At 235 North 4th Street in downtown Steubenville, a 1914 stone-and-bell-tower church sits across from the city's historic blocks. First Westminster Presbyterian Church has called this corner home since the Billy Sunday revival that filled its pews on opening day, and through two previous congregations and generations of mergers before that. The congregation's motto is short on purpose and long on action: Love God. Love Others.
Sundays at 10:45 in the Sanctuary
Sunday worship at First Westminster begins at 10:45 a.m. The service is described by the church as "relaxed, relational, and real," a single weekly gathering where the message of Jesus is shared with real-life application. Each service is livestreamed online and archived on YouTube, so members who are traveling, homebound, or simply want to rewatch a sermon can join the service from anywhere. Sunday bulletins are posted online and remain available for later reading.
Children are part of the service from the beginning. After the first portions of the worship hour, kids head upstairs for Children's Church, broken into three age groups (Preschool/Kindergarten, 1st to 3rd grade, and 4th to 6th grade) and led each week by an adult teacher using the Whirl Lectionary curriculum from Sparkhouse. A baby changing room is available on the first floor for parents of infants.
Dress runs the full range. First Westminster's own welcome notes that its members are diverse in ethnicity, background, and style, and encourages visitors to come as they are, whether that means Sunday best or something casual. The historic building is fully accessible, with ramps at the entrances and an elevator serving every level.
Bible Study on Wednesdays
Two weekly Bible studies anchor midweek life at First West:
- Men's Bible Study: Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
- Bible Study: Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.
Presbyterian Women meet on the second Thursday of each month at 12:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall, March through November. The group is an inclusive gathering of Presbyterian women and their friends, with a rhythm of fellowship, prayer, and Bible study. Members support various missions and assist the church's Care Committee with meals following funeral services. All women and their friends are welcome, regardless of church affiliation.
A Story That Begins in 1798
First Westminster's history reaches back further than any other church in Steubenville. In 1798, the Rev. Smiley Hughes began preaching in a grove on Market Street between Seventh and Eighth streets; in the colder months he moved into the log Court House. The first church building was donated by Bezaleel Wells, the founder of Steubenville himself.
A second church was constructed in 1828 under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Charles C. Beatty. Through the nineteenth century, the Presbyterians in Steubenville ran a Presbyterian Female Seminary that trained hundreds for ministry, and the Rev. R. A. McKinley, second cousin of President William McKinley, preached from the pulpit as one of the city's ablest theologians and most eloquent orators.
In 1914, Westminster Presbyterian was built on its present site at 235 North 4th Street. The nationally acclaimed evangelist Billy Sunday laid the cornerstone and preached to a huge crowd on the inaugural Sunday. In the late 1980s, Westminster Presbyterian merged with the former First United Presbyterian Church (which had been located a block away in the 200 block of North 5th Street) to form the present First Westminster Presbyterian Church.
A rebuilding process that began in 2008 brought hundreds of new members into the congregation. The renovations preserved the historic sanctuary while bringing the rest of the building into the twenty-first century, including basement space that today houses the church's Trackman golf simulator and a sizable fellowship hall that hosts community groups seven days a week.
Children and Youth at First West
Children's Ministry is led by Children's Ministry Coordinator Glory Dami and Elementary Youth Group Leader Cherie Ramsey. Each Sunday during the pastor's sermon, the children gather upstairs to experience the same scripture the larger congregation is hearing, broken into age-appropriate groups with an adult teacher in each room.
Beyond Sunday morning, the children's ministry fills the calendar with broader church life. Children sing in special music services several times a year, perform Christmas and Easter cantatas, run an annual Vacation Bible School in June, ride the First West float in the Steubenville Christmas Parade, and volunteer at the congregation's monthly community luncheons. The Children's Youth Group also supports the Jefferson County Animal Shelter with treats, monetary donations, and volunteer hours.
High School Youth Leader Amy Parikakis oversees a dynamic middle school and high school youth group that meets on Sunday mornings during the worship service. The ministry engages the totality of students' faith lives through service projects, social activities, and faith formation grounded in the person of Jesus Christ. Students from schools across the area are welcome.
EDGE Sports, EDGE Golf, and a Trackman Simulator
Two homegrown ministries anchor First West's youth sports outreach. EDGE Sports (short for Education + Determination + God = Excellence) is a Christ-centered sports ministry developed by the church itself to "Build Christian Values through Competitive Sports." Now in its eleventh year, EDGE Sports helps kids and parents understand the balance between competition and character.
EDGE Golf offers three youth programs that teach the fundamentals of the game alongside core Christian values. Lessons take place in the basement of the church in the state-of-the-art Jeffrey C. Myers Trackman Simulator room, a high-tech facility available year-round for private lessons, group outings, birthday parties, and league play. An Edge Golf League for children from kindergarten through 8th grade is on the calendar. The simulator room is also open to rent by adult golfers who want to keep their game sharp through the winter.
Badge Buddies, Souls for Christ, Hot Rod Saturday, and POGO
First West has built several mission programs around specific local needs.
