William Ira Howell), asked endorsement of the Session for himself as a candidate for the ministry. In February 1929, a loan of $125.00 was made to William I. Howell, Jr., to assist in the pursuit of his studies at Union Theological Seminary.
The record shows that on May 4, 1930, there was an invitation from William I. Howell, Jr., to be present at his ordination.
It was March 1, 1929, that the Reverend James W. Lacy answered our call. Among the activities for which he is credited in his ten years as pastor, is the 1936 Christmas Pageant which was repeated annually for several years as a main event in the community. Orange Presbytery met in Oxford in April 1935, with some 250 attending luncheon, it returned to be hosted in Oxford again in September 1936 and November 1939. The Reverend Lacy received an honorary doctorate from Hampden-Sydney College in 1934. He died in the manse in November 1939 at the age of 70.
Dr. James Munn McChesney, Jr. was called from Tuscaloosa, Alabama in May 1940. He received his A.B. degree from King College in Bristol, Tennessee; a B.D. and Th.D. degrees from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia; Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. He is married to Carolyn Allen. The Oxford Ledger reported that, “during the Sunday School hour, Sunday morning members of the church and Sunday School joined in giving Mr. McChesney an informal and hearty welcome to the church and the community.” An ad in the Ledger on September 19, 1940 issued a cordial invitation to attend a tea on Thursday evening September 17, in the Sunday School auditorium from 8 - 10 o’clock to meet the Reverend and Mrs. J.M. McChesney. Jr.
In 1938, the Women’s Auxiliary raised $1,000.00 toward the building of a Sunday School Building which cost $9,600.00 when finished in 1942. This project which began during the pastorate of the Reverend Lacey, was finished during the pastorate of Dr. McChesney.
Mr. Andrew Jamieson, elder, pledged and paid fifty per-cent of the $850.00 cost of equipment.
A Christmas Cantata replaced the Christmas pageant in 1941 and was well attended by the community. Orange Presbytery continued to favor us as host and returned in April 1942, 1943, and in September 1944.
In 1943, the Defense Service Committee was initiated with Elder Frank M. Pinnix as chairman. Mr. Pinnix came to Oxford in 1900 to make his home and became owner and editor of the Oxford Public ledger. Later he joined the staff of Oxford Orphanage as editor of Orphans’ Friend and Masonic Journal, the official publication of the Masonic Grand Lodge in North Carolina. He remained in this capacity until he was granted retirement and elected Editor Emeritus of Orphan’s Friend. Under his committee, soldiers from Camp Butner were invited and included in our activities with the “Sunday Night Sing” featuring the soldier being a popular event during 1942 - 1943.
Dr. McChesney also preached at the Geneva Presbyterian Church.
It was during this period that Orange Presbytery was divided and a new presbytery was formed and called Granville Presbytery. It remained this way until 1972 when a “Plan for Restructure” took place and these two presbyteries were merged by the Synod of North Carolina and it became Orange Presbytery again. (It is interesting to note that Granville Presbytery had its beginning in the First Presbyterian Church in Henderson, North Carolina and its last meeting was there. At this last meeting of Granville Presbytery on October 10, 1971, the Reverend Norman MacDowell of Oxford Presbyterian Church, was received into Granville Presbytery. Elder Edward H. McFarland, Jr. represented the congregation.)
On May 6, 1946, two beautiful brass collection plates were presented to the church by Miss Lucy Taylor Baird. Her love and devotion to the church made her an inspiration to all who knew her, whether in the church or in the community.
The church was most fortunate to have as its organist, Miss Lucy Webb, who began her duties as a young girl, and served faithfully until her retirement in 1954. According to the historian, Mrs. Wheeler, she was not quite sure exactly how many years she served. Her predecessor had become suddenly ill, and so Miss Lucy, a young musician of the church, was called to the organist stool. Through the years, she was always punctual and never absent for any cause that she did not have someone to take her place. To show how deeply the congregation felt about her service, a group surprised her on one of her birthdays. Mrs. John C. Lawson, Mrs. J.M. Baird. Jr. and Mrs. Claude C. Wheeler went to her home late one afternoon. The spokesperson for the group said, “We have come to bring you greetings for your birthday from the members of the Oxford Presbyterian Church, and we express their sentiments in the words of the 29th verse of the 31st chapter of Proverbs: “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellent them all”. It was then the first messenger presented a love corsage of yellow roses, the second, a box containing silver spoons, and the third an envelope containing a fifty dollar bill and the following message:
To our beloved organist -
It is with deep gratitude that we join together to express our praise of and love for you on this your birthday. We all agree that there is no person in our church who has meant more to it than our dear “Miss Lucy”. We love you devotedly. Your humility of service in every department of the church, your faithfulness as our organist for years without number; your love, and devotion to our Heavenly Father are ever an inspiration and example to young and old alike. We are deeply grateful for your life among us, and we bring these tokens -- a week at Assembly Inn, Montreat and these silver spoons to remind you continually throughout the years to come of our love and appreciation of you.
Devotedly,
The boys and girls, the young people, the women and the men of the Oxford Presbyterian Church.
The organist’s response: Dear Nancy, Edith, and Lucy,
I read in the Bible that ‘it is more blessed to give than receive’ and that being true...you people, the givers, must be very, very blessed since you are more blessed than I, the receiver. For I do feel tremendously blessed to have these wonderful things done for me, and these beautiful things written to me...
Please thank everyone concerned for me. I don’t know how to put into words the great thankfulness I feel.
Sincerely and gratefully,
Lucy E. Webb