About Us

 

Worship and Fellowship Opportunites

Traditional Worship Service: Sunday 11:00 a.m.
Christian Education Classes: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Monthly Calendar
• Monthly Newsletter
• Discussion Board

 

OUR HISTORY

Westminster Presbyterian Church was colonized by 99 persons, most of whom came from First Presbyterian Church in Florence. It was organized by North Alabama Presbytery on September 1, 1957, meeting initially in First Presbyterian Church. The West Building was occupied on July 6, 1958, having been constructed with gifts from Westminster and First Church members who contributed jointly to remodeling of the sanctuary downtown and the erection of an initial building for Westminster.

Westminster has had four pastors in over 40 years of witness and service. Robert H. Crumby came in 1956 as Associate at First Church to organize the new church, and served as its pastor until 1960.  James K. Thompson, who was called in 1961, concluded his service as pastor on June 30, 1988. Robert R. Shepperson served Westminster as pastor from 1988 to 1990 when Michael V. Stanfield was called. Rev. Stanfield served Westminster as interim pastor until August 1996. Dr. Donald Kaller guided us as interim pastor until May 1998, when the 'interim-mantle' was passed to Dr. Dick Junkin. On Sunday, September 20, 1998, the Rev. John J. McKell was installed as Westminster's 4th full-time pastor.

The East Building was dedicated May 17, 1970, having been designed to provide educational space for children and youth. In the interest of efficiency, the church offices were also moved to the East Building at the time of its construction.

To fulfill the dream of a new sanctuary the SANCTUARY PLANNING COMMITTEE was established in March 1984 as a sub-committee of the Buildings & Grounds Committee. Our pastor left, interest waned, and it wasn't until 1991 that a new Building Council was formed.

On December 14, 1992 the Council recommended to the Session that Westminster proceed with the building of a sanctuary and office complex, and renovation of the West Building.

The Session approved the recommendation and ground was broken on Easter Sunday 1994.

The first worship service was held in the new sanctuary Easter Sunday 1995, and a service of dedication on April 30, 1995.

Over a thousand persons have been entered on the active roll of Westminster through the years. Many children of God who have called Westminster "home" have come and gone. Some who were here in the beginning remain. Others have come to join them. Some have died and now make up a part of that "great cloud of witnesses" that surround us. Still others have left for a variety of reasons, the main one being that they were called to be key members of other church families. But almost all who have been a part of the Florence family called "Westminster" will attest that the Spirit of Christ has touched their lives and led them closer to becoming who God has created them to be.

Westminster's story has really just begun. The work of the Faithful, by the grace of God, has been the work of laying a solid foundation for future building. This hard, often painful, work on the part of so many has given Westminster a level of maturity that offers stability as we move into the future. In Westminster there is a sense of expectancy knowing that the future belongs to God and is open, beckoning us to "new things." A new day is dawning at Westminster, with new ministries, new family members, and new joy (as well as new pain). And, since the future belongs to God, who among us knows what adventures lie ahead?