Badge Buddies is the church's own program, with a mission of "Building Bridges between Law Enforcement and Youth." It partners with area schools to foster four core values (trust, respect, education, and communication) between third-grade students and local police officers, with a celebratory party at the end of the school year.
Souls for Christ provides shoes for children identified by teachers and school staff. When a need is reported, First West meets the need. The shoes are presented as a tangible expression of God's love in a child's life.
First West Hot Rod Saturday draws more than 140 classic cars and their families to the church on the last Saturday in August. The City of Steubenville closes 4th Street from North Street to Washington Street to make room for the show, and the church's outreach team serves hospitality and food throughout the afternoon. The gathering is described as a mission outreach to area car enthusiasts, with the church welcoming every denomination of chrome, from Chevy to Ford to Mopar.
POGO (the Presbyterian Open Golf Outing) has been a fixture of the church's outreach for about thirty years. Each year on the first Monday in August, volunteers from First West feed a field of golfers at Spring Hills Golf Club in East Springfield, Ohio. Money raised supports Our Place of Jefferson County, the Cancer Dietary Initiative, and the Edge Junior Golf Academy.
The church also partners annually with Samaritan's Purse on Operation Christmas Child and raises money during its Memorial Day outdoor service for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, supporting veterans and first responders.
A Network of Community Partners
The fellowship hall and other First West spaces serve as a year-round meeting place for a remarkable roster of community organizations.
Our Place of Jefferson County, an activity and resource center for adults 50 and older, gathers in the fellowship hall Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Programming includes exercise classes, crafts, educational programs, and nutritional lunches.
The Friendship Room, a 24/7 outreach serving the most vulnerable in downtown Steubenville and the Ohio Valley, is one of First West's closest ministry partners. Through advocacy and direct service, the team works with those who are often overlooked.
The Cancer Dietary Initiative distributes nutritional food to cancer patients on the third Saturday of every month. Dozens of volunteers gather at 7:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall to pack, transport, and deliver the food to patients undergoing treatment in the area.
The Ohio Valley Chorale rehearses at First West on Monday evenings and gives two concerts a year in the sanctuary. Valley Hospice volunteers meet at the church every Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with bereavement counseling on the first Monday of each month. Al-Anon meets every Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. to support families of alcoholics. The Jefferson County Chamber Business Before Breakfast group connects at 8:00 a.m. every Thursday. The Academy of Life Long Learning holds six-week continuing-education classes in the spring and fall.
The church also has historical ties to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, a graduate school of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) founded in 1794. Pastor Jason Elliott is a 2002 graduate of the seminary.
The Pastor
Rev. Jason Elliott was ordained as a member of the Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery and installed as the Pastor of First Westminster Presbyterian Church on February 14, 2010. A 1999 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville and a 2002 graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pastor Elliott was already active in youth ministry, hospice chaplaincy, and community outreach in the Steubenville area before his call. He and his wife Sarah, a school psychologist in the Steubenville City School System, have three children.
Weddings, Rentals, and the Building
First West hosts weddings in its historic sanctuary. Couples work directly with the pastor, who directs the rehearsal and ceremony, schedules premarital counseling, and approves the music in conjunction with the church organist. By policy, no alcohol is permitted on church property, and rice, confetti, and birdseed may not be thrown outside; bubbles are a popular alternative for outside celebrations. Saturday evening weddings that use the Geneva Assembly Room (the fellowship hall) must end by 11:00 p.m.
The fellowship hall and the Trackman simulator are available for rental year-round. Fellowship hall rentals run $200 for up to six hours; graduation parties cost $250 for up to eight hours; birthday parties that include the simulator are $200 for up to four hours. The earliest anyone can enter the building on a Sunday is 1:00 p.m. All rentals must be approved by the church session, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month.
A Brief Statement of Faith
First Westminster's beliefs are anchored in the Brief Statement of Faith found in the Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The church confesses one triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and trusts in Jesus Christ, "fully human, fully God," who proclaimed the reign of God through preaching, healing, and welcoming the outcast. Unjustly condemned, Jesus was crucified and suffered for the sins of the world, and God raised him from the dead, breaking the power of sin and evil and delivering us from death to life eternal. The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules the church through Scripture and the preached Word, claims believers in baptism, and feeds them at the table.
The Session frames that confession with three short convictions that run across the church's ministry: Believe the Faith (focus on prayer, growing in God's word, and reflecting on Christ's action in our lives); Embrace the Hope (trusting in God, thinking positively, and reaching out in mission); Share the Love (listening, spreading the good news, and serving others).
Visiting First Westminster
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 235 North 4th Street, Steubenville, Ohio 43952. (Mail can be sent to P.O. Box 580, Steubenville, OH 43952.) Visitors who want to be remembered and followed up with are invited to fill out the online Connect Card or send an email to firstwestpc@gmail.com. Sunday services livestream at 10:45 a.m. and remain archived on YouTube; gifts to support the ministry can be made online or by check at any Sunday service. New members are received into the church several times a year after a short orientation class.