EVANS CITY — In the summer of 1954, Harry Shaffer passed his first basket among the congregation at the Westminster United Presbyterian Church.

Today, at age 92, Shaffer is still at his post as an usher each Sunday.

“In all those 60 years, I’ve only really had one boss, and his name is G-O-D,” Shaffer said. “He’s the guy I’ve answered to all these years.”

At this Sunday’s 11 a.m. worship service, The Rev. Tom Harmon and the congregation will recognize Shaffer’s six decades of service with a plaque, a bagpiper and a responsive liturgy.

Shaffer, a Navy veteran of the Pacific Theater in World War II, originally attended the Grace Church of Harmony as a young man. But some of his cousins invited him to go roller skating in Evans City, where the group attended Westminster.

He agreed to help usher there one Sunday, and continued the assignment for two years although he had not yet officially joined the church. Once the church’s governing body heard he was not a member, Shaffer joined up at Westminster.

His duties as an usher include passing the collection baskets, opening or closing the sanctuary’s windows as needed, ushering worshippers to their seats, regulating the heat and overhead fans, lighting the candles, laying out bulletins for the service at each entrance, and taking the money collected to the altar.

“When I go up the aisle, I don’t stagger, but I don’t walk as straight and fast as I did when I was younger,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer said for decades his fellow ushers were Jack Crider, Frank Leisie and Robert English. Only Leisie and Shaffer survive.

“We were a nice group of kids,” Shaffer said of his longtime peers. “We all understood our boss was up above. We didn’t get anything monetarily, but we got our names in the book up there.”

He said an influx of industries to Evans City in the 1950s brought many Presbyterians to Westminster, and their donations helped fund improvements at the church.

A remodel of the sanctuary added seats, negating the necessity for the ushers to put up two rows of folding chairs in the rear of the sanctuary.

“For the past 20 years, I haven’t had to put chairs up in the back,” Shaffer said.

Now Shaffer, who has seen six pastors lead Westminster over the years, is retiring from his post.

“I talked it over with my man up above, and He said ‘Harry, you did a pretty good job. If you feel like you want to retire, you can,’” Shaffer said.

He advises those facing challenges to take the same route.

“There are down times in life,” Shaffer said, “but you can always look to the guy up above. He will straighten you out.”

Harmon said in addition to the plaque, the presentation will include one special item that will answer a request Shaffer has made to many Westminster pastors over the years.

“Harry is always asking the pastors what he needs to do to get his wings (for heaven,)” Harmon said. “On Sunday, he’s getting a set of wings.”

Harmon said the job of the ushers is an important one.

“It’s a devotion and commitment to the Church of Jesus Christ and the Westminster congregation to prepare the sanctuary and welcome people for worship,” Harmon said. “His work has been a ministry to the church.”

Shaffer worked for 29 years as an accountant at the former Johns Manville brick plant in Zelienople. He lives in Evans City with his wife, Madelyn.