A Church on Friendly Avenue
Westminster Presbyterian Church sits on West Friendly Avenue in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is the third-oldest Presbyterian church in the city, organized on October 12, 1887, when 85 members were commissioned out of First Presbyterian to seed a new congregation. Worship is held in a sanctuary that was dedicated on the centennial of the church's founding, and the life of the congregation is shaped by what its members summarize in three phrases: Celebrating Grace, Following Jesus, Healing God's World.
On a single Sunday, music moves from a contemporary 9 a.m. service with a band, to a 10 a.m. formation hour, to a traditional 11 a.m. service with choir and Schantz organ, to a youth band rehearsing in the sanctuary at noon, to a Sunday-evening youth group called WYFi. The same Sunday spills over into Greensboro through partnerships with the Urban Ministry's Weaver House, the Out of the Garden Project, Habitat for Humanity, the Eastside Park Community Center, and a much longer list of local and global mission relationships.
From a Mission Chapel to the Friendly Avenue Sanctuary
Westminster traces its beginnings to a small mission chapel built in 1879 at 409 Asheboro Street. Land for the chapel was purchased under the leadership of Dr. Jacob Henry Smith, then pastor of First Presbyterian. Various Sunday school classes and worship services were held there, and the building was expanded in 1887.
That fall a commission met to organize a new church. Dr. Egbert W. Smith, an associate pastor at First Presbyterian, suggested the name Westminster and became the congregation's first pastor. On October 12, 1912, the 25th anniversary, the cornerstone was laid for a new sanctuary on Asheboro Street, completed in April 1913. Fourteen years later, additional space was added at the rear of the sanctuary to keep up with Sunday school enrollment.
In 1957 land was purchased at what is now 3906 West Friendly Avenue, with help from Orange Presbytery, and members voted to build a chapel first with plans for a sanctuary to follow. While the building went up, the congregation worshipped at Kiser Junior High School. The new chapel was dedicated on May 8, 1960, and seven years later an educational wing was added to handle continued growth.
Westminster marked its 100th anniversary with the completion of a sanctuary and fellowship hall on the Friendly Avenue campus. The Adventure in Faith capital campaign asked members to pledge the funds over a five-year period. Groundbreaking was held in October 1986, and the new facility was dedicated on October 12, 1987 - exactly one hundred years after Westminster's founding.
The years that followed brought rapid expansion. Contemporary worship was introduced alongside the long-established traditional service. In 2005 Westminster launched a second location using property leased from Greensboro Day School on Lake Brandt Road. The Lake Brandt campus remained part of Westminster until November 2018. A comprehensive renovation of the Friendly Avenue campus began in 2019 and finished in 2021, updating the fellowship hall, kitchen, bathrooms, offices, and educational spaces.
Two Services, One Congregation
Sundays at Westminster are anchored by two services in the sanctuary. Each lasts about 50 minutes, is offered in person and via livestream, and uses a printed bulletin to help newcomers follow along.
The 9 a.m. service is led by the Worship Band - piano, acoustic guitars, bass, percussion, and vocalists. Music is drawn from traditional hymns, contemporary Christian, rock, folk, and bluegrass, paired with preaching and a children's moment called Sharing God's Story with Our Children. The 11 a.m. service offers the church's more traditional voice, led by the Chancel Choir, the Handbell Choir, guest instrumentalists, and a Schantz organ.
From 10 to 10:50 a.m. the building fills with formation classes. Children pre-K through 5th grade gather in Room 106 and use Godly Play, a child-honoring approach to scripture, before breaking into their classrooms. Youth in grades 6 through 12 meet in Room 100 for a time called Joy, Junk, and Jesus - sharing something good, something not so good, and a moment they saw Jesus at work - followed by a d365 daily devotion. Adults have their own options: Cornerstone Class in Room 203, Sunday Conversations in the chapel, The Gathering for parents in Room 103, and a young-adult group called The Somethings on Sunday in Room 104.
Dress at Westminster ranges from shorts and flip-flops to suits and ties. The invitation is straightforward: come as you are. Nursery care for babies through three-year-olds is available in Room 113 on the lower level, staffed by caregivers led by Evelyn Williamson, who has cared for Westminster babies and toddlers since 1993.
Music That Spans a Generation
Music is woven through nearly everything Westminster does. The Chancel Choir, which numbers 30 to 35 singers, rehearses on Wednesday evenings in Room 206 from September through May and sings each Sunday at the 11 a.m. service. On select summer Sundays a summer choir gathers at 9 a.m. to learn a simple anthem for the 10 a.m. service - no experience or ongoing commitment required.
The Handbell Choir serves the 11 a.m. liturgy. The Worship Band leads the 9 a.m. service. A Youth Band, open to students in grades 6 through 12, meets Sundays from noon to 1 p.m. in the sanctuary, learning sung and instrumental music. JAMS - Junior Arts and Music on Sundays - draws children into singing, drama, movement, and percussion during the school year. Each summer Westminster hosts a Summer Rock Camp.
Visual art plays an equally important role. Westminster frequently displays wood panel paintings at the front of the sanctuary based on the worship themes, often building the same piece from week to week so the congregation can follow it. Chandeliers have held flowing ribbon, fishing line with paper cranes, and clouds of puffy lanterns during Lent. Live paintings and collaborative canvases created by worshipers of all ages appear in the sanctuary as well.
Children: Wondering, Questioning, Exploring
Children's ministry at Westminster is led by Director of Children and Youth Ministries Lucy Jefferies. The aim, the church says, is to offer children a chance to wonder, to question, and to explore their faith, with adults and older youth serving as visible examples of God's love. Every Sunday morning at 10, children pre-K through 5th grade are welcomed into Room 106, where a Godly Play storyteller leads the morning session. Pre-K through 2nd graders then move to Room 111 and 3rd through 5th graders to Room 107.
Westminster marks faith growth through a sequence of Milestones of Faith from kindergarten through fifth grade: Kindergarten - Introduction to Worship; First Grade - Communion; Second Grade - Introduction to Prayer; Third Grade - Books of the Bible; Fourth Grade - Stewardship; Fifth Grade - The Lord's Prayer.
Older children are invited into the life of the wider congregation. Third through fifth graders may serve as acolytes, lighting the Christ candle at the beginning of worship. Outrageous Outreach gathers fourth and fifth graders once a month for outreach and fellowship, including a churchwide Rise Against Hunger event in February and seasonal offerings throughout the year. JAMS lets elementary children explore music, drama, movement, and percussion during the school year.
Babies and toddlers up to three years old are cared for in the nursery on the lower level. Lead Caregiver Evelyn Williamson has been part of Westminster's nursery staff since 1993.
Youth in Grades 6-12
Middle and high school students have a full week of programming at Westminster. On Sunday mornings at 10, students gather in Room 100 for refreshments and then split into Middle School and High School groups around the Joy, Junk, and Jesus format, followed by a d365 devotion.
Sunday nights from 5:30 to 7:30 is WYFi, Westminster Youth Fellowship Inc. The evening begins with games and team building, moves to a shared meal, then breaks into age-appropriate groups using the PC(USA) Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living curriculum. On the first Sunday of each month, students join the Greensboro Youth Collective (known as YoCo), rotating between nine Presbyterian congregations in the area - Alamance Presbyterian, Community in Christ Presbyterian, Fellowship Presbyterian, First Presbyterian, Guilford Park Presbyterian, Jamestown Presbyterian, St. James Presbyterian, and Westminster Presbyterian - for games, a meal, and a short worship time.
A sequence of Milestones of Faith takes students from the 10 Commandments in sixth grade through the Apostles' Creed (seventh), Identity and Baptism (eighth), Confirmation (ninth), Outreach and Service (tenth), Spiritual Disciplines (eleventh), and SO: What's Next? in twelfth grade. Youth also serve twice a year at Weaver House and periodically at Peacehaven Farm, the Out of the Garden Project, Backpack Beginnings, and Church Under the Bridge. Each summer the youth group travels on a week-long mission trip.
Adults in Conversation
Westminster's adult ministry has its own rhythm on Sunday mornings at 10 and throughout the week. Cornerstone Class, a long-running discussion-based adult formation class, meets in Room 203 and walks through the Scripture featured in worship alongside thoughtful conversation. The Gathering, a class for parents of children and youth, meets in Room 103. Sunday Conversations gathers in the chapel to explore timely topics, often building on the sermon theme. The Somethings on Sunday meets in Room 104 and reaches out to young adults - post high school into the early 30s - curious about or wrestling with matters of faith.
