University Presbyterian Church sits on North Resler Drive in west El Paso, a short drive from the University of Texas at El Paso, where it has stood since 1973. A congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) within the Tres Rios Presbytery and the Synod of the Sun, UPC is a community whose life flows from one Sunday morning gathering outward into the food pantries, shelters, clinics, and gardens of the borderlands.
Rooted in El Paso Since 1903
The congregation's story in El Paso stretches back more than a century. In 1903 a group of Presbyterians organized Westminster Presbyterian Church downtown. Two decades later, the community grew in ways that called for relocation near the university, and in 1950 the church adopted its current name, University Presbyterian Church. In 1973 the congregation moved to its present home on Resler Drive, the building it continues to steward today. UPC describes its calling as honoring God by touching lives through worship, fellowship, and service, with worship as the cornerstone from which a warm fellowship and an eager service to neighbors beyond the walls both grow.
Sunday Worship at 10:30
The whole church gathers for a single Sunday morning service. The 10:30 AM hour moves between classic hymns led by the choir and contemporary songs led by the worship team, giving it a blended feel that suits longtime members and newcomers alike. The service is livestreamed on YouTube each week, and a weekly bulletin is available for download to help worshippers follow along, whether they are at home or in the room.
Faith Formation for Every Age
The morning begins earlier than worship. Adult Sunday School meets from 9:30 to 10:15 AM with sessions that open Scripture and other resources for participants at any stage of faith. Children are cared for from 9:30 to 11:30 AM in the Nursery (newborns through age four), and from 10:30 onward, children ages three through fifth grade gather for Godly Play, a Montessori-style morning of storytelling and play in the Godly Play Room. Together these programs make space for every member of a family to learn and worship at the same hour.
Walking with the Most Vulnerable
If worship is the cornerstone, outreach is the second pillar. UPC's Outreach Committee channels financial, volunteer, and leadership support to a long list of partners across El Paso, Juarez, and the wider border region. Members serve alongside their dollars at organizations whose work mirrors UPC's values. Partners include:
- Abara - encouraging connections across divides created by global migration and resourcing migrant shelters along the border.
- Armed Services YMCA of El Paso - serving military families with social, educational, and recreational programs.
- CASA of El Paso - training volunteers to advocate in family court for abused and neglected children.
- Center Against Sexual and Family Violence - confronting domestic violence and sexual assault through intervention, education, and community collaboration.
- Ciudad Nueva - advancing renewal in central El Paso's Rio Grande community through youth, family, small-business, and leadership programs.
- El Paso Baptist Clinic - providing medical care to neighbors who are uninsured and underserved.
- El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank - the regional food bank serving El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties.
- Jardin de Milagros - supplying garden-fresh vegetables to neighbors without enough to eat.
- Kelly Memorial Food Pantry - distributing food baskets to El Paso families in need.
- Mustard Seed - feeding hungry neighbors with a warm welcome and a tasty meal, sharing the love of God in Jesus Christ.
- The Opportunity Center for the Homeless - operating shelters, transitional housing for veterans, and other programs across the city.
- Project ARRIBA - connecting low-income, first-generation, and veteran participants with workforce training and sustainable careers.
- Project Vida - walking with the community through health, education, and economic programs.
- Siguiendo Los Pasos de Jesus - a Juarez community organizing for safe housing, local business, and infrastructure.
Monday Evenings with Feed My Sheep
Among those partnerships, Feed My Sheep is the church's own ministry, run in cooperation with Annunciation House. Every Monday at 5 PM, members gather to prepare and serve dinner for asylum seekers passing through the city. Volunteers share the preparation and serving so that no one carries more than they are able to bear, and the ministry welcomes newcomers alongside the regular team.
Care for the Earth
UPC has also invested in the long-term life of its campus. A 113-panel solar array paired with a five-battery backup system and a load-management setup now stands on the property. The goal is twofold: lower energy bills free up dollars for outreach and benevolences, and the work gives visible expression to environmental stewardship as part of the church's faith.
Leadership, Staff, and Giving
The work of leadership is shared across three groups. The Governing Elder Board includes Linda Black, Donna Bronner, Margaret Haddad, Jerry Hobson, Rip Langford, Virginia Martinez, Jane Nicholson, and Kathy Staudt. The Deacons include Marty Anderson, Jannifer Ituah, Marjorie Marinovic, Joan Ugoretz, Jeri Vines, Jan Rogers, and Jacque Wehmeyer, and their charge is to provide care and compassion to the faith community - communicating with individuals and families, listening well, and offering support especially to those who are ill, grieving, or struggling. The staff includes Choir Director Maureen Keton, Contemporary Worship Leader Julian Dominguez, Digital Worship Coordinator Sebastian Rosas, Worship Pianist Claudia Luna, and Nursery Supervisor Rosa Pacheco.
Members and friends can give online through Vanco (by credit card, bank, or crypto), through Zelle sent to the treasurer, in the offering plate during worship, or by mail to the church office. The church also walks members through a range of tax-efficient and legacy giving options, including IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, appreciated assets, donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, beneficiary designations, and endowments. The church office is open at 244 North Resler Drive in west El Paso.