Knowing Christ, Making Christ Known in West Chester
Westminster Presbyterian Church sits on Pleasant Grove Road on the south side of West Chester, Pennsylvania, where it has ministered since the congregation moved from the borough in December 1993. The church's motto, "Knowing Christ, Making Christ Known," gives shape to a ministry that gathers nearly every day of the week and reaches into the wider community through music, education, mission work, and a thrift shop that has stocked West Chester homes for generations.
What makes Westminster distinctive is its blend of breadth and rootedness. A full Sunday morning offers a robed traditional service, a contemporary service with a worship band, and a children's education hour in between. Wednesday mornings open with prayer and communion in the chapel. The chancel choir presents major choral concerts alongside Mendelssohn, Brahms, and original theatrical productions. And the Westminster Preschool, the thrift shop on Gay Street, the Stephen Ministers, and a Celebrate Recovery chapter turn the campus into a hub of care from before sunrise until well after sunset.
A Founding Over Free Pews
Westminster's story begins with pews. In some nineteenth-century American churches, families paid to reserve particular pews for their household. You couldn't sit anywhere else. Believing pews should be free and any worshipper should be able to sit anywhere in the sanctuary, 63 members of the First Presbyterian Church of West Chester left that congregation and helped charter Westminster Presbyterian Church on May 26, 1892.
After meeting in several local buildings, the young congregation purchased property in the West Chester borough at Church and Barnard Streets. The groundbreaking for the original chapel was held on October 16, 1893. The church soon outgrew that first space, and a new sanctuary was added in 1900. For 100 years, Westminster ministered in downtown West Chester. A rapidly expanding suburban population that drove to church, combined with limited building space and parking, hampered further growth.
The congregation, struggling with an aging building and limited room to grow, received a generous donation of farm land from Mr. and Mrs. James K. Robinson and voted to move south of the borough. The new facility, built with three buildings, opened on the present Pleasant Grove Road location in December 1993. The pipe organ and the stained-glass windows in the narthex and west side of the sanctuary were carefully brought from the old building. Like longstanding members, the organ and windows remind the congregation of its heritage, while newer windows on the east side of the sanctuary and newer members point to what is still ahead. A fourth building was added in 1999, completing the present facility.
From 1994 to 2007 the congregation grew rapidly, a pace that slowed when the 2008 economic downturn slowed population growth in the county. In more than 130 years, Westminster has had only eight head pastors: B. Canfield Jones, Alexander Esler, Charles R. Williamson, William Henry Dilts, Robert B. Boell, Robert D. Young, Donald D. Lincoln, and Leah Hrachovec.
Three Sunday Services
Sunday morning at Westminster centers on the same mission in three different keys.
The 9:00 am Traditional Worship is an hour long in the Sanctuary. The pastors and choir members wear robes. Two or three hymns are sung with organ or piano accompaniment. The chancel choir sings, and on some Sundays the children, youth, or bell choirs perform. Scripture is read, and the pastor preaches a sermon from the pulpit. Prayers are lifted up and an offering is taken. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month, and baptism may occur on the third Sunday.
The 10:30 am Contemporary Worship is also an hour in the Sanctuary. Leaders are not in robes and do not use the pulpit. Worship is led by the Westminster Worship Collective, with lyrics and responses projected on screens in the front of the Sanctuary. The sermon, the children's sermon, and prayer are repeated from the earlier service so families and friends can attend together.
Both Sunday services are available to watch live or anytime during the week. Large print bulletins and hymnals are available. Listening devices are available at the information desk in the narthex for use in the Sanctuary. Any usher can help.
Taizé and the Wednesday Chapel
On the first Sunday of each month, September through June, the congregation gathers at 5:00 pm for a 45-minute Taizé contemplative service. The music features the musical chants of the Taizé community. Communion is served, with time for prayer and silence to reflect on scripture.
On Wednesday mornings at 9:10 am, a 20-minute prayer and communion service is held in the Chapel. The service is informal and meditative, with time to take in an interpretive reading of scripture, song, and communion. This service is also livestreamed.
The Music Program
Music has long been a signature of the church. The Chancel Choir is open to all adult singers over the age of 18. The choir sings at the 9:00 am traditional Sunday service, presents the 36th Annual Christmas Concerts each December, and gives major choral concerts throughout the year. Recent choral performances have included Mendelssohn's Hymn of Praise with Scott Perkins's A New England Requiem, Elgar's Light of Life with Fauré's Requiem, Verdi's Requiem, and Brahms's Requiem. The choir rehearses Sunday mornings at 8:15 am and Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm.
