A Salt Lake Congregation with a Mountain View and a Civic Conscience
Wasatch Presbyterian Church sits on the east bench of Salt Lake City at 1626 South 1700 East, a few blocks up the slope toward the Wasatch Mountains whose image gave the congregation its name. The church belongs to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is a member of the Presbytery of Utah. About 255 members and 250 active friends gather in a progressive, LGBTQIA+ affirming community known for blended worship, a strong music program, an on-site preschool, and a long list of partnerships with Salt Lake's food, housing, and refugee-serving agencies.
Pastor Irene Pak Lee, who grew up in Ogden and came to Wasatch after eleven years of ministry in California, sums up the congregation's identity in words shared from the pulpit: "In this family, we will stand up for the unhoused, the poor, and the oppressed. In this family, we will welcome the stranger." The same values shape the church's music, mission budget, and Sunday morning hospitality.
Roots: From Westminster and Third Presbyterian to the Hill by the Mountains
Wasatch was organized in 1946 by the union of Westminster Presbyterian and Third Presbyterian Church, beginning with 236 charter members. According to founding member Mina Boyd, the name was born one sunny morning on the new property: "There was a little hill there. We stood looking all around. The sun was up, just beautiful, a little way over the mountains … and I said, 'Oh, look at that beautiful sun over those beautiful Wasatch mountains.'"
The Rev. Donald G. Christiansen, a recently discharged Army Air Force chaplain, became the first pastor. Ground was broken for the sanctuary in August 1948, and the building was dedicated in October 1949. Third Presbyterian itself traced back to a Sabbath School that met in Salt Lake City's Lincoln Park in January 1892, then worshiped in the Gunton Chapel at 1700 South and 1100 East. Westminster had been organized in 1889.
The church has rebuilt twice. In June 1974 a fire roared through the sanctuary and adjoining rooms, and members, friends, and neighbors contributed thousands of hours to the cleanup. Restoration was completed in the fall of 1975 and paid off through a building fund drive. By 2001 the entire complex needed new life, and a $3.3 million expansion and renovation was designed in 2002 and built in 2003-2004. A $10,000 grant from the LDS Church Foundation, a $100,000 donation from the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, and a Wasatch capital campaign together paid off the work in 2018.
Historic records of the congregation are preserved at the Marriott Library at the University of Utah.
Sunday Worship: Blended, Musical, About an Hour and Fifteen Minutes
Worship gathers at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary each Sunday and typically runs about an hour and fifteen minutes. The service is a deliberate blend of contemporary and traditional elements, with the Chancel Choir, a worship band, and the church organist all taking part. Children sing in worship monthly, and the bell ensemble adds its voice on special Sundays. Communion is celebrated the first Sunday of every month by intinction, with a gluten-free option and individual portions available; the table is open to anyone who wishes to receive.
On the program-year schedule (September through May), the building hums before and after the service. The nursery opens at 9:00 a.m. for children Pre-K and under, with paid staff on duty until 11:15 a.m. Adult Spiritual Formation meets in the library from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. The Chancel Choir warms up at 9:30 a.m., and the Children's Choir rehearses at the same hour. After the Children's Message in worship, children in kindergarten through sixth grade are dismissed to their own spiritual formation class in the children's wing. The service closes with a Fellowship Hour in the Fellowship Hall and an Open Gym for kids that runs until noon.
Summer Sundays simplify to a Summer Choir rehearsal at 9:15 a.m., worship at 10:00 a.m., and fellowship at 11:00 a.m.
Pastor Irene Pak Lee preaches most weeks. The service is also livestreamed and saved for later viewing, with about 15 to 20 households typically joining online each Sunday.
What to Wear, Where to Park, and How to Find the Sanctuary
Dress at Wasatch is whatever feels comfortable. On a typical Sunday you will see dresses, slacks, and ties alongside jeans, t-shirts, and even shorts in the summer, with people dressing up a bit more for Christmas Eve, Easter, and similar services. Visitors are simply welcomed as they are.
