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Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church
Kalamazoo
MI
49007
- Presbyterian Churches in Kalamazoo, MI
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Who we are
Your Sanctuary in the City… Living Faith
Welcome to First Presbyterian Church! We believe God loves all people, without exception or exclusion. Wherever we are on life’s journey, God gathers us with our myriad experiences and perspectives to follow Jesus through love, learning, and service.
God calls us to be compassionate and committed, vital and visionary, alongside people of all faiths, engaging our beautiful and broken world.
We seek to live faith as a sanctuary in the city.
Welcome to First Presbyterian Church! We believe God loves all people, without exception or exclusion. Wherever we are on life’s journey, God gathers us with our myriad experiences and perspectives to follow Jesus through love, learning, and service.
God calls us to be compassionate and committed, vital and visionary, alongside people of all faiths, engaging our beautiful and broken world.
We seek to live faith as a sanctuary in the city.
Street Address
321 W. South Street
Kalamazoo,
MI
49007
United States
Phone: (269) 344-0119
Download Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church vCard with Service Times
Church Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer
Head of Staff
321 W. South Street
Kalamazoo,
MI
49007
United States
Phone: (269) 344-0119
Download Head of Staff The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer vCard
Quote of the Day
Psalms 37:4
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Denomination
Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Churches in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
Presbyterian Churches in Michigan, United States
Presbyterian Churches in United States
All churches in Kalamazoo, MI
Affiliations:
Website:
Social Media
Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Kalamazoo on YouTube
Leadership
Leader Name:
The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer
Leader Position:
Head of Staff
Formal Title:
Leader Address:
Tel:
Fax:
Leader Email:
Leader Bio:
Other Church Leaders:
The Rev. Christina “Chrissy” Westbury - Associate Pastor
The Rev. Kathleen Robertson King - Campus Minister
The Rev. Larry Farris - Parish Associate
The Rev. Dr. Larry Boutelle - Parish Associate
The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Hakken Candido - Kalamazoo College Chaplain & Director of Religious and Spiritual Life
The Rev. Dr. David W. McShane - Pastor Emeritus
Dr. Patricia Stromsta - Director of Christian Education
The Rev. Kathleen Robertson King - Campus Minister
The Rev. Larry Farris - Parish Associate
The Rev. Dr. Larry Boutelle - Parish Associate
The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Hakken Candido - Kalamazoo College Chaplain & Director of Religious and Spiritual Life
The Rev. Dr. David W. McShane - Pastor Emeritus
Dr. Patricia Stromsta - Director of Christian Education
The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer on Social Media:
Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Leadership Photos
Administration
Admin Name:
Ann Johnson
Admin Position:
Office Administrator
Admin Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Admin Email:
Mailing Address
Driving Directions to Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church
Travel/Directions Tips
Parking
Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Kalamazoo Service Times
Sunday Services
Regular Sunday services at Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church begin at 10:00 a.m. and include a traditional worship service with organ and choir music. Lectures and classes for adults are from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Children who come to worship participate in the “Moment for Young Worshipers” and then are escorted to Sunday School. The schedule for regular Sunday Services is outlined below.
Sunday Schedule
The schedule of regular Sunday morning activities is presented below:
9:00 a.m. Adult classes (check announcements for description, place and exact time)
9:00 a.m. Childcare available, Rooms 208 and 211
9:50 a.m. Organ prelude begins, Sanctuary
10:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary
10:15 a.m. Children’s Sunday School
11:15 a.m. Adult classes (check announcements for description, place and exact time)
Service Times last updated on the 10th of November, 2017
Regular Sunday services at Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church begin at 10:00 a.m. and include a traditional worship service with organ and choir music. Lectures and classes for adults are from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Children who come to worship participate in the “Moment for Young Worshipers” and then are escorted to Sunday School. The schedule for regular Sunday Services is outlined below.
