ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Together we are a community of believers. What does that mean, the word community? We believe that together in fellowship we grow closer to God and one another. The Bible speaks about iron sharpening iron. We believe that together we grow stronger.
Our congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. For more information, click this link.
OUR MISSION
We are a community exploring and nurturing Christian faith and inviting all to experience the love of God. “Inviting All, Exploring Faith, Experiencing God”
OUR VISION
We strive to be a church without walls. Jesus calls for us to go outside the walls to reach the lost and the broken. It is there that the lost will be found. Most churches find it is comfortable to stay within the walls, but we make it an effort to be like the church from the book of Acts, to see our city changed.
OUR VALUES
We highly value our relationships with one another. We look to grow through fellowship, and ultimately growing closer to God. We value the word of God, and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We look to extend grace to all of the lost and broken, and lead those with no hope to the hope of Jesus Christ.
The Westminster Staff
Our staff and leaders consist of a dedicated team of individuals energized with a focus, vision and direction for God’s leading. These individuals grasp the vision of Westminster, and are crucial in moving God’s kingdom forward in Dubuque and beyond. Feel free to get in touch. We’d be glad to hear from you.
OUR HISTORY
SMALL BEGINNINGS
It is hard to say when the first Presbyterian congregation was founded in America. It may have been as early as 1672. In the early 18th century we find the first signs of an inter-congregational structure governed by elders. That first Presbyterian was established by Francis Makemie, the "Father of American Presbyterian." The place and date of that first meeting is not definitely known. Makemie simply wrote that it was "a meeting of ministers for ministerial exercise to consult the most proper measure for advancing religion and propagating Christianity."
Quite some time passed before Presbyterian-style religion advanced in Dubuque but it eventually came. Westminster celebrated its 150th birthday in 2000. Quoting from "Some outstanding particulars of the first hundred years" written for the centennial celebration for Westminster in 1950 a church historian stated: Two streams of church history converged into the history of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Dubuque. The first began as a trickle on Jult 14, 1850, when twenty pioneers - six men and fourteen women - were organized into the First Presbyterian Church. The other, a small spring, started to flow on August 26, 1855 when seventeen people - seven men and ten women - were formed into a Second Presbyterian Church. The two streams became one on December 31, 1903.
First Church met in a public hall and court house, and in 1852 erected a small building at 12th and Main. Second Church held service for almost a year in the Methodist and Congregational buildings. A brick building was erected at 13th and Locust and dedicated in 1859, shortly before the Civil War. Only the first floor was finished. The sanctuary was completed in 1869.
In the fall of 1903, negotiations for the merger of the two churches began. The confluence of the two main streams was complete by December 31st, 1903. Westminster's Presbyterian Church began with a prayer meeting on New Year's morning, 1904, at 8:00 a.m. in the building of the former Second Presbyterian Church at 13th and Locust. During the nest fifty-five years, through two World Wars and a depression, Westminster hadits ups and downs. The "Park Hill Mission," now Third Presbyterian Church in north Dubuque, was established. The depression of the 30s made financial operation increasingly difficult. The history states that in 1943 Dr. Carriel resigned, ending the church's longest pastorate of 15 years. Since that time Gaylord Couchman served 10 years, Dick Heydinger 15 years, Ken Hindman 24 years, and Jeff Goldsmith 8 years. Tom Young served as pastor from 2005 thru 2012.
By the early 1950's the congregation had outgrown the building at 13th and Locust. After a study conducted by a national church consultant, it was determined to move to the hill. The consultant stressed that a "downtown" church moving should locate, if possible, at the intersection of two main streets. It was also hoped that a location near the University of Dubuque could be found.
At that critical moment, the Dubuque Community School Board moved Irving School and made the old school site available. After purchasing the site, the church then bought the store on the corner (a University student "hang out" called "The Goats") and a old frame apartment building next door. Later the next house on Loras was purchased and given to the church for additional parking area. Property cost totaled almost $90,000, considered rather astronomical at the time sonce buildings located on the site had to be demolished and a new church built.
Similar to the Second Presbyterian Church 1859 project down at 13th and Locust (a project which involved building the first floor and then 10 years later the sanctuary), Westminster on the hill built the church school and fellowship hall first (dedicated in September 1958) and held worship services in the fellowship hall for six years until the sanctuary was completed and dedicated on September 13, 1964. (Information was received from a compilation of history by Wayne A. Norman.)
We have been greatly blessed and much is expected of us.