A Heritage in Cedar Rapids Since 1855
Westminster Presbyterian Church has stood on the east side of Cedar Rapids since 1855, making it one of the oldest congregations in Linn County. The church building, described by the congregation as historic, houses a Sanctuary where Sunday worship has gathered generations of Iowans. The congregation's current focus, however, is not on its long history but on the future: serving both members and the wider Cedar Rapids community in the name of Jesus Christ.
Located at 1285 Third Avenue SE, the church sits in the Wellington Heights neighborhood. The building's lower level, known as the Family Life Center, is the operating home of Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, a ministry that has drawn Westminster into the daily life of the neighborhood for more than thirty years.
Sunday Worship in the Historic Sanctuary
Westminster gathers for worship at 10 a.m. each Sunday in the Sanctuary. The service leans traditional, with classic hymns and special music from the congregation's many musicians. The Lord's Supper is observed on the first Sunday of every month, and the communion table is open to everyone, regardless of church membership or background.
For those who cannot attend in person, Westminster livestreams its Sunday service on Facebook and YouTube, allowing members and friends near and far to worship alongside the Cedar Rapids congregation. The music ministry is led by David Liljedahl, a musician whose career has spanned high school band directing, college percussion instruction, performances with the Ambassador Gospel quartet and the Barnum & Bailey Circus, and piano tuning as a Registered Piano Technician. His wife Debra is an integral partner on the music team.
Loaves & Fishes: A Food Pantry Rooted in the Neighborhood
For more than thirty years, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry has been quietly feeding the Wellington Heights neighborhood and the wider Cedar Rapids community. The pantry operates from the Family Life Center in Westminster's lower level and is open every Tuesday from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. Clients enter through the church's main entrance, then move through the pantry in an oval pattern, choosing food, milk, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Loaves & Fishes is a joint ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church and Christ Episcopal Church, with both congregations providing financial support. The pantry also partners with HACAP, the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, to bring in as much variety as possible. A devoted team of volunteers gathers and unloads food throughout the week so the Tuesday afternoons run smoothly. The pantry is an equal opportunity provider and operates entirely on volunteer labor, a model its leaders describe simply as God-driven teamwork.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry: Knitting, Coffee, and Comfort
Twice a month, the lower level of Westminster fills with the click of needles, the smell of coffee, and the steady conversation of friends gathered for a common purpose. The Prayer Shawl Ministry began in February 2004, and since then the group has given away nearly five hundred hand-knit shawls to people in need of comfort.
Recipients have included new parents, members grieving the loss of a loved one, and homebound friends. The group's handiwork has reached as far as Australia, where members once knitted sweaters for penguins affected by oil spills in a project they called Save the Penguins. They have also made baby blankets for the Ronald McDonald Room at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids. The ministry is led by Karol Cooper, who is quick to teach newcomers how to knit. Among those who have learned the craft through the Prayer Shawl Ministry is Antoinette Mukakabanda, a Rwandan immigrant who became part of the group after settling in Cedar Rapids.
Wednesday Mornings Around the Breakfast Table
Every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m., Westminster hosts a Men's Breakfast Group, though, as the church notes, the name can be misleading. Women are welcome too. The gathering centers on devotions, conversation, coffee, pastries, and guest speakers. It is one of the most consistent weekly touchpoints outside of Sunday worship, offering members and friends an early-morning chance to slow down and connect.
The Caring Work of the Deacons
Following the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Board of Deacons at Westminster exists to provide practical help and ministry to both the congregation and the wider community. At Westminster, that work shows up in hospital visits, holiday plants for shut-ins, and steady contact with homebound members. Deacons are typically assigned to a specific homebound member so that the relationship of care continues over time. The point, the church says, is to make sure no one is forgotten.
What Westminster Believes
Westminster describes itself as a loving, prayerful, and God-centered community in the Reformed tradition. The congregation's stated beliefs center on a God who is imminent and active in the world, on Jesus Christ as God's anointed One through whom love is revealed as the fundamental nature of God, on the Bible as the unique and authoritative witness to God's work in the world, and on the Holy Spirit as the presence of God most clearly heard through worshiping, praying, and serving together.
The church's vision is to be a servant church nurturing each other's spiritual journey and personal gifts, sharing Christ's love and celebrating God together with people of all ages. The congregation welcomes all who wish to explore a relationship with Jesus Christ, regardless of background. Those interested in membership are invited to meet with the pastor, the Rev. Dr. Randy Argall.
Leadership and Getting in Touch
Westminster's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Randy Argall, began serving the congregation in January 2026. A graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv), Calvin Theological Seminary (ThM), and the University of Iowa (PhD), he previously taught at a Presbyterian college in Jamestown, North Dakota, and served for more than a decade as Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin. After retiring in 2019, he held interim positions in Moscow, Russia; Monticello, Iowa; and Waterloo, Iowa. He and his wife Ann enjoy reading, biking, kayaking, and travel.
Visitors and members in need of pastoral care can reach the church office at (319) 366-7185. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and other times by appointment. For those wishing to support the church's ministries, online giving is available, and the congregation publishes a monthly newsletter called the Voice of Westminster, sent electronically with a PDF version also available.