Wilton Presbyterian Church to Hold Memorial Service for Founding Pastor, Rev. Stewart MacColl

The Rev. William Stewart MacColl, former Wiltonian and beloved founding pastor of Wilton Presbyterian Church, will be remembered with a memorial service this Saturday, March 2, at 2 p.m. He died on Oct. 19, 2023, in his home in Spring, TX, after a life of service to faith, church, and causes he held dear.

MacColl and his wife, the Rev. Jane MacColl, served Presbyterian congregations in Highland, NY, Newark, NJ, and Spring, TX. He served the Wilton Presbyterian Church from its founding in 1961 through 1979 and later returned as an interim pastor from 2011 to 2013.

Early services in Wilton were in a tiny music room in Cider Mill School, then expanding to the school gym, and ultimately at a beautiful new campus, WEPCO, that also houses the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. Many members still cherish those early days with Stewart “in the blue chairs in Parish hall,” before the sanctuary broke ground in 2004.

“It was great because the church really was the people, not the building. Stewart thought we didn’t need a building to be a church, to be God’s people,” WPC founding member Sam Halsey recalled.

Stewart’s charisma and his insightful, nuanced, yet accessible sermons and ministry helped his congregations flourish and serve its members, community, and the broader world.

“I remember Stewart was the most wonderful preacher. He was easy to listen to and understand. He gave us lessons for life,” WPC member Phyllis Blessing said.

Stew and Jane provided exceptional care to congregational members, the community, and others across the globe, helping to found action groups and forming close connections with congregations in Africa. While serving on Wilton’s Board of Education, Stew’s persistently practical and humane voice also carried the day for Project Concern, a voluntary busing program that brought students from Bridgeport’s poorest neighborhoods into Wilton’s schools.

Stewart was a compassionate champion for reproductive rights. Before Roe v. Wade, he counseled women with unwanted pregnancies and helped arrange illegal abortions. Later he served as president of Planned Parenthood of Houston and his congregations founded clinics, often in the face of outspoken opposition, but always respecting the sincerity of opposing views. In 2006, Planned Parenthood of America awarded Stewart the reverend’s Davis Award for Distinguished Service. The New York Times reported on Stew’s typically insightful remarks.

WPC member Berta Hull remembered his other strong beliefs.

“When Stewart was here as our interim, he officiated a wedding at which the parents requested that he say ‘Who giveth this woman in marriage?’ Stewart expressed his displeasure at the idea of ‘ownership’ of a woman. He and Jane were vocal supporters of women’s rights, gay rights, and racial justice too.”

Together they attended protests and rallies, including the 1963 March on Washington at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream. And they didn’t stop at witnessing — they were deeply dedicated to causes they held dear, including civil rights, women’s rights, and peace. As chair of Wilton’s Democratic Town Committee, Jane attended the 1966 state convention, where she was the only delegate to voice concern about the Vietnam War.

Stewart and Jane left a lasting impact on Wilton, through their actions and personal bonds. On their departure, WPC gave Stewart and Jane a very special quilt, each family of the congregation contributing a square, which their children still hold dear.

A letter from the Wilton Democratic Town Committee entered into the Congressional Record when Stewart left town for Texas concluded that he should “be assured you have fulfilled in Wilton the oath of ancient Athens: You have left your town ‘better and more beautiful than you found it.’” The same was true at Stew’s ultimate departure.

Rev. Stewart MacColl was predeceased by his wife of 64 years, Jane, in 2016. She is memorialized in the Wilton Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden where Stewart will soon be interred in a spot near her.

The memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, at Wilton Presbyterian Church (48 New Canaan Rd.). In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Northwoods Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX, Wilton Presbyterian Church, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, or the charity of your choice.