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.
The Rev. Dr. Blythe Denham Kieffer is pastor and head of
staff at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield.