Saint Andrews United Presbyterian Church, 201 E. Jefferson St., is celebrating its 200th anniversary with several special services.

Saint Andrews will celebrate World Communion Day at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College. The Rev. James Swanson of Covenant United Presbyterian Church will preside.

The sons and daughters of the church who have gone into the ministry will be celebrated at the 10 a.m. service on Oct. 10. The Rev. C.F. Hoffman, pastor of Galilean Presbyterian Church in Darlington and a son of the congregation, will be preaching.

The Rev. David Douthett, pastor of Cotocton Presbyterian Church in Waterford, Va., and a son of the church, will be the preacher at the 10 a.m. service on Oct. 17. The theme of the service will be "Looking to the Future Day."

The earliest record of the congregation, which has been meeting at the corner of McKean and Jefferson streets since 1825, was a petition presented on June 25, 1804, to the Associate Reformed Presbytery of Monongahela, asking for "supplies of gospel ordinances" to "Butler-town."

The Rev. Joseph Kerr preached on Aug. 5, 1804, and the Rev. Mungo Dick on July 14, 1804. In 1806, efforts to obtain a full-time pastor for Butler and Deer Creek were begun. The Butler congregation was fully organized on March 9, 1812, when Thomas Dodds and Hugh McKee were installed as ruling elders.

The long search for a pastor ended when Isaiah Niblock accepted a call and was installed on Nov. 17, 1818. He was 25. He had been born in Ireland, educated in Scotland and sent to America as a licensed preacher in 1818.

The congregation worshipped in the courthouse at times and also held open-air services in the ravine west of North Main Street below the cemetery, where people sat on logs. Niblock also began a Sabbath school, the first in Butler.

The church was called the Associate Reformed Church of Butler until 1858, when the denomination united with the Reformed Presbytery to form the United Presbyterian Church of North America. The congregation then became the United Presbyterian Church of Butler.

When the Second United Presbyterian Church - now Hill United Presbyterian Church - was established in 1912, the name was changed to the First United Presbyterian Church.

Finally, the denomination was merged with the Presbyterian Church in the United States to form the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. The new named selected for the congregation was Saint Andrews United Presbyterian Church of Butler, honoring the city of St. Andrews, Scotland.

The congregation got its present location in 1824, when the church acquired the lot for $50. In 1825, a brick building was constructed. It was enlarged in 1867 and again in 1870. That structure was demolished in 1891.

A new stone structure was dedicated on Feb. 22, 1894. In 1903, a manse was built, and in 1922, it was converted to Bible school quarters. A three-story educational building was completed on April 13, 1952.

During the pastorate of the Rev. James Manor, who served from 1956 to 1968, the main sanctuary was completely renovated. Sunday school rooms were added and a new Mohler pipe organ was added and dedicated.

Today, Saint Andrews is led by interim pastor, the Rev. Kate Filer. In addition to serving more than 300 members, the church continues its tradition of service to the Butler community.

Its worship services have been broadcast on WBUT-FM radio for more than 50 years.

Besides housing the Tender Tots Preschool, the church hosts the meetings of many organizations, including Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, GED classes, Narcotics Anonymous, Butler String Symphonette and Butler County Junior Miss.

Along with the other Butler Presbyterian churches, Saint Andrews provides a community dinner on Wednesdays and distributes a sack lunch every Sunday.

This year, the youth of the church participated in Camp Creation and a work trip to Kentucky.

In addition, for the last 27 years, the congregation has marked the Scottish heritage of the Presbyterian Church and the Butler area with an annual Scottish celebration.