ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN TO INSTALL REV. WILLIAM WALTON SUNDAY
The Rev. William T. Walton will be installed Sunday evening at 7 o’clock as pastor of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church at Tower City. The installation will be conducted by the Rev. Burlington B. Latshaw Jr., dean of the Hegins district of Lutheran churches and pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Valley View.
The Rev. Clarence D. Reeser, pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Reinerton, will deliver the installation sermon.
The Rev. Walton, 34, was born at Tamaqua and is a graduate of Tamaqua High School 1949, Muhlenberg College 1953, the Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia, 1956. He was a member of Alpha A. Cappa Alpha and Alanda Chi Alpha while in college.
In 1956 he was assistant pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Norristown; from 1958 to 1962 he was pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Coatesville. While there, a building program was started, giving per capita was doubled and membership increased by one-third. A camping and retreat program was started for young people. He was a member of the Red Cross Board, Blind Association, Crippled Children’s Board, UAACT Board; president, Council of Churches.
In 1963 he was called by the Board of American Missions of the Lutheran Church in America to start a mission at Richboro, Bucks County. The young congregation, now numbering 190 adults and 130 children, first met in a pool hall, a tavern, a fire hall and school. On May 19 a parsonage was dedicated and in September 1964, the congregation approved building plans on a six and one half acre plot. In February 1965 ground breaking for the new building began and on October 31, 1965, dedication of a new church costing $137,000 took place. The 1966 budget totals $26,000 for 75 families.
Rev. Walton has written articles for the Lutheran magazine and has conducted a work camp in 1964 and two work camps in 1965 for the ICA Youth Commission at Norristown State Hospital. In 1965 and 1966 he spent one day a week working with mentally regressed men.
The Rev. Walton is married to the former Mary Ann Jolley of Wayne, a graduate of Wilson College, Chambersburg, and an alumna of University of Pennsylvania Graduate School and Social Work.
They have three children, Rebecca Walton, 10; Ann Walton, 8; and Sarah Walton, 5.
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From West Schuylkill Herald, June 8, 1966, via Newspapers.com.
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