A Greek Revival Landmark in the Borough
First Presbyterian Church of West Chester stands at 130 West Miner Street, a few steps from the shops, restaurants, and courthouse of the Chester County seat. Founded in 1831, the congregation has worshipped on this block for nearly two centuries. The Greek Revival sanctuary was the first commission of Thomas U. Walter, the architect who later designed the dome of the United States Capitol, and the building still anchors the streetscape with its tall brick face and simple classical lines.
Walter's original 1832 design called for a 73-foot cupola to crown the building, but the steeple was never finished at the time. In August 2013, 181 years after the cornerstone was laid, the church added the cupola Walter had envisioned, doubling the building's height and giving West Chester a long-awaited landmark.
Two Sunday Mornings Under One Roof
Every Sunday the church offers two very different services that share the same pulpit and the same congregation. At 9:00 a.m., the Traditional service fills the sanctuary with hymns sung by the Chancel Choir, organ, and instrumental ensembles, framed by the liturgies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). At 10:45 a.m., the Contemporary service brings the same Word into a casual setting with a worship band of guitars, bass, keyboard, drums, and vocals.
Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month at both services, and the table is open to all ages and denominations. Baptisms are scheduled throughout the year at either service, with the community of faith making promises to welcome, love, and spiritually nurture the person being baptized.
Both services are livestreamed on YouTube, so anyone unable to attend in person can worship alongside the congregation from home. Bulletins and hymn lists are available online as well.
A Music Program with a Local Reputation
First Presbyterian is known across West Chester for the strength of its music, a reputation built on more than fifty years of leadership and a deep bench of volunteers. The Chancel Choir sings every Sunday at the 9:00 a.m. service, prepares two concerts a season, and rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. No audition is required, and the repertoire ranges from classical to gospel and folk. The church also sponsors six choral scholarships for West Chester University students each year, giving local singers a chance to perform as part of a larger ensemble.
Three handbell choirs ring Malmark bells throughout the program year. Generations in Harmony brings children and adults together for intergenerational ringing on Sunday mornings; the JuBellation Ringers rehearse on Thursday evenings; and the auditioned Chancel Ringers gather on Wednesday evenings.
The Children's Choir meets Wednesdays from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. for children ages 4 through grade 6, with the Cherub Choir for the youngest singers and Celebration Singers for grades 1 through 6. The children's choir sings in worship about once a month, participates in the annual Candlelight Christmas Concert, and prepares a spring musical each year.
Two newer ensembles round out the program. The Miner Street Brass, an intergenerational brass choir, rehearses biweekly and takes part in worship about ten times a year. The Miner Street Stringers, founded in fall 2023, welcomes string players of at least three years of experience and arranges music for each player's level.
The sanctuary's instruments include the Rev. J. Garrett Kell Memorial Organ, a 46-rank, three-manual Schantz pipe organ played from a movable console with 99 levels of memory, and the fully mechanical Ginny Bauder Memorial Box Organ, a wooden instrument built in Pécs, Hungary, that arrived in March 2020.
Beyond weekly worship, Column Classics is the church's fine arts series. Highlights include the Candlelight Christmas Concert the first Sunday in December and Arts Weekend the first weekend in March, with a major Chester County art show.
Kids, Youth, and the Bucket School
Children are central to the life of the church. Professional childcare is provided in the nursery starting at 8:45 a.m. for the 9:00 service and 10:30 a.m. for the 10:45 service. At the traditional hour, children ages 4 through grade 5 begin in the sanctuary with their families and then move to Fellowship Hall for a Children's Message before heading to age-specific Sunday School classes. At the contemporary hour, children age 4 and older stay with their families for worship and are invited to gather in the Chapel during the sermon for their own lesson.
Between services, families gather in Herron Lounge for coffee and conversation, with activities set up for children of all ages. Periodic Family Worship Sundays invite children to participate more fully in the service, especially on Communion Sundays.
Other programs for kids include the Young Justice Builders Club, which helps elementary-aged children learn about injustice through a faith lens, periodic service projects, and Vacation Bible School each summer.
Youth in grades 6 through 12 are active across the week. Sunday Youth Group meets from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Room, and on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. the middle and high school Bible Study gathers either at the church or at Panera.
The Bucket School is the church's own preschool, a play-based program for two-year-olds through Pre-K with small class sizes and a Christian foundation. Specials include music, library, organized gym, and Mini-Worship in the sanctuary, where children meet with a ministry staff member to hear age-appropriate Bible stories. Extended-day options like Lunch Bunch, Exploration Mondays, and Arts and Crafts Fridays allow families to build a longer week, and special events run throughout the school year.
