Across the street from Gabriel Park in the Multnomah Village neighborhood of southwest Portland, Multnomah Presbyterian Church has long been a steady presence for families, retirees and everyone in between. The church is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) within the Presbytery of the Cascades, and describes itself as "a welcoming, inclusive and intergenerational community." Visitors arriving on a Sunday morning find a blended style of worship, a marimba band that has even played the Moda Center, and a congregation that pours as much energy into serving Portland's unhoused and food-insecure neighbors as it does into its Sunday programming.
A House of Worship at 10:30
Sunday worship at MPC begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs about an hour, both in the sanctuary and via livestream on the church's YouTube channel. Services feature modern choruses led by the praise team, with regular appearances by the adult choir, the bell choir and two marimba ensembles. Communion is served on the first Sunday of every month, and the table is open to everyone. After worship, the fellowship hall opens up for coffee hour, where newcomers are welcome to linger and connect.
The sanctuary is set up to be family-friendly. Coloring materials are available for the first portion of the service, and a sound-proof "Cry Room" sits in the back for parents who need a quieter space. Following a brief children's message during worship, kids in kindergarten through fifth grade may leave for Sunday school on the first Sunday of each month. Babies through preschool are welcomed into the nursery at that same point.
For those unable to attend in person, every Sunday's service is livestreamed at 10:30 a.m. on YouTube and uploaded for later viewing.
Mission: Loved by Christ, We Love
The congregation's mission statement reads: "As a welcoming, inclusive and intergenerational church our mission is: Loved by Christ, we love. Served by Christ, we serve. Invited by Christ, we go, inviting others to Him." Three verbs structure the church's life around that call.
- Love. Drawing on 1 John 4:19, the church teaches that because Jesus first loved, followers are called to share that love with each other and the wider world, holding that all people are loved by God.
- Serve. Rooted in Matthew 20:28 and Philippians 2:7, MPC seeks the mindset of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve, and members regularly step into service projects across the city.
- Invite. Taking seriously the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19, the church seeks to help others know the love of Jesus, grow in faith and join in making the world better with God's love.
MPC points to the PC(USA)'s Brief Statement of Faith as the doctrinal framework that reflects the heart and convictions of the congregation. A membership application is available for anyone interested in formally joining.
From the Choir Loft to the Marimba Stage
Music is one of the most visible marks of Multnomah Presbyterian. The Music Ministry is led by Music Director Ray McKean, who has served MPC since 1995 as accompanist, organist, praise team director and now Director of Music, and Director of Marimba Ensembles Amy McKean, whose percussion background includes degrees from Willamette University and Miami University of Ohio.
The praise team carries most Sundays, with piano, guitars, bass and drums, but services frequently feature the marimbas, organ, flutes, violins, accordion, banjo, mandolin and ukulele, an intentionally eclectic mix. Two marimba ensembles call MPC home: Jubilation!, an all-ages group that rehearses throughout the year and plays for special services, and Rejoice!, the kid-friendly ensemble Amy launched in 2017 that has even performed at a Portland Trail Blazers pregame show.
Other musical opportunities include:
- Adult Choir. Rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. September through May; new members are always welcome.
- Praise Team. Rehearses Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and leads weekly worship.
- MPC Ukulele Group. Meets Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., geared toward beginners with a few loaner instruments on hand.
Beyond the regular rotation, MPC hosts occasional concerts, including a Christmas Coffeehouse Concert that has been a recurring tradition.
Sunday School, Vacation Bible Camp and Good News Tues
Children's ministry at MPC is overseen by Pastor Heather Hellman and is built on the conviction, drawn from Matthew 19:14, that "kids are the church right now, not merely the church of the future." All volunteers working with children are background-checked.
Three main programs anchor the children's ministry:
- Sunday School. On the first Sunday of each month, after the children's message, students in kindergarten through fifth grade head downstairs to the Sunday School classrooms for an age-appropriate time of learning, games, crafts and fellowship. Babies through preschool are welcomed in the nursery.
- Good News Tues. A monthly elementary youth group for kids in grades 2 through 5, meeting on the third Tuesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. during the school year. The group gathers at The Open Door (the church's youth building across the parking lot) for dinner together, an art project, a Bible lesson, and games. Annual outings include parties at Pump It Up and a sleepover at the church.
- Vacation Bible School. A week-long, half-day camp each summer for children who have completed at least one year of preschool through fifth grade, with science, art, music, story and recreation stations. The curriculum is original, written by MPC staff and a group of elementary-age students.
For younger children in the congregation, a dedicated nursery and the sound-proof Cry Room in the back of the sanctuary provide options throughout the service.
Youth Group at The Open Door
Middle school and high school students, grades 6 through 12, are invited to youth group on Sunday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The meetings take place in The Open Door, MPC's youth ministry building located on the north end of the parking lot across from the main church. The Open Door has a gym where the evening typically opens with games, snacks and casual time together before moving into discussion, prayer and teaching.
Attendance is intentionally drop-in: the church recognizes that students have busy weeks and welcomes them whenever they can make it. The youth ministry draws students from across the Portland metro area, including Beaverton and Tigard, and includes an annual mission trip to Skagway, Alaska. Summer gatherings also include monthly Family Cycling events on the last Saturday of May, June, July and August.
