The Rodgers Organ, installed in 2017, provides musical leadership from the true voices of classic pipe organs. A congregation-wide campaign, led by the late Lindsay Simmons, resulted in a successful fund-raising campaign to bring to worship with the unmistakable and versatile sounds of a lofty pipe organ. Several demonstrations by Lead Organist Boyd Levet on a loaner instrument, involved the congregation directly in the decision to move forward with the project. Much of our congregation has moved to the Sisters area from larger urban congregations and bring with them an appreciation for outstanding organ music and accompaniment for worship.

Rodgers Instruments of Hillsboro, Oregon was chosen as the organ builder for several reasons. Its organs are built with the sounds of real pipes, recorded in large churches and cathedrals and carried behind more than 200 stops on digital discs. No sounds are manufactured electronically. When you hear an eight-foot flute, it is in fact a recorded sound from the site of a active pipe organ’s eight-foot flute.

The reeds and other stops work the same. The complete ensemble represents a unique method to replicate what many in our congregation recall from other pipe organs in the urban churches from which they have pleasant memories of the special nature of the organ in worship. Rodgers was also chosen for its excellence in the final result and its Oregon-based workmanship.

From the mellow strings, the chiffy-sounding metal and wooden flutes, to the robust and stirring tones of reeds and diapasons, the full range of the pipe organ supports this congregation in many ways. The uniqueness of the Rodgers design includes within this extraordinary instrument four-full pipe organs with differing styles. They include the American Eclectic Organ, The French Classic Organ, and The German Baroque Organ. Thus, this instrument provides an incredible ability to support the congregation with an outstanding range of repertoire at the organists’ fingertips.

Both organists bring histories of scholarship with pipe organs and remain delighted with the congregation’s choice of Rodgers. Your organists alternate weeks at the keyboard and include Boyd Levet and Mark Oglesby. Each is delighted to share the loft organ with close-up views, along with questions and answers, following the Sunday Postlude after the second service.

“Soli Deo Gloria!”

-   Boyd Levet, Lead Organist