First Presbyterian Church (Houston)

Last updated
First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church of Houston.jpg
First Presbyterian Church (Houston)
Location Houston, Texas
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  USA
Denomination ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians
Previous denomination Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Presbyterian Church in the United States (AKA "Southern Presbyterian")
History
Dedicated1839
Clergy
Pastor(s) Curtis A. Bronzan

The First Presbyterian Church is a church in the Museum District of Houston, Texas. [1] As of 2012 it had 3,567 members. [2] The church has been located in the Museum District since 1948. [3]

Contents

History

The church was founded in 1839 by Rev. James Weston Miller. [4] [5] He was from Pennsylvania as a foreign missionary in the Republic of Texas. The congregation consisted of 13 charter members. Initially, the church met in the Senate Chamber of the Republic of Texas, moving nearby to its first building in 1842. [3] Later the congregation become a prominent member of the Southern Presbyterian Church, and planted several Presbyterian congregations in Houston. The church grew rapidly. First Presbyterian begun mission efforts to South Korea and Brazil. [6]

The church moved to its current location in 1948. The new sanctuary building was the first air-conditioned sanctuary in Texas. [3]

In 2001 B. William Vanderbloemen was elected as the church's pastor. [1] Vanderbloemen resigned in January 2007 after taking leave in December 2006. [7]

In February 2014 the church voted whether or not to sever ties with the PCUSA, following a policy change in which the latter organization opened the possibility of the ordination of openly gay ministers. First Presbyterian narrowly voted to stay with the denomination. [8] [9]

The building behind the Carnegie Library served from 1896 until it burned down in 1932. Houston TX 1st Presby PHS1079.jpg
The building behind the Carnegie Library served from 1896 until it burned down in 1932.

In November 2016, the church decided to leave the PCUSA and align with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. [10] [11]

The senior pastor is Curtis A. Bronzan. [12]

School

Presbyterian School is on the grounds of the church.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church (USA)</span> Mainline Protestant denomination in the US

The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and members of the LGBT community as elders and ministers. The Presbyterian Church (USA) was established with the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were located in the Southern and border states, with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose congregations could be found in every state.

Presbyterianpolity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session, though other terms, such as church board, may apply. Groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders known as the presbytery or classis; presbyteries can be grouped into a synod, and presbyteries and synods nationwide often join together in a general assembly. Responsibility for conduct of church services is reserved to an ordained minister or pastor known as a teaching elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church in America</span> Conservative Reformed Christian denomination in the United States and Canada

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and presbyterian in government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland Presbyterian Church</span> Presbyterian denomination

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination spawned by the Second Great Awakening. In 2019, it had 65,087 members and 673 congregations, of which 51 were located outside of the United States. The word Cumberland comes from the Cumberland River valley where the church was founded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland</span> Christian denomination

The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland was formed in 1893. The Church identifies itself as the spiritual descendant of the Scottish Reformation. The Church web-site states that it is 'the constitutional heir of the historic Church of Scotland'. Its adherents are occasionally referred to as Seceders or the Wee Wee Frees. Although small, the church has congregations on five continents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States)</span> Protestant Reformed Evangelical church body

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) is an American church body holding to presbyterian governance and Reformed theology. It is a conservative Calvinist denomination. It is most distinctive for its approach to the way it balances certain liberties across congregations on "non-essential" doctrines, such as egalitarianism /complementarianism in marriage or the ordination of women, alongside an affirmation of core "essential" doctrinal standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster</span> Calvinist denomination founded by Ian Paisley in 1951

The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster is a Calvinist denomination founded by Ian Paisley in 1951. Doctrinally, the church describes itself as fundamentalist, evangelical, and separatist, and is part of the reformed fundamentalist movement. Most of its members live in Northern Ireland, where the church is headquartered, and in County Donegal. The church has additional congregations in the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and Australia, and a sister denomination in North America, the Free Presbyterian Church of North America, which has congregations in Canada and the United States. It also has a sister denomination in Nepal which was formed from the Nepal mission to the Unreached in November 2013.

The New Wineskins Association of Churches (NWAC) was a group of nearly 200 theologically conservative Presbyterian churches, each of which is in varying stages of departing from the mainline Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), also known as PCUSA. The New Wineskins network of churches was formed as a result of growing discontent among theologically conservative pastors, elders, and members regarding the general direction of the PCUSA. The NWAC was scheduled to come to a conclusion in June 2012. The New Wineskins Presbytery was dissolved in 2011, as its mission was completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterianism and homosexuality</span>

Attitudes in Presbyterianism toward homosexuality vary, ranging from outright condemnation to complete acceptance.

