It came as no surprise to organist Jim Berna when the old organ at First United Methodist Church of West Newton won rave reviews.

But parishioners at the historic church learned a lesson in history and music.

The church's 1905 tubular pneumatic pipe organ made by John Austin was recently recognized by the Organ Historical Society for its historical significance.

"John Austin was always developing new ideas. The piston action on this organ was an experimental action which allowed the organist to preset sounds. Of the three he built like this, this is the last existing one, and it is still used weekly for services," Mr. Berna said. "People never knew what they had here. It was an old organ to them. Now they recognize that they have a gem."

On June 26, 75 of the 300 attending the Organ Historical Society's 2010 National Convention in Pittsburgh visited 24 local pipe organs, including the one at First United Methodist Church.

It was the first time the international organization, headquartered in Richmond, Va., met in Pittsburgh, said co-chair Jim Stark, of Shadyside.

The group gave a citation to the church that states the organ "has been selected as an instrument of exceptional historic merit, worthy of preservation."

The Rev. Erik Hoeke, pastor of the 225-member church built in 1843, said the organ was obtained in 1905 through a grant from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Its cost is unknown.

Mr. Berna, 60, of Fayette City, who is a piano and pipe organ technician and builder, said the instrument is noteworthy for a number of reasons.

"When this was built, all we had in the U.S. were tracker pipe organs, which had all mechanical actions. About the year 1900, U.S. organ companies moved to tubular pneumatic, which introduced leather-covered pneumatic tubes with quarter-inch lead tubes connected to the keyboard, which allowed the pipes to sound.

"This organ has the tubular pneumatic system, of which there are few left in Western Pennsylvania," he said.

It also has a universal air chest devised by Mr. Austin that has its advantages even today.

"If something malfunctions, it is easy for me to repair because it is all open to allow the air aspect to work," Mr. Berna said.

Mr. Berna prefers the pipe organ sound -- "a true tone" to that of the pipeless modern digital electronic organ.

As a boy, Mr. Berna was told he did not have the aptitude for music after failing a band instrument test, a prognosis he promptly ignored while mastering the clarinet, pump organ, electronic organ and pipe organs.

At age 14, he began playing the organ at services in his home church, Holy Spirit Church in Fayette City.

"I thought it was going to be a temporary job," Mr. Berna said.

Today, he plays Sundays at Webster United Methodist Church, in Webster, Perryopolis Baptist Church in Perryopolis and at the West Newton church.

He regards his role of playing and "making people sing" as a ministry because it works in tandem with the Biblical scripture.

"Music has a way of sinking the message in," he said.

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