PENNEY FARMS — As Penney Retirement Community celebrates its centennial year, Wes Hyde is looking back at the purposeful living that brought him to the community. And the legacy he’s continued to contribute to with pride.

As the current moderator of Penney Memorial Church, Hyde makes it his mission to ensure the church continues to thrive as the centerpiece of the vibrant community—hosting church services and ceremonial occasions.

Erected by James Cash Penney himself, it was one of the first buildings to be constructed in 1926.

Mr. Penney’s goal, Hyde said, was to make it the central focus of the community. A way to symbolize the centrality of Christianity to the future life of the community. To this day, it maintains the same elegance. The interior and woodwork remain intact. A 29-rank Holtkamp Pipe Organ stands tall. And Mr. Penney’s personal grand piano sits in perfect condition; the melodious sounds heard every service.

With just under 300 members, it’s Hyde’s job to interact with every one of them, making sure their experience in the historic church is as smooth and joyful as possible.

“We’re bringing together two dozen or more denominations,” he said. “When we worship together on Sunday morning, we respect those backgrounds. We try to provide a service which reaches out and meets the needs of a variety of backgrounds.”

Hyde deals with various matters relating to the church. And as an ordained minister, he sometimes leads Saturday evening and Sunday morning worship services.

Hyde also serves as the chairman of the church’s 21-member board. Each is elected by the congregation and serves a specific function of the church. He convenes the board nine times a year and establishes an agenda to lead meetings.

“There’s never a day [that’s] gone by that I don’t get a telephone call, a text message or an email,” Hyde said.

Ministry and public service have always been callings for Hyde.

After graduating college, Hyde became a Pastor at two churches in New Jersey and New York. Later, he said a calling from God led him into public education, where he spent time as an elementary school principal and 24 years as a superintendent in central New York.

He retired in 2002 with his wife, and they settled in a small Titusville community, where he became an administrative pastor for seven and a half years. They moved to Penney in 2020 after learning that several of their Titusville friends had migrated, including fellow resident Jim Hennigar.

What attracted them to the community was knowing it was a place where they would be taken care of.

‘What drew my wife and I here was the fact that we could establish a residence in a community where we felt that however our physical conditions developed over the years, we would be taken care of,” he said.

“We are happy we’re here. We love it. We like the environment.”

Although his role as moderator keeps him on his toes, Hyde said he wouldn’t have it any other way. With a little time left in his role, he hopes to continue serving the church and community with as much purpose and vigor as possible.