Adults: Sunday School, Small Groups and a Friday Men's Breakfast
Adult education at MPC is described as a way to grow into more faithful and mature disciples of Jesus. The Adult Sunday School program meets Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. September through May, with courses rooted in the Bible and relevant to Christian life today. Recent studies have included a journey through the Gospel of John using Adam Hamilton's Gospel of Light and Life.
Small groups round out adult fellowship. A variety of daytime, evening, women's, men's and mixed groups meet at MPC; the church office can connect interested visitors with an appropriate group. Named options include:
- Friday Men's Fellowship. 8:00 a.m. on the first and third Fridays in the Fellowship Hall, with a light breakfast of beverages, cereal and pastries and time for fellowship and discussion.
- Prayer Team. Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom, gathering each week to pray for the church family, community and world.
Reaching Beyond the Building: Local and Global Missions
MPC frames mission not as a program but as "an expression of who God has called us to be," and the church's mission partnerships stretch from Portland streets to international ministries.
Local partners include HOMEpdx (with whom the missions team serves lunch at the Eastside Waterfront multiple times a year), Howard's Heart (back-to-school supplies, holiday drives and ongoing collection drives for youth in foster care), Meals on Wheels People, Neighborhood House Portland (including the annual SW Hope food drive), Northwest Children's Outreach, Operation Nightwatch, The Pamoja House, Salvation Army and Stephen's Creek Crossing.
Global partners include the Chwele Mission in Kenya, Frontier Fellowship, In His Name Ministries in Baja California, Mexico, and World Vision.
Recurring service and giving opportunities extend the mission work week to week:
- The annual SW Hope food and fund drive each spring supports the Neighborhood House Free Food Market, with dine-out-to-donate nights at local restaurants, the SW Hope 5K at Oregon Episcopal School, and the Empty Bowls event at the Multnomah Arts Center.
- Quarterly blood drives are hosted on-site.
- Collection drives support Project Lemonade (serving foster youth), Howard's Heart, sack lunch supplies for Our Lady of the Lake's outreach to the unhoused, cold-weather kits and disaster relief after wildfires and hurricanes.
- Fundraising through Oregon BottleDrop and Fred Meyer Community Rewards helps fund the Youth Mission Fund and the building and grounds.
Fellowship outside the building rounds out the calendar, with food cart lunches at BG's Food Cartel in Beaverton, neighborhood events and participation in the city's SW Portland Sunday Parkways, which MPC has used as a Sunday of service to the wider community.
Pastors, Elders and Deacons
The pastoral team includes:
- Heather Hellman, Pastor, Commissioned Ruling Elder and Head of Staff. Heather also serves as Youth and Children's Director. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Bible and Theology and Youth Ministry and has more than two decades of ministry experience.
- Rev. Jeff Sievert, Parish Associate. Jeff grew up in northeast Portland, was ordained in 1987 after graduating from San Francisco Theological Seminary, and served Reedville Presbyterian Church in Aloha for 26 years before retiring in August 2022.
- Ray McKean, Music Director (see Music section above).
- Amy McKean, Director of Marimba Ensembles (see Music section above).
After a period of pastoral transition, MPC announced that Heather Hellman will continue serving as Pastor/Head of Staff as a Commissioned Ruling Elder, with Rev. Jeff Sievert collaborating on pastoral work alongside her, the Session and the Deacons.
The church is led by a Session of ruling elders elected by the congregation to share in leadership, governance, spiritual discernment and discipline. Current elders include Clay Morgan (Building and Grounds), Spencer Magnusson (Christian Education), Lisa Shelley (Clerk of Session), Kevin Marshall (Fellowship and Outreach), Chris Ulum (Finance and Administration), Jennifer Gassaway (Missions), Janet Lowrey (Nomination and Worship) and Randy McCourt (Personnel).
Deacons serve as the caregivers of the congregation, walking alongside members recovering from surgery, grieving, lonely or ill. The Board of Deacons includes Judi Davis, Dick and Kate Eyberg, Pat Johnson, Barb Jones, Jackie Magnusson and Deacon Moderator Dave Tomastik.
The Building, the Open Door and the Grounds
The main church campus sits at 7555 SW 45th Avenue, right across from Gabriel Park. Visitors enter through the main entrance for worship, with a separate office entrance for weekday traffic. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Across the parking lot on the north end of the property sits The Open Door, MPC's dedicated youth ministry building with its own gym. The building is home to youth group on Sunday nights, Good News Tues, and a rotating schedule of family-friendly gatherings. The fellowship hall adjacent to the sanctuary hosts coffee hour after Sunday worship, the Friday Men's Fellowship, and Sunday School classrooms downstairs.
MPC also partners with Dove Preschool, which uses church facilities and shares the church's commitment to children and families in the neighborhood.
Giving and Staying Connected
Online giving is available through Vanco, with options for the General Fund, pledge payments, Deacon's Assistance, non-pledge gifts, the Youth Mission Fund, Per Capita, Memorial gifts and Building and Grounds. Annual pledges are gathered each fall and may be submitted online at any point during the year.
Two creative fundraisers round out the giving options: Oregon BottleDrop bags and transfers that benefit the Youth Mission Fund, and Fred Meyer Community Rewards that direct a portion of shopping purchases back to MPC for building and grounds and local missions. The newsletter, The Multnomah Announcer, is published quarterly in print and PDF form and is available along with recent sermons and event updates on the church's online channels.