The building has an upper and a lower parking lot with ample space and several angled accessible stalls along 1700 East. Most people enter through the Fellowship Hall doors on the east side, where a handicap-accessible button opens the door and railings line the walkway. Ramps connect the parking lots to the sidewalk. The Main Entrance Foyer is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to noon; the office phone is (801) 487-7576 and the welcome email is reception@wpcslc.org.
A Music Program Built for a Blended Service
Music is at the center of Wasatch's identity. The Chancel Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the choir room from September through May and sings throughout the program year. Singers of all ages and experience levels are welcome; no audition is required. Director of Music Dr. Ken Udy, who has been at Wasatch since 1991, also directs the Summer Choir, which rehearses from 9:15 to 9:55 a.m. on Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Todd Wheeler leads the Worship Band, a group that brings a contemporary edge that complements the choir and organ. Wheeler has directed the band for eleven years and works closely with Dr. Udy to weave classical and modern textures into the service. The Joyful Noise Bell Ensemble, directed by Lisa Vitkus, rehearses on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. and performs monthly. The Children's Choir, led by Amy Bennett, rehearses at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday during the school year and sings in worship on the second Sunday of every month from October through May.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministry
Kate Campbell, the Director of Family Ministries, oversees a full program from birth through high school. Children's Ministry welcomes children from birth through sixth grade with storytelling, song, art, games, and play; spiritual formation classes meet during worship after the Children's Message. Club 56 gathers fifth and sixth graders on selected Sunday evenings. Devos and Donuts offers a short devotional and breakfast for students from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Youth Ministry serves seventh through twelfth graders in the Youth Loft. Youth Group meets twice a month during the academic year from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with dinner provided. Service projects include making sandwiches for the soup kitchen, helping older congregants with home projects, and a Valentine's Day "hearting the homes" outreach to people who rarely leave the house. Fellowship outings include a lock-in, a Minute-to-Win-It game night, picnics, movie nights, ice skating, and Zoolights. Two annual fundraisers - a Christmas bake sale and a spring car wash - support the program. Every three years, tenth through twelfth graders are invited to attend the Presbyterian Youth Triennium at Purdue University.
Children's Ministry volunteers are required to complete a background check and are provided with supplies, training, and curriculum.
Adult Education and Bible Study
Adult Spiritual Formation is offered four mornings a week. In addition to the Sunday morning class in the library, Bible study groups meet on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., and Thursday at 8:30 a.m., with a second-Thursday class at 10:30 a.m. from September through May. Recent offerings have included a multi-week series on God, government, and migration, with a recorded Sunday class followed by a Wednesday evening Zoom discussion. Earlier classes covered topics such as Zionism Unsettled, with slides archived for later reference.
Women, Men, and Presbyterian Women
The Women of Wasatch (WOW) coordinate monthly Bible study, a book club, a stitching group, and service projects, along with seasonal boutiques and Bunco and Bingo nights that raise money for the PC(USA) Presbyterian Women's Thank Offering and Birthday Offering. These national offerings fund grants for housing, healthcare, and food security. The Women's Book Club, started more than five years ago, meets at 7:00 p.m. on a rotating Friday or Saturday evening and welcomes readers and non-readers alike. Presbyterian Men provide parallel opportunities for connection, service, and fellowship.
A Building that Hosts Scouts, Preschool, and the Wider Community
Beyond worship, the Wasatch building is a busy community hub. The Wasatch Preschool, a fully accredited program for children ages two through five, has run on the lower level of the building for many years under the direction of Misa Anderson and is open to all in the community regardless of church membership.
Troop 38 and Pack 3038 of Scouting America are chartered at Wasatch. The troop is multi-denominational and explicitly inclusive of all youth and adults regardless of means, race, religion, or orientation. Scouts meet on Tuesdays (Cub Scouts 6:30-8:30 p.m., Family Troop 7:00-9:00 p.m.) and camp ten months of the year. Girl Scout Troops 1680, 2260, and 630 also call the building home, and the Royal Family Kids Camp, a summer experience for children in foster care, is a partner ministry.
