Kerr Presbyterian Church had no choir for a long time.

A sixfold increase in members during the past decade has given the Penn Hills church both a choir and a congregation.

"Before this, we had a choice of either a choir or a congregation," said church member Scott Davis of Plum. "We could have our pastor literally preach to the choir."

Kerr is a prime example of an older church trying to meet the challenges of adding membership and surviving into the 21st century, leaders said.

"It's significant that it's a little church that has been open in three centuries," said Pastor Ken Love.

The building was constructed in the 1870s by Methodists and sold to the Presbyterians in 1890. The church will celebrate its 110th anniversary in 2010.

There were only eight members when Love, 55, came to the church 10 years ago as a student pastor. He now is a licensed pastor and there are 51 members and regular worshippers. Five members will be added this month.

Love said he spoke to the surviving members 10 years ago and found "they were willing to do anything, try anything for the successful future of the church."

So he went out into the community to attract young people and told people the church was a "community center, a place of refuge, a place to come to for help."

A successful capital improvement campaign has helped the church buy adjacent land, grade it and create a 40-space parking lot.

Love wants to add a building to the church, hopefully by fall, for space for Sunday school and special services. He also wants to add air-conditioning, improve electricity and add Internet access. He hopes to get everything done by 2010 at a projected cost of $80,000.

Davis, chairman of the building committee, said he is glad the church "is not losing sight of its mission of serving God and is reaching out to meet the needs of the community."

He said there are advantages to being a small church. "My daughter Alex became an elder at age 16."

Organist Sherry Sasnoski, 61, has been a member "since I was born." Her daughter teaches Sunday school there. She wants to see a new generation take charge of the church.

Alex Davis, 20, a Westminster College student, has started a cafe-style coffee house every two weeks in the church's recreational space. "We're reaching out to the kids in the community. It is part of our mission," Love said.

The next session is scheduled from 7 to 11 p.m. July 19. More than 30 youngsters attended the last one.

Love had an opportunity to leave the area but stayed. He said he was once a leader in the United Auto Workers Union while employed by General Motors.

"When General Motors left West Mifflin, I was offered a job in another city and could have stayed with the company," he said. "But I didn't want to leave here. I stayed with my ministry."