Westminster Presbyterian Church history

The current sanctuary was constructed in 1952 to accommodate the rapidly growing congregation; the old sanctuary became the chapel. Its initial colonial-style edifice was built in 1942.

On the evening of January 22, 1946, 70 members, including several elders and deacons of the first Presbyterian church of Gainesville, met in the home of Mrs.

In 1948, the church purchased a chapel building.

A Cabin Grows: A History of a Church - 1799 to 1949

The current sanctuary was constructed in 1952 to accommodate the rapidly growing congregation; the old sanctuary became the chapel.

Malkus resigned in January, 1957, to go to a new work in Nebraska, and the Rev.

In 1959, when the Bible Presbyterian Church merged into the Evangelical Reformed Presbyterian Church, our church changed it's name to Westminster Presbyterian Church.

In 1961, a large education building was added to accommodate Sunday school classes, music facilities, additional office spaces, and meeting areas for numerous church programs.

The Casavant Organ (opus 2670), dedicated in January 1963, was custom designed and built to meet the acoustical and musical requirements of Westminster Church.

In 1964, the old Scott mansion was demolished and Grace Hall (the new education building) was constructed.

The church's current organ is a three-manual M. P. Moller, installed by the firm in 1965; the dedicatory recital was played by Virgil Fox, the prominent American concert organist.

In 1967, the church’s Mother’s Day Out program became the beginnings of the Westminster Presbyterian Church Preschool and Kindergarten, as a mission of our church.

He had served WPC since 1968.

In 1973, Senior Minister Robert J. Stewart, 44, collapsed while walking to his car in the church parking lot.

Richard C. Powers took over in his stead until a new senior minister, Doctor Robert Leslie, was called in 1974.

Women of Westminster Cook Book, 1975

Having previously met in homes on Sunday evenings, the emerging church first met for public worship in All Faiths Chapel in October 1978.

On January 28, 1979, a group of forty-eight officially became Westminster Presbyterian Church, a part of the Presbytery of Texas, Presbyterian Church of America.

When Robert Leslie resigned in 1981 to become senior minister at First Church in Bryan, Doctor Walter Bennett, by then retired, came back to serve as our interim minister until a new minister was selected.

Doctor Charles Taylor became Westminster’s 14th senior pastor on July 1, 1982 (membership = 567). He arrived just in time for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new educational wing.

The building was completed in 1983 at a cost of nearly $1 million but there was no debt encumbered.

The congregation in 1984 honored Doctor Bennett with the designation of Pastor Emeritus and he and Deedy attended our church faithfully until the end of their lives.

In July 1986, the church called Rev.

In July 1988, the vision for growth came to fruition when the church called Rev.

The congregation built a new facility with three buildings, and moved to the present location in December 1993.

Scott Wilkinson became Pastor in June 1997 and Rev.

Note: Gainesville Christian Kindergarten closed upon the retirement of long-time teachers, Louise Thurman Lewis and Jean Tutt at the end of the 1998/99 school year.)

Boy Scout Troop #35 began meeting in Fellowship Hall in the 2000’s

During the summer of 2002, a new console was custom built and installed with state-of-the-art technology by the Walker Technical Company of Zionsville, Pennsylvania.

Wade Coleman became the church’s pastor in August 2003.

In 2006–07, the church underwent major renovations, during which the sanctuary was again rebuilt to accommodate the changing liturgical needs.

In 2007, a Celestial Division, given in memory of Beatrice Jackson, organist at Clough United Methodist Church in Cincinnati for 65 years, was a gift of her brother and sister-in-law, Ray and Sue Merz.

In February 2010, a memorial gift from the family and friends of John Bindeman was given for the installation of a Carillon in the Sanctuary.

In 2015, the Boy Scouts created a labyrinth for meditation on the south front lawn and the next year the preschool built a playscape for its students.

In July 2019, Alex Lee-Cornell responded to our call for an Interim minister and our own Deanna Hollas was installed as a first ever Minister Against Gun Violence.

In March 2020, our church closed for the first time in its history due to COVID restrictions but quickly regrouped and began broadcasting online on Facebook and our meetings (Sunday School, noon day prayer, and Session) were held through Zoom.