Our Church and Congregation
The idea for our church was first brought up by the Rev. A. Ray Cartlidge of First Presbyterian, Champaign, because he felt it would be more convenient for the people who lived in what was then considered the outskirts of Champaign. With the help of Rev. Malcolm Nygren, Scott Weller, William Froom, Philip Francis, and Dick Gifford, the groundwork was established.
We convened for the first time on September 18, 1955 under the name Community Presbyterian Church. Services were held in the offices of Community Homes Inc. on the corner of Mattis Avenue and Meadow Drive. Dr. Ralph Cummins, general presbyter of the Synod of Illinois, was the preacher.
In November of that year, the church moved to two houses on Meadow Drive, where plans were made for building church facilities on a 3-acre site at our current location on Crescent Drive. On January 17, 1956, we were given permission to formally organize the church and on January 29, Bonnie and William Palmer, Bernice and Dick Gifford, and Jean Kramer became the charter members. The Rev. John Ewing was named the first pastor of the church.
Ground was broken June 30, 1957 for a Christian education building and fellowship hall. And in 1959, the name of the church was changed to Westminster Presbyterian. Construction of the current sanctuary and worship area was completed in August 1967 and the building was dedicated March 19, 1968. Many changes were made to the building during the 1960’s through the 1990’s, including the addition of the library and office space.
Our Denomination: Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church is a Protestant denomination. It was founded in the Reformation during the 1500’s and followed the teachings of John Calvin. After doctrinal disagreements over the years, there are today several versions of Presbyterianism.
Westminster is part of the PC (USA) which is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its relatively progressive stance on doctrine, including the 2012 decisions to permit the ordination of clergy who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and adoption of the Belhar Confession (written in South Africa), which addresses the three key issues of concern to all churches: unity of the church and unity among all people, reconciliation within the church and society, and God’s justice.
Governance of individual churches is by an elected board of elders (the Session). Each congregation has a commissioner present within the Presbytery. Presbyteries make up the Synods, which are the regional governing bodies. The Synods make up the General Assembly, which is the national governing body of the whole denomination. For our congregation, we are a part of the:
Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois, the Synod of Lincoln Trails, and the General Assembly of the PC(USA)