The Westminster Worship Collective, also called the Worship Band, leads the 10:30 am contemporary service and has produced two recordings. It is open to all youth and adult singers and instrumentalists - guitarists (acoustic or bass), pianists, and drummers - and rehearses at 7:15 pm on Wednesday nights.
Children have their own ensembles. The Children's Choir (grades 2-5) and Cherub Choir (K-1) meet on Wednesday afternoons from 4:45 to 5:45 and sing in worship monthly. The Youth Choir is open to grades 6-12, sings about once a month in worship, and meets from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on Sunday evenings just before Youth Group.
The Chancel Ringers, an adult and youth (grade 6+) handbell choir with ringing experience, plays during the 9:00 am Sunday services about once a month from October through May and rehearses Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Genesis Ringers is a multigenerational class for beginning handbell ringers, grade 3 through adult, that meets a few times a year. The Taizé Ensemble is open to adults with string and woodwind experience and plays during the monthly Taizé service.
Nursery, Children, and Faith Milestones
Nursery Care is offered every Sunday morning from 8:15 to 11:45 am in Room 109 for children from six months through four years. Caregivers provide loving care and a Bible story as they are able. Nursery Care is also provided for some special events and services.
Children's education meets at the 9:00 am hour. WeeConnect (ages 3-5) and KidsConnect (kindergarten through fifth grade) begin with children in the Sanctuary with their parents and dismiss after the Thought for Children. WeeConnect uses the model of Young Children and Worship. KidsConnect gathers in the large gathering area to experience the Bible story in true storyteller fashion, then breaks into age-specific classrooms for prayer and small-group response using the Celebrate Wonder curriculum. Pickup is at 10:40 am in Rooms 103, 405, and 406.
At the 10:30 am service, Young Children and Worship gathers children ages 3 through fifth grade in the chapel after the Thought for Children, with older children serving as mentors and leaders.
Faith Milestones mark key moments along a child's faith journey. Baptisms for young children are scheduled on the third Sunday of every month during morning worship. A baptism class for first-time parents is held the last Sunday of every month except December. An annual interactive Communion Workshop for children in grades 2-5 and their parents takes place before Lent, with children and families traditionally taking part in the Ash Wednesday service by presenting part of the Last Supper story. Each fall, third graders receive their own Bible during worship (typically the last Sunday of October), personalized with their name in calligraphy on the inside page.
Camp SPARK - Spiritual Practices And Recreation for Kids - is the church's summer children's program, with morning activities focused on worship arts and afternoon activities focused on Westminster's ministry and mission. Scholarships and family discounts are available.
Youth Group, Confirmation, and Senior Capstone
Youth in grades 6-12 gather on Sunday nights from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, September through May, for dinner, community, and discipleship. Each week youth connect acts of service with learning about issues of justice, engage in spiritual practices through creativity and the arts, and play together for the joy of it. The youth also participate in 9-Square tournaments and the West Chester Youth Colab, which brings several church youth groups together for events such as Mega 9-Square Night, ice skating, and photo scavenger hunts.
Confirmation begins in eighth grade and lasts seven months, framed by the PC(USA) Matthew 25 initiative. Confirmands experiment with Christian faith practices using a bi-weekly resource playlist, develop a relationship with a caring adult mentor who meets with them twice a month, and create a Pay It Forward Project, seeding a cause, ministry, or organization of their choice with grant money.
Senior Capstone welcomes high school seniors, and their parents, in a year of monthly meals from October through March and a final pilgrimage retreat to the Black Mountains of North Carolina. Seniors choose and practice a simple daily spiritual practice for the duration of their senior year.
Youth also serve through regular opportunities such as the Soap for Hope Workshops, in partnership with the Educational Equity Alliance, and Safe Harbor Lunches, packing bagged lunches for those experiencing homelessness and poverty in West Chester.
Adults: Small Groups, the Library, and the Journey Class
Adults at Westminster grow through Small Groups and Fellowship Groups, with sign-ups managed online. The Journey Class is an additional small group experience. The 21 Day Equity Racial Justice Challenge, a joint effort with other Donegal Presbytery congregations, invites participants to spend three weeks diversifying their understanding by reading, watching, listening, and noticing, and to share reflections along the way.
Westminster also maintains a lending Library with children's and adult books and DVDs. Books published in 2005 or later, free of notes or underlining, are accepted as donations.