Midweek study options are wide. Women's offerings include Circles (2nd Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and 2nd Wednesdays at 10 a.m.) using the 2026-2027 Presbyterian Women's study on First Corinthians; Thirsty Thursday, a Thursday morning study at 9:30 in Room 203; and S'mores Bible Study, also Thursday morning, in Room 201. Explorers of Faith gathers on Zoom at 10:30 a.m. A Tuesday morning book group reads widely; a Tuesday evening Gospel of Matthew study at 7 p.m. uses Mickey Efird's video series.
Cohorts gather around family life and fitness. Dad Life meets on the third Tuesday of each month during the school year. Mom Life gathers on the first Wednesday. Pickleball is played on Wednesdays on the Sport Court by the Stage. A Men's Softball league runs from late March through May. A Walking Group meets on the fourth Saturday of the month at Country Park. Yoga classes are offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the Fellowship Hall. Prayer Shawl Ministry meets weekly on Wednesdays in the library.
The Micah Connection gathers on third Thursdays at noon in the church library for conversation about race, justice, and the biblical call to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.
A Ministry of Spiritual Practice
The Ministry of Spiritual Practice invites seekers at Westminster into a more contemplative way of being Christian. Grounded in the conviction that God is the ever-present outpouring of love, the ministry offers retreats at St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, group spiritual direction fellowships called Sacred Circles, Lectio Divina each Monday at noon in the chapel, SoulCollage sessions, Advent quiet days, time in the Serenity Garden, and a Healing Prayer Shawl Ministry.
The ministry's signature retreat program gathers small groups for overnight or weekend stays to rest, be silent, enjoy each other's company, and explore nature. Recent offerings have included Glimpses of Hope, a 24-hour retreat that drew 34 members and friends for shared meals, group activities, a labyrinth walk, and time alone on the wooded trails of St. Francis Springs. The ministry is also co-sponsoring The Great Search, an evening talk and silent retreat with Celtic teacher John Philip Newell.
Caring for One Another
Westminster has built a wide net of care ministries. Stephen Ministry pairs trained lay caregivers with people experiencing difficult seasons. The Culinary Care Ministry organizes volunteers to prepare and deliver meals for members in need, with each volunteer cooking about once a quarter. Note Writing Ministry keeps cards moving to people on the congregation's prayer list. Cancer Care Ministry and the Bereavement Care Team focus on specific kinds of pain and loss. Health Ministry and a Neurodegenerative Care Partners Support Group round out the team's offerings.
The Grief Group is a six-session small group for people grieving the loss of a loved one, meeting every other week for 90 minutes in Westminster's prayer room. Groups of five or six are facilitated by two retired mental health professionals. Homebound Communion is offered by pastors and lay visitors. Healing Prayer Shawls are knitted in a weekly Wednesday evening group and a monthly morning group, both in the library.
Local Missions in Greensboro
Westminster has long been involved in Greensboro neighborhoods and a wide circle of partner agencies. The church's Director of Mission Engagement, Scott Neely, oversees a portfolio that includes ongoing volunteer opportunities, food relief, housing work, and the church's Affordable Housing Initiative. About 10% of Westminster's annual operating budget supports mission partners locally and globally.
Among regular hands-on opportunities: the Out of the Garden Project's Fresh Mobile Market on the third Saturday of each month, distributing 50 to 70 pounds of food per car to over a hundred families at Peck Elementary School; Greensboro Urban Ministry's Weaver House on the first Sunday of each month, serving breakfast to guests and packing takeout meals; Meals on Wheels on the first Wednesday of each month; and the Eastside Park Community Center, a neighborhood ministry Westminster helped found in the early 2000s and is now reconnecting with after the disruption of the COVID years.
Standing mission partnerships include Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, Community Housing Solutions, New Arrivals Institute, A Simple Gesture, FaithAction International, the Barnabas Network, and the Interactive Resource Center. Westminster also runs a Lifting Up Families Fund in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, and in 2026 Goodwill named Westminster one of five Mission Champions.
Beyond Greensboro: Helene Rebuilding, Appalachia, Kenya, the Dominican Republic
For more than 25 years Westminster volunteers have traveled to Appalachia with Appalachia Service Project, helping repair and replace homes for low-income families in central Appalachia. The next trip is scheduled for October 18 to 21, 2026, to Jonesville, Virginia.
After Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina in September 2024, Westminster collected supplies, sent gutting crews, and organized two rebuilding trips. Another rebuilding trip is scheduled for July 25 to 30, 2027.
Westminster partners with two ministries in Kenya: Maxim Grace Academy, a primary school, and the Amani Children's Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for New Life Homes serving infants under six months across four Kenyan baby homes. The next Kenya trip is scheduled for June 23 to July 3, 2027.
The church has longstanding partnerships in the Dominican Republic, having built homes and water cisterns in Mexico and worked on infrastructure projects in Puerto Plata. A community of partners in Puerto Plata, Comunidad Connect, hosted the most recent DR trip in summer 2026; the next is planned for summer 2028.
Beliefs and Affirming Welcome
Westminster's stated beliefs center on a simple claim: when Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, he answered, Love God, and love your neighbor, this is all the law and the prophets. Presbyterians have called this the rule of love. Any interpretation of scripture that does not lead to loving God and neighbor is, the church teaches, a misunderstanding of scripture.
Presbyterians, Westminster says, start with God's love and grace. The church describes itself as a big-tent congregation, recognizing that there are issues about which people will disagree and that truth often arrives in time and with mystery. Westminster welcomes all into worship, service, community, faith formation, and love, and welcomes into membership all who trust God's grace in Jesus Christ and desire to be a part of the ministry and fellowship of the church.
Westminster is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a denomination with more than 2.5 million members and roots dating back to the 16th century. Westminster belongs to Salem Presbytery, which gives the church access to best practices for being church in the world today. The church is also a designated Earth Care Congregation, committed to responsible practices and education around environmental stewardship.
Westminster identifies itself publicly as a Welcoming, Inclusive Church. The session has stated that marriage is a gift from God for all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and that the church's pastors are honored to officiate weddings for all couples. Facilities include gender-neutral and ADA-compliant restrooms with infant changing stations.
Sacraments, Weddings, Memorials
Baptism is one of the two sacraments of the church. Through water and the Holy Spirit, Westminster teaches, God declares that we belong to Jesus Christ. The congregation baptizes both infants and adults, whether a person is baptized in infancy or later, the meaning is the same: God claims us as God's own and welcomes us into the covenant community of faith.
Weddings are open to all couples seeking marriage. Westminster's Sanctuary seats up to 295 and offers a piano and a pipe organ; the Chapel seats up to 100 and has a piano. Weddings may also be held off campus. The Fellowship Hall is available for receptions, and the church's pastors walk couples through the preparation process.
Memorial services are taken seriously at Westminster. A Westminster Memorial Garden and Columbarium on the Friendly Avenue campus is available for the placement of cremated remains by members, spouses, children, stepchildren, parents, stepparents, and ordained ministers who have served the congregation. A small-group Grief Ministry walks members through six sessions in the prayer room with two retired mental health professionals.
Staff, Leadership, and How the Day-to-Day Works
Pastoral leadership at Westminster includes the Rev. Betsy Lyles Swetenburg as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff, the Rev. Cindy Higgins as Pastor, and the Rev. Sam Perkins as Pastor for Formation, Missions, and Connections. Allie Wrage joined in September 2026 as Interim Pastoral Associate for Belonging, working alongside the rest of the team on congregational care and supporting Children's and Family Ministry during the season of transition.
Music ministry is led by Clint Whitlow, Director of Music, who directs the Worship Band, the Youth Band, and the Children's Choirs. Laura Alexander is Associate Director of Music, directing the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir and serving as organist and worship coordinator. Lucy Jefferies serves as Director of Children and Youth Ministries. Scott Neely is Director of Mission Engagement. Meredith Spaugh is Director of Community Connections. Jonathan Robichaud directs communications, Catherine Morsell oversees administration, Lynn Hemm manages finance, Brad Pollard supervises facilities, Barry Webb supervises AV, and Emily Black supports the program staff.
Westminster is governed by a Session of elected elders and pastors. Each year a nominating committee proposes a new class of elders who serve three-year terms. Session members sit on Administrative or Program Committees. The Clerk of Session is Larry Hooker.
Worship services, formation classes, and music are streamed online, and a sermon podcast is available. Bulletins for both Sunday services are posted online. Online giving, event registration, and the church directory are handled through Realm Connect, and a weekly e-news arrives on Wednesdays with a pastoral reflection, announcements, and updates on youth and children's ministries.