Connection Groups and Adult Formation
Connection Groups are smaller circles of community that meet throughout the program year, running from fall through spring. Groups vary in topic and meeting style, and they are designed to give members a place to be known as they pursue life and faith together.
Beyond Connection Groups, the church hosts a wide array of study and fellowship options. The Moms Group and Dads Group meet monthly. There are men's Bible studies on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and Thursday evenings, a Wednesday morning women's study, the Midweek Journeys group that meets weekly on Zoom, and Presbyterian Women's Circles that gather for fellowship, Bible study, and mission outreach. Creative groups include Sweet Dreams, which quilts for babies baptized at the church and sews pillowcases for pediatric patients at Chester County Hospital; Sew Many Blessings, which makes prayer shawls and comfort quilts; and a knitting group that meets on Sunday mornings.
Care for the Congregation and Beyond
The Deacons, the oldest office in the Christian church, lead the congregation's ministries of compassion. They visit members who are ill or homebound, reach out to those who have lost loved ones, bring worship to nursing homes, celebrate communion with members who cannot attend, and host the weekly coffee hour between services.
Stephen Ministry provides one-on-one care through trained lay ministers who walk alongside people going through difficult transitions. Members of the Agape Team make regular visits to members at Chester County Hospital and, by request, to other local hospitals, offering a listening ear, prayerful support, and post-discharge follow-up. A Prayer Band receives confidential prayer requests from members and the wider community and continues to pray as long as there is a need.
Wednesday Lunches and Local Mission
Every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the church opens its doors for a free community lunch. There is no religious programming; the meal simply offers a hot dish, a place to charge a phone, a chance to connect with local resources, and a few neighbors met over a shared table. The Children's Clothing Cupboard provides gently-used clothing in sizes 0 to 12, and each holiday season the Giving Tree partners with local organizations to provide gifts and support for families, children, and seniors.
The church partners with a network of nonprofits and faith-based groups serving Chester County. These include Act in Faith of Greater West Chester, the Barn at Spring Brook Farm, the Chester County Migrant Ministry, the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County, the Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children, Safe Harbor, the West Chester Food Cupboard, and the West Chester Senior Center. Support takes the form of volunteer hours, financial giving, and hands-on involvement.
First Crew, Disaster Relief, and Global Partners
First Crew is the church's own mission organization, committed to lending a helping hand both locally and nationally. Volunteers build playhouses for children staying at Friends Association homes, send regular teams to Good Works and Habitat for Humanity, and supply critical items to the Act in Faith Community Cupboard. Each year First Crew travels at least once to a location devastated by a natural disaster, contributing thousands of volunteer hours to relief and rebuilding.
Globally, the church partners with Lifetime Wells International to install and maintain safe drinking water systems in Ghana and Tanzania, supports the Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan, and has maintained a partnership with its sister church, Iglesia Getsemani in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, for more than twenty years. Members travel back and forth, share in one another's mission efforts, and build relationships across borders.
Stewardship, Legacy Giving, and the Life of the Congregation
Stewardship at First Presbyterian is shaped by a conviction that lives are changed through giving. Members can give in person, by mail, online through the church's Realm platform, or by transferring appreciated stock. The church also maintains a Legacy Endowment Fund that supports sustainable ministry for generations to come, accepting bequests, beneficiary designations, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, and other planned gifts.
Finances are overseen by the Session (the church's elders) and the Trustees, with an annual budget presented at the Congregational Meeting and detailed annual reports shared with the congregation. New Member Classes are held several times a year for anyone exploring membership.
Visiting West Chester's Historic Church
Visitors arriving on a Sunday morning will find greeters at the entrance to the sanctuary and a welcome center ready to answer questions. Both the 9:00 and 10:45 services are held in the sanctuary, with childcare available for infants through three-year-olds at each hour. Dress runs the full range from suits and dresses to jeans and shorts, with the early service a bit more formal and the later service a bit more casual. The building, including the sanctuary, children's areas, and fellowship spaces, is wheelchair accessible, with two accessible parking spaces in front of the building on Miner Street and two more on the Darlington Street side. Audio-enhancing devices and large-print hymn lyrics are available in worship.
Street parking and the borough parking garages are free on Sundays. The Justice Center Parking Garage at 220 Market Street, the Miner Street Parking Lot at 209 West Miner Street, and the High Street Parking Deck at 20 South High Street all sit within a short walk of the church.
For anyone wanting to know more before visiting, the Director of Engagement, Elizabeth Hess, is glad to answer questions and to walk newcomers through what to expect. New Member Classes are offered several times a year for those ready to make the congregation their church home.