A Celtic cross on the north side of Loop 410 in San Antonio marks Covenant Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that has been part of the city since 1956. Born as a mission church started by First Presbyterian Church San Antonio, Covenant has grown into a community known less for its size than for the focused way it has chosen to care for people living with mental health challenges and dementia.
Mental Health as a Primary Mission
In 2016, the church's session committed to becoming a community adept at caring for people living with mental health issues, and named that work its primary missional identity. A group of seven women stepped up to lead the effort, which became the Beautiful Minds Coalition. The church also helped catalyze advancements in Presbyterian mental health ministry nationwide, working with Hope Presbyterian in Austin on an overture to the denomination. Covenant produces a well-being blog with devotionals, articles on PTSD awareness, and pieces on how unhelpful self-talk shapes faith and mental health. A Longest Night service is held each December for those who find the holidays heavy.
Respite Care for Dementia Caregivers
The most visible expression of this calling is the Respite Care Ministry, a weekly program that welcomes older adults living with mild to moderate dementia and their caregivers. Sessions run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays at the church and combine socialization, physical movement, music, art, and other activities, with lunch served in a safe setting. Trained volunteers encourage and support participants while giving caregivers a regular break. Separate applications are available for respite participants and volunteers.
Sunday Worship and the Choir
Sunday worship is the center of the church's common life, in the words of the PCUSA Book of Order. The 10:30 a.m. service is held in person and livestreamed on Facebook Live, and Adult Sunday School meets at 9:00 a.m. before it. Music is led by a combined Choir and Praise Team that rehearses midweek. A sermon archive going back many years is available, with recent preachers including Dr. Calvin Reynolds, Rev. Rachael Huntley, and Rev. Frank Vasquez, alongside guest preachers from across the PCUSA.
Bible Study Throughout the Week
Covenant's Bible study offerings meet on multiple days and in different settings. A Tuesday Evening Bible Study gathers in members' homes from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., hosted by Michael McMains, and works through the book "Ask" by Bishop Scott Jones and Reverend Arthur Jones. Young adults in their twenties and thirties meet at the same hour in the Esperanza Room, hosted by Martha Hernandez, using the practice of Lectio Divina. A Women's Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
Outreach Across San Antonio and Beyond
Outreach has been part of Covenant's identity since the late 1970s, when the Rev. Dr. Duncan Stewart, a recently retired Army chaplain, challenged the congregation to look beyond its own walls. Today the church partners with SAMMinistries on homelessness prevention and transitional housing, supports the San Antonio Food Bank, the Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services, West Avenue Compassion, Habitat for Humanity San Antonio, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and others. Larkspur Elementary, a North East ISD campus nearby, is also a partner. A Mission in Motion giving update tracks the congregation's annual giving through these partners.
Community Life and Pickleball Sundays
Not everything at Covenant is a program. Sunday afternoons bring Pickleball in the gymnasium, with play starting at 1:45 p.m. through the back gym door. Choir and Praise Team rehearsals, women's studies, and the respite day turn the campus into a busy place most days of the week. From its beginning in 1956 to the present, the church describes itself as a place of worship and serving, teaching and learning, praying and praising, building and repairing, welcomes and goodbyes.