On Lawson Avenue in Gulfport's Bayou View neighborhood, Westminster Presbyterian Church has gathered as a congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church since 1956. Each Sunday at 10:30 a.m., members and friends come for a traditional Reformed liturgy, with professional childcare available and a livestream on YouTube for those who cannot be there in person.
From Sunday School in Fellowship Hall to a Sanctuary on Lawson Avenue
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Gulfport got its start in 1956, when neighbors and friends of the Bayou View community began meeting for Sunday School in what is now the church's Fellowship Hall. Four years later, on March 27, 1960, one hundred twenty-one charter members, six ruling elders, and eight deacons, along with the organizing pastor Rev. Frank A. Brooks Jr., signed formal documents identifying the congregation as the newest member of the Presbyterian denominational family.
The sanctuary, pipe organ, and stained-glass windows were dedicated on October 31, 1965. The Christian Education Building, just south of the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall, was completed in September 1973, and the bell tower was dedicated in March 1974 at the celebration of the church's fourteenth anniversary. In the mid-1980s the Fellowship Hall was expanded to accommodate the congregation's growth. Pastors who followed Rev. Brooks include Albert "Shep" Crigler III, August Schmitt Jr., Carl Schlich III, Robert Rovell, Richard Swayze, Roe Callaway, George Bendall, Andy Wells, and Will Shurley.
Westminster's mission is to bear witness to God's love for the world in Jesus Christ. Its vision is simply to be the church for the city.
Sunday Mornings at 10:30
Worship gathers each Sunday at 10:30 a.m., both in person and online through a YouTube livestream. Services follow a traditional Reformed liturgy. Professional childcare is available for younger children, and older children receive a worship kit at the entrance to the sanctuary to help them follow along with the service. A weekly bulletin is published online.
Learning Together at 9:15
Sunday School for all ages meets at 9:15 a.m., an hour before worship. Children's classes gather in the Christian Education Building under Mary Ellen Thornhill, while Anna Kate Shurley teaches youth in grades six through twelve. The adult class, led by Ted Hammer, meets in the Library.
Five Ministry Areas
Westminster organizes its life around five ministry areas. The Worship area seeks to provide regular, public, and corporate worship of God in which all participants offer the best of their talents. Congregational Life builds an atmosphere of love and trust among members and friends, equipping the church to minister to one another in times of joy and sorrow. Discipleship works to obey Jesus's command to make disciples, helping every member grow in faith through every season of life. Missions and Outreach equips the congregation to share the good news of the gospel through projects that match members' gifts and talents with particular needs, both locally and globally. Stewardship inspires members to act as good stewards over the blessings they have received.
A Steady Weekday Rhythm
Beyond Sunday, Westminster keeps a steady weekly rhythm. A Prayer Group meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m., maintaining the church's prayer list and praying for the local community and the world; after each meeting, the group sends a blue postcard to anyone on the list whose address is provided. Wednesday Dinner and Bible Study gathers at 6 p.m. On Thursdays at 6 p.m., an AA meeting is held in the Christian Education Building. The Rise and Shine Men's Breakfast meets the first Friday of each month at 8 a.m. at Brick and Spoon in Gulfport.
Around Tables Across the City
Westminster Diners is a fellowship-based supper club of groups of eight to twelve who meet monthly for good food - a way especially suited to newcomers who want to get to know other members. The Ladies Lunch Bunch gathers on the last Friday of each month at a local restaurant.
Missions and Outreach on the Coast and Beyond
Each month with five Sundays, Westminster collects supplies for one of its partner organizations, ending the collection with a potluck luncheon after worship. Past collections have included canned food for Gulf Coast Rescue Mission and Feed My Sheep, and school supplies for Bayou View Elementary and Middle Schools.
The church supports a long list of local and global missions, including Bayou View Elementary Backpack Buddies, the Bayou View Middle School Counselors' Fund, the Gulfport High School Counselors' Fund, the Bethel Free Health Clinic, the Gulf Coast Center for Non-Violence, Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, Belhaven University, French Camp Academy, the Medical Benevolence Foundation, the MBF Nursing Scholarship in Haiti, the Kindness Foundation, and the Foundation for Reformed Theology. The church also sponsors Cub Scouts Pack 209, Boy Scouts Troop 209, and Girl Scouts Troop 3542, and supports missionaries Werner and Lisa, Greg and Elizabeth, and Roger and Abi Lowther.
Leadership and Staff
The Reverend Albert Bisson serves as Interim Pastor. He came to Westminster most recently from Mississippi State University, where he taught in the Philosophy and Religion Department for more than twenty years and was named the 2011 Outstanding Honors Program Faculty Member by the MSU Honors Council. He holds degrees in biology and education from the University of Manchester and master's degrees from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and was ordained in 1990. Originally from England, Rev. Bisson and his wife Jenny now live in Biloxi.
Westminster is governed by a Session of ruling elders elected by the congregation. Members include Clerk of Session Chip Westbrook, Lynda Gary, Jim Roberts, Scott Winter, Mark Alspaugh, Ben Stone, Pat West, Pete Bloss, Patrick Gann, and Robert Wood. Staff supporting the congregation includes Youth Director Alice Bellanger, Treasurer Jane Bloss, Church Administrator LeAnn Davis, Nursery Childcare Provider Angela Hudson, Organist Jeanie Pollard, and Facilities Manager Tim Silkman.
Supporting the Work
Gifts to Westminster support the work of the church and may be mailed to 5005 Lawson Avenue, placed in the offering bags during worship, set up as a recurring gift through a financial institution, or given through the Tithe.ly app or online.
Visiting Westminster
The church stands at 5005 Lawson Avenue in Gulfport, Mississippi, where it has gathered the people of Bayou View for seven decades. The office can be reached at (228) 864-3143 or office@gulfportchurch.org.