Members and friends of Westminster Presbyterian Church will gather on Founders’ Sunday, May 18, to celebrate 190 years of faith, art and advocacy. Our story begins with faith and a commitment to advocacy. The 30 founding members who signed the church charter on May 26, 1835, had strong abolitionist convictions and positive initiatives advocating justice and freedom for all God’s children. We are grateful for their steadfast refusal to acquiesce to the slavery status quo. Several of the founding members signed the Rev. Elijah Parish Lovejoy’s 1837 petition for an anti-slavery convention in Alton.
The Rev. Albert Hale (1840-1867), who was known as the friend and counselor of the martyrd president, and his wife, Abiah, who established the Dorcas Society which became the Illinois Children and Family Services, formed the character of Westminster. Following three previous locations, in 1908 our rural English Gothic-style building at 533 S. Walnut St. was dedicated. The 1840 bell, installed in the second building, rang for the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and continues to call worshippers to church today. The architectural beauty and distinct stain glass windows (with several biblical women) reflect our appreciation and commitment to the arts.
As Westminster approached the 21st century, social and financial forces confronted the congregation with the need for another decision. Following the civil rights movement and in the context of school desegregation, our Historic Westside Neighborhood of lovely Victorian homes saw migration, divestment and financial decline. In 1999, four years following the establishment of the Westminster Endowment Plan, Westminster made another crucial decision to remain in its stead and to continue its ministry in our historic neighborhood.
In 2013, when Peter and I first walked through the doors of Westminster upon my arrival as senior minister, we were both taken aback by the beauty of this facility. Not only did the walls speak of the rich history of this congregation, they also echoed the faithful nurture given to the generations of children and youth who walked through these doors. The rooms reverberated with the stunning, steadfast gift of music and the congregation’s consistent commitment through the generations to reach outside their doors in mission.
Following a successful anniversary endowment campaign in 2020, financial resources made yet another outreach possible in the Steadfast Neighbor Endeavor. The homestead of our church as an anchor within the neighborhood was strengthened in a Site and Landscape Plan, and the homesteads of our immediate neighbors continue to be strengthened through mission outreach which provides matching grants, an annual service week, and the Little Pantry and Library at Graham Elementary School.
This month, as we celebrate 190 years of faith, art and advocacy, our prayer, with the Apostle Paul, is that we never grow weary of doing what is right and that we work for the good of all whenever we have the opportunity. For generations to come, may we continue to advocate for our neighbors and proclaim God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to all.
This article appears in A loss for Illinois farmers and food banks.