Beliefs, Inclusivity, and Earth Care
Westminster's mission is "Knowing Christ, Making Christ Known." As followers of Jesus Christ, the congregation commits to worship that glorifies God and transforms its members, an intentional and hope-filled community, a lifetime of spiritual growth and joyful generosity, and being sent to demonstrate the Kingdom of God in the world.
The church describes itself as a beacon of unconditional welcome and acceptance, a wellspring of deeper learning, a spiritual center for transforming gifts into service, a source of worship that transcends barriers, and a community that cultivates authentic and sustaining friendships. The congregation explicitly welcomes questions and doubts: "Questioning and skepticism are welcome here. We believe that doubt is part of having faith."
The Inclusivity Statement affirms the image of God in people of every racial identity, ethnicity, socio-economic status, age, gender, relationship status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression. The facilities include a private all-gender bathroom.
Westminster became an Earth Care Congregation in early 2020, committing to care for God's creation in four categories: worship, education, facilities, and outreach. Annual Earth Care activities include a Sneaker Recycling Drive each spring and an Earth Sunday celebration.
A Matthew 25 Church
In 2019, Westminster accepted the PC(USA)'s invitation to become a Matthew 25 Church, following Jesus' teachings in Matthew 25:31-46 by embracing one or more of three areas of focus: building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism, and eradicating systemic poverty. Practical expressions of this work include affordable and sustainable housing advocacy, a Gleaning Garden, Habitat for Humanity, the West Chester Food Cupboard, and a 21 Day Race Equity Challenge.
The Building and Memorial Garden
The present four-building campus on Pleasant Grove Road opened in December 1993, with a fourth building added in 1999. The Sanctuary seats up to 500 guests for weddings; the more intimate Chapel seats about 50.
The Memorial Garden offers a sacred and peaceful place to memorialize the faithfully departed and house their ashes. The in-ground garden and ossuarium sit next to the Sanctuary, surrounded by trees and an outdoor labyrinth.
Weddings, Funerals, and the Sacraments
Weddings at Westminster are worship services that unite a couple in the presence of God. At least one of the marriage partners must profess the Christian faith. Weddings can be scheduled for members and non-members, with the Sanctuary seating up to 500 guests and the Chapel approximately 50. Members do not pay a Sanctuary or Chapel use fee; non-members pay $1,000 for the Sanctuary or $300 for the Chapel. Minister, organist/pianist, custodian, and wedding coordinator fees are listed in the Wedding Booklet.
Funeral, memorial, and committal services are available for Westminster members and their immediate family, as well as friends of the faith community. A funeral usually takes place within a short time following death with a closed casket or urn present, while a memorial service (remains not present) may take place at any time suitable for the bereaved. A committal service takes place at a cemetery or memorial garden. Members are encouraged to record end-of-life wishes ahead of need, and the Planning and Resources Near Life's End guide contains an outline of a service, suggested scripture passages and hymns, and an end-of-life planning form.
Communion, celebrated at the first Sunday of every month at all services, every Wednesday morning at 9:10 am in the Chapel, and at all Taizé services, is open to everyone regardless of denomination, church membership, gender, sexual orientation, race, language, or age. Communion is also observed at special services through the year, including Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday Vigil, Easter Sunrise, and the 11:00 pm Christmas Eve service.
Baptism of infants and young children is scheduled on the third Sunday of every month during morning worship. Any parent who is a member of Westminster is welcome to present a child for baptism. The congregation, along with the parents, takes vows to nurture the child in the Christian faith. A baptism class is required for first-time parents and is held the last Sunday of every month except December.
Westminster Preschool
Westminster Preschool is a half-day early-childhood program for children from age two through five, with classes for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, four-year-olds, and a five-year-old (4 by March 1) class. Petite Pas Dance Enrichment meets Wednesdays from 12:00 to 2:00 pm, and Extended Day runs Monday through Friday from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Within a welcoming environment, the staff of administrators, teachers, and teaching aides focus on developing the whole child - socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically - and enrich each child's faith development.
Westminster Thrift Shop on Gay Street
The Westminster Thrift Shop, located at 543-545 East Gay Street in the Gay Street Plaza, is a long-running ministry in its own right. Revenues from donated women's and men's clothing, accessories, jewelry, housewares, home decor, bedding, and furniture help support 48 community and world organizations. The shop's mission is to provide quality recycled merchandise at affordable prices to local families and to care for creation by providing an outlet for recycled goods.
Shop hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (volunteer workday), and Saturday from 9:00 am to noon. The shop is closed Thursdays and the third Saturday of the month. Major credit cards are accepted with a $15 minimum purchase.