Sunday Schedule
The schedule of regular Sunday morning activities is presented below:
9:00 a.m. Adult classes (check announcements for description, place and exact time)
9:00 a.m. Childcare available, Rooms 208 and 211
9:50 a.m. Organ prelude begins, Sanctuary
10:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary
10:15 a.m. Children’s Sunday School
11:15 a.m. Adult classes (check announcements for description, place and exact time)
Service Times last updated on the 10th of November, 2017
Worship Languages
Dress code:
Children and Youth Activities
Under 12s:
Under 18s:
Children
Nursery: Infants and children up to age 3 are invited to our nursery on the second floor (ML) during Worship.
Children and youth meet in the sanctuary and are dismissed from worship service after the Moment with Young Worshipers, for participation in their respective programs.
The youth participate in REVOLUTION, which meets on Sunday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. for activities and community volunteering opportunities.
The Children and Youth Sunday Service in June during worship is a highlight for presenting lessons learned, music and a culmination of the year’s educational growth.
Children and Youth Christmas Eve Service is enjoyed by many, and always beautifully presented with Scripture and music.
Vacation Bible School is offered in the month of June, is an another important event. We are one of five downtown churches that supports this program. VBS is hosted at First Presbyterian Church.
Summer activity trips, mission trips and work camp-community volunteer trips offer a variety of learning experiences for spiritual growth for youth and adult chaperones.
The Church Library, located on the mid-level of the building, has excellent books available for children and adults. A book rack is available in the Gathering Place on Sunday mornings.
Nursery: Infants and children up to age 3 are invited to our nursery on the second floor (ML) during Worship.
Children and youth meet in the sanctuary and are dismissed from worship service after the Moment with Young Worshipers, for participation in their respective programs.
The youth participate in REVOLUTION, which meets on Sunday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. for activities and community volunteering opportunities.
The Children and Youth Sunday Service in June during worship is a highlight for presenting lessons learned, music and a culmination of the year’s educational growth.
Children and Youth Christmas Eve Service is enjoyed by many, and always beautifully presented with Scripture and music.
Vacation Bible School is offered in the month of June, is an another important event. We are one of five downtown churches that supports this program. VBS is hosted at First Presbyterian Church.
Summer activity trips, mission trips and work camp-community volunteer trips offer a variety of learning experiences for spiritual growth for youth and adult chaperones.
The Church Library, located on the mid-level of the building, has excellent books available for children and adults. A book rack is available in the Gathering Place on Sunday mornings.
Local outreach & community activities:
Other activities & ministries
Special Needs/Accessibility:
Prayers and hymns:
Main Bible:
Hymns and Songs:
Other information:
Average Adult Congregation:
Average Youth Congregation:
Additional Info:
Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Photo Gallery
Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church History
First Presbyterian Church: A Phoenix from the Ashes
Records of the early First Presbyterian Church have been lost. What is known is that the church had its beginnings in 1834 when Titus Bronson, the founder of Kalamazoo, and his wife Sally began meeting with 12 other residents in a schoolhouse on South Street.
Joint Venture with the Congregational Church
In 1842, the First Presbyterian Society of Kalamazoo joined with the Congregational church, using the same form of government, but keeping separate belief systems. This came about as a part of the Plan of Union, arranged in 1801 that seemed reasonable for the "frontier" lands of New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. These hybrid churches were sometimes called "Presbygational." The congregations met in the first church built in Kalamazoo near the southeast corner of South and Rose Streets. The basic differences in the two faiths inevitably led to the first conflagration, which resulted in 51 members adopting the First Presbyterian constitution, confession of faith and covenants in February of 1849, and leaving to form their own church.
Second Church
They didn't go far, however. That same year, what became known as the White Church rose up across the street from the first church on the northeast corner of South and Rose Street, what is currently the Miller Canfield Building. On the evening of 5 December 1883, flames were discovered in the building around 11:00 o'clock. The fire had made too much headway to be stopped, however, and soon the bell in the tower crashed into the basement and "...the organ died with a groan heard by spectators across the street." By midnight the church was nothing but a smoking ruin.