The library is open to all and holds a wide range of religion, art, social science, biography, and fiction books, with a third of the collection for children and youth. Worship bulletins, bulletins for special services, and historical church records are archived at the Marriott Library at the University of Utah.
Mission Ministries: Soup Kitchen, Crossroads, Family Promise, Highland High, and Kids in Care
Mission Ministries is one of the largest committees at Wasatch. Five ongoing partnerships shape the work.
St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen. Wasatch members have been serving at the Catholic Community Services soup kitchen for more than forty years. Crews serve the Wednesday dinner shift every week from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the first Wednesday lunch shift from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with carpooling from the church at 10:30 a.m. On the last Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m., volunteers gather in the Wasatch gym to make more than 500 sandwiches in just over an hour; kids are welcome. The kitchen itself prepares about 1,800 hot meals a day for three resource centers, two overflow shelters, and a downtown dining hall.
Crossroads Urban Center. Wasatch has partnered with Crossroads for many years to feed and support people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in Salt Lake. Donations are accepted year round, with a special collection on the first Sunday of each month.
Family Promise. Four times a year, Wasatch provides five meals for families who are "between homes" staying at Christ United Methodist Church or Hilltop Methodist Church. Volunteers can work alone, with their family, or in small teams.
Highland High Student Support. Volunteers serve students at the Highland High student center, many of whom are refugees or recently arrived immigrants. The list of current needs includes school supplies (especially pencils and spiral notebooks), socks and underwear, conditioner, granola bars, and other easy snacks, as well as volunteers to read with students, tutor, mentor English language learners, deliver food, and help with weekend food bags for the buses.
Kids in Care. In partnership with the Utah Foster Care Foundation, Wasatch supports children who have experienced neglect or abuse through the Giving Tree at Christmas, Undie Sunday each August, and the Royal Family Kids summer camp and year-round mentor club.
The church also participates in the four PC(USA) special offerings: One Great Hour of Sharing, Pentecost, Peace and Global Witness, and Christmas Joy.
Beliefs, Membership, and Governance
Wasatch is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the largest Presbyterian body in the United States and one rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Session, made up of ruling elders elected by the congregation, sets policy and oversees the work of committees that range from Adult Education and Buildings and Grounds to Stewardship, Worship and Music, Children's Ministry, and Mission Ministries. Deacons prepare and serve communion, deliver prayer cards, bring meals to those who are ill or grieving, drive members to appointments, host funeral receptions, and make home visits.
Membership classes are offered twice a year. The three-week class meets for an hour each week, covers history, doctrine, organization, and the role of members, and is required for anyone wishing to join. New members are received by baptism and affirmation of faith, by reaffirmation of faith, or by letter of transfer from another congregation. Confirmation is available to youth in eighth through twelfth grade as a nine-month mentored journey offered every other program year.
Worship, Music, and Giving in One Place
Sermons are posted in audio and video form going back years and remain a free, ongoing archive of the church's life. The church uses Realm, a church management platform, for the directory, online giving, event sign-ups, group communication, and the calendar. The Realm Connect app is available for iPhone and Android. Contributions can be made online, by texting "Wasatch" and the amount to 73256, by automatic bank payment, or by check mailed to the church. Gifts may be pledged to the general fund, given without a pledge, designated to a specific ministry, or given as a per capita contribution that helps the church pay its share of Presbytery costs.
Joining the Congregation
Anyone interested in learning more can sign up for the weekly email, attend a Sunday worship service at 10:00 a.m., or contact Pastor Irene Pak Lee at ipaklee@wpcslc.org to ask about the next membership class. The Main Entrance Foyer is open every day, and the church office can be reached at (801) 487-7576 or reception@wpcslc.org.