Support, Care, and Recovery
Westminster offers a wide circle of care for adults in the congregation and beyond. Stephen Ministry provides confidential one-to-one care from laypeople who receive 50 hours of training and meet twice a month for supervision. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12-step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, hang-ups, or destructive habits, meeting Thursdays at 7:00 pm in The Site at Westminster or via Zoom.
Additional small support communities include a Widow/Widowers fellowship, a Loss and Grief group, an Alzheimer's/Dementia group, and a parent support group called "Morning Joe," which meets Tuesdays at 7:30 am in The Cove. The church also hosts Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Al-Anon meetings on campus.
Mental Health and Wellness advocacy includes a quarterly Wellness Newsletter, an annual Wellness Fair, and Narcan and CPR trainings. Pastoral and hospital visits are available through the church office.
Serving West Chester and the World
Westminster's outreach extends well beyond the campus. A Monthly Collections calendar gathers specific items each month for the West Chester Food Cupboard and partner nonprofits, including Dawn's Place, Full Sized Items for Act in Faith, Community Volunteers in Medicine, CHESCO, Bridge Academy, and the church's own Giving Tree. The Shop for Hope alternative gift market, held in December, sells Honduran coffee, Palestinian olive oil, Fair Trade chocolate and tea, and handmade crafts from partners including A Child's Light, Angels Against Addiction, Broad Street Love, Community Volunteers in Medicine, the Domestic Violence Center, Equal Exchange, Family Promise, Global Gifts, Good Works, Living Waters for the World, the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Serving at the Crossroads, the West Chester Food Cupboard, and Zatoun. Donation cards for online giving to these organizations are available year-round.
The Endowment Fund is a separate financial entity of the church that enables members to make legacy donations with the assurance that the value of their gifts will grow over time through solid investment strategy. Grants from the fund support local community projects with religious or charitable goals, Westminster projects not accommodated within the operating budget, and global initiatives such as national and foreign mission activities. The Donald Lincoln Westminster Fund supports ongoing church initiatives at the discretion of the Session.
Attainable Housing is another area of advocacy and resources, attended by the church's work with the Housing Partnership of Chester County.
Giving, Legacy, and Memorials
Online giving and Estimate of Giving pledges can be made at any time. The Memorial Fund offers a way to give in memory of loved ones, and the Endowment Fund and Endowment Grants offer opportunities for legacy giving and estate planning. The Annual Report is published each year.
Pastoral and Program Staff
Leah Hrachovec serves as Pastor. A graduate of Grinnell College and Columbia Theological Seminary, she completed a Doctor of Ministry in Parish Revitalization at McCormick Theological Seminary in 2014 and joined Westminster in August 2022 after serving as Pastor and Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She and her spouse, Nathaniel Cooper, have two children.
Eric Dorville serves as Transitional Associate Pastor for Spiritual Growth. He joined Westminster in November 2024 from Penningtonville Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Ambler. He and his wife Maddie have three children.
Jon Frost serves as Associate Pastor of Worship and Connections. He joined the staff in August 2004 as Director of Youth and Alternative Worship, was ordained in the PC(USA) in 2007, and received his Master of Divinity in 2010 from Biblical Seminary. He plays classical guitar and is fluent in Spanish.
Mark Beazley joined the staff in 2026 as Director of Spiritual Care, with a Master's in Spiritual Formation and Leadership from Spring Arbor University and additional training through CenterQuest.
Tim Evers is Director of Music Ministries, and Kirsten Santos Rutschman is Associate Director of Music Ministries. Kirsten holds a Ph.D. in musicology from Duke University, with degrees from Stanford and Linköping University in Sweden. Megan Potts is Preschool Director; Pamela M. Green is Director of Engagement; Mary Maina is Childcare Coordinator; Sandy Kurek is Director of Finance; Erin Sheffield is Executive Director; Jennie Moffitt is Office Manager; and Parker Hendrix is Finance Assistant. Joe Callan is Custodian, and Thomas Pennington is AV Team Supervisor.
Elders, deacons, and trustees are elected by the congregation to govern the church and serve its ministries.
A Church at the Crossroads of Worship, Learning, and Service
Westminster Presbyterian Church is, at heart, a community that traces its roots to a 19th-century stand against barriers in worship - the rented pew - and continues to remove barriers today. Whether one enters the Sanctuary for a traditional service with choir and organ, joins a Wednesday morning communion around the chapel table, sends a child to the Preschool, drops off donations at the Thrift Shop on Gay Street, or quietly makes a Stephen Ministry call, the same conviction holds. As the congregation likes to put it: "Knowing Christ, Making Christ Known."