Menlo Church, previously Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, is a Presbyterian church congregation located in the San Francisco Bay Area with campuses in Menlo Park, Mountain View, San Mateo, and Saratoga, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church</span> Historic church in Tennessee, United States

Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church is an historic church located in Kingsport, Tennessee. The church was organized May 20, 1820 as the Boatyard Congregation. It is the oldest one of any denomination in the city of Kingsport. It is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Session (Presbyterianism)</span> Governing body of a Presbyterian or Reformed church

A session is a body of elected elders governing a particular church within presbyterian polity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Presbyterian Church (Tulsa)</span> Historic church in Oklahoma, United States

The First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa was organized in 1885 in Creek Nation, Indian Territory, before statehood. It originally met in the store owned by brothers James M. Hall and Harry C. Hall, and was served by itinerant, circuit-riding ministers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ECO (denomination)</span> Protestant denomination

ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians is an evangelical Presbyterian denomination in the United States. As a Presbyterian church, ECO adheres to Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity. It was established in 2012 by former congregations and members of the Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA). Denominational disputes over theology—particularly ordination of practicing homosexuals as pastors and gay marriage—and bureaucracy led to the founding of ECO. In 2018, ECO has over 383 congregations, 103,425 covenant partners and over 500 pastors. ECO churches are egalitarian in beliefs and ordain women as pastors and elders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Presbyterian Church in Mexico</span> Protestant denomination in Mexico

The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico is the second-largest Protestant church, and the largest Reformed denomination in Mexico. It is present throughout the country, and is particularly strong in the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, Nuevo León, Aguascalientes and Mexico City.

The First Presbyterian Church is a historic congregation currently housed at 1390 North State Street in Jackson, Mississippi. It was founded in 1837.

The First Presbyterian Church at one time was located at 154 5th Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee. This location now houses the Downtown Presbyterian Church, a completely different congregation than First Presbyterian Church which moved to the suburbs in the 1950s. It is a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The membership stood at 4,265 in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Houston</span> Most prevalent religion in the US city

Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the city of Houston, Texas. In 2012, Kate Shellnutt of the Houston Chronicle described Houston as a "heavily Christian city". Multiple Christian denominations originating from various countries are practiced in the city; among its Christian population, the majority are either Catholic, Baptist, or non/interdenominational.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Vanderbloemen</span>

William Vanderbloemen is an entrepreneur, pastor, speaker, author, and CEO and founder of Vanderbloemen Search Group, an executive search firm serving churches, ministries, and faith-based organizations.

The Fellowship Community, formerly known as the Fellowship of Presbyterians (FOP), arose from a movement started by seven pastors from some of the largest PC(USA) churches in the United States in 2010. The movement gained momentum when they met in August 2011 at a planning and organizational meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota and began drafting essential tenets and refined polity for a new reformed body. A second gathering of the movement in January 2012 resulted in a new denomination known as Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO). The Fellowship Community maintains that it is committed to remaining in the PC(USA) and "is not a waiting room for departure". It remains true, though, that many congregations leaving the PC(USA) have had a connection to The Fellowship Community and that The Fellowship Community strategizes with congregations seeking dismissal from the PC(USA). Jim Singleton, one time president of The Fellowship Community wrote, "We are now in a time when many congregations feel the need to withdraw…"

References

  1. 1 2 "Minister elected to lead First Presbyterian Church". Houston Chronicle . 2001-11-12. Retrieved 2017-02-16. "Vanderbloemen said First Presbyterian is in the middle of a growing Museum District that is attracting new residents."
  2. http://www.pcusa.org/media/uploads/research/pdfs/2012-cs-table6.pdf www.pcusa.org/media/uploads/research/pdfs/2012-cs-table6.pdf
  3. 1 2 3 "Our Story | First Presbyterian Houston". fpchouston.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-28.
  4. Carole E. Christian, "MILLER, JAMES WESTON," Handbook of Texas Online <http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fmi18>, accessed October 08, 2014. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  5. Robert Finney Miller, 'Early Presbyterianism in Texas as Seen by Rev. James Weston Miller, D. D.', The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 2, 1915, pp. 159-183
  6. http://www.fpchouston.org/history.php Archived 2014-03-11 at the Wayback Machine www.fpchouston.org/history.php
  7. Vara, Richard (2007-02-03). "Vanderbloemen resigns senior pastorate of Houston's First Presbyterian Church". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  8. Walters, Edgar (2014-02-23). "Houston Church Opts Not to Defect From Denomination". Texas Tribune . Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  9. Tolson, Mike (2014-02-24). "First Presbyterian narrowly votes to stay with denomination". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  10. "Texas Presbyterian Megachurch Votes to Leave PCUSA for Conservative ECO". 29 November 2016.
  11. "Denomination - FPC Houston". December 2020.
  12. "Leadership & Staff - FPC Houston". December 2020.

29°43′40″N95°23′20″W / 29.7277°N 95.3888°W / 29.7277; -95.3888