Third Church
Undaunted, the church congregation met in the nearby Kalamazoo Academy of Music until what became known as the Brick Church rose on the site of the White Church and was dedicated on 1 July 1885. In some ways the new church was modeled after the Academy of Music because it had a square auditorium with galleries on the south and west sides, a long platform across the east end and a choir balcony above the pulpit platform. "By no means a gem of architecture, the brick church was typical of the pompous, nondescript style of many churches built in the generation after the Civil War. Yet, as the years passed, it acquired the sort of beauty often given to undistinguished structures by pleasant memories and long
Growth
The church flourished. By 1921, membership had grown to nearly 1,150 persons. In 1925, the cornerstone was laid for the Church House, which was located on what had been the Prange family property on the southwest corner of St. John's Place and Park Street, the site of the current church building.
Fire
On the evening of 6 July1926, the third fire in four months to break out in the Brick Church tolled its death knell. Previous fires had been discovered near a motion picture projection booth and near the front end of the building. The final blaze left the church nothing but an empty brick hulk. It was the third big church fire in Kalamazoo that year. Previous arsons had destroyed the First Congregational and Methodist churches. In total, 14 fires had been set in Kalamazoo, 12 of them in churches or in buildings in which fraternal organizations held meetings. It is not known if these blazes were the work of one or of several persons.
Fourth Church
The large congregation held Sunday services in the old Central High School Auditorium from 1927 until the current Gothic sanctuary was completed and dedicated on Palm Sunday, 13 April 1930. It rose majestically on the South street site where it stands today. A prominent feature of the church is the Rose Window that faces South Street. It was made of imported glass, the color being in the glass and not enameled over the top. It follows the scheme of the solar spectrum, with high lights in the center, grading through rubies to purples and rich blues. In the center is the seal of the Presbyterian Church of America and the six "Shields of the Martyrs," which have historically stood for heroic martyrdom in the past and represent the part the church played in the Protestant Revolution.
Community Outreach
The First Presbyterian Church has been involved in outreach efforts throughout its history in Kalamazoo. In 1864 it began the Mission Woods Sunday School, which became Kalamazoo's North Presbyterian Church. It also operates its own health clinic for indigent and homeless individuals, and has housed programs for mentally handicapped and emotionally disturbed children. It joined other Presbyterian churches to help resettle families from Vietnam, provide low-income housing, and participate in the Loaves and Fishes food pantry network. The church also extended its aid to Mexico and overseas to Ghana, West Africa.
Written by Fred Peppel, formerly of the Kalamazoo Public Library staff, August 2005. Updated October 2007.
Records of the early First Presbyterian Church have been lost. What is known is that the church had its beginnings in 1834 when Titus Bronson, the founder of Kalamazoo, and his wife Sally began meeting with 12 other residents in a schoolhouse on South Street.
Joint Venture with the Congregational Church
In 1842, the First Presbyterian Society of Kalamazoo joined with the Congregational church, using the same form of government, but keeping separate belief systems. This came about as a part of the Plan of Union, arranged in 1801 that seemed reasonable for the "frontier" lands of New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. These hybrid churches were sometimes called "Presbygational." The congregations met in the first church built in Kalamazoo near the southeast corner of South and Rose Streets. The basic differences in the two faiths inevitably led to the first conflagration, which resulted in 51 members adopting the First Presbyterian constitution, confession of faith and covenants in February of 1849, and leaving to form their own church.
Second Church
They didn't go far, however. That same year, what became known as the White Church rose up across the street from the first church on the northeast corner of South and Rose Street, what is currently the Miller Canfield Building. On the evening of 5 December 1883, flames were discovered in the building around 11:00 o'clock. The fire had made too much headway to be stopped, however, and soon the bell in the tower crashed into the basement and "...the organ died with a groan heard by spectators across the street." By midnight the church was nothing but a smoking ruin.
Third Church
Undaunted, the church congregation met in the nearby Kalamazoo Academy of Music until what became known as the Brick Church rose on the site of the White Church and was dedicated on 1 