About Our Church
Our church as a rich history of being in the community with mission, philanthropy, and the socio-economic well being of Garden City. We've been serving since 1886 when the church was established, only eight years after the city was established. Truly God had and still has a vision for this multicultural and multilingual community!
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We invite you to join us as we worship the Lord, celebrate Communion, study the Word of God in scripture, and minister to the spiritual needs of our members and the community. Our members and friends of the church come from diverse religious backgrounds - you are likely to meet someone that shares a similar religious upbringing to yours.
Our History
Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation with the writings of John Calvin (1509-1564) that influenced the Reformed Movement in Europe and the British Isles. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland and Ireland. The first American Presbytery was organized at Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was held in the same city in 1789. The first Assembly was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.
The Presbyterian Church of Garden City has been in continuous service to its members and this community since 1886! But, our current church building is not that old. The original building was located at the corner of Spruce and Garden City Avenue, and served until 1929. The second larger building which was located at 7th and Pine Streets near downtown, was totally destroyed by a devastating and tragic fire in 1985. It was found to be an arson. With the help of a caring community and the commitment and faith of our congregation, a new church building was dedicated in 1986 resulting in a beautiful space for worship. Our current church is a testament to our greatest asset, the people of this congregation.
The Presbyterian Church of Garden City has been in continuous service to its members and this community since 1886! But, our current church building is not that old. The original building was located at the corner of Spruce and Garden City Avenue, and served until 1929. The second larger building which was located at 7th and Pine Streets near downtown, was totally destroyed by a devastating and tragic fire in 1985. It was found to be an arson. With the help of a caring community and the commitment and faith of our congregation, a new church building was dedicated in 1986 resulting in a beautiful space for worship. Our current church is a testament to our greatest asset, the people of this congregation.
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Portrait of a SurvivorA portrait of Jesus Christ. We encourage you to look closer. It is a portrait of a survivor. It was pulled from the ashes of the fire at our church in 1985, the most challenging period ever for our congregation, at the times, in its 99th year.
On a cold winter night on February 6, 1985 a citizen reported flames flashing behind the sanctuary's stain glass windows. Our local volunteer firemen and eight fire trucks fought the blaze but ice-clogged fire hydrants hindered their efforts. An hour into the battle, the sanctuary roof crashed down. When dawn broke the church stood gaunt and blackened. The piano and organ in the sanctuary were reduced to ashes. Multi-hued and lead bound glass windows were melted. Records were destroyed. After the smoldering had subsided and the wreckage had been cooled by the weather, several church members began sorting and sifting through the debris. A charred bible was found lying on top of blackened picture frame that had once hung on the wall. When the bible was lifted, the face of Christ was highlighted by the area protected by the bible - our survivor, our savior. Though tears, the congregation realized through everything there was no devastation, "He is here, with us". |
What We Believe
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Some of the principles expressed by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are:
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For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 Although we do not have to do anything to earn salvation—in fact we cannot do anything because everything already has been done by and through Jesus Christ—everyone is called to respond to this free gift through acts of ministry, mission, and service. We do not respond because we have to, but because we get to, out of our gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us. The Book of Order is Part II of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), and the opening chapter outlines the primary principles. It begins by affirming that Jesus Christ is Head of the Church, which is his body. This affirmation is followed by what Presbyterians call the "Great Ends of the Church," which include the core principles at the heart of all activity.
The Great Ends include:
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The Great Ends include:
- The proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of humankind;
- The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
- The maintenance of divine worship;
- The preservation of the truth;
- The promotion of social righteousness;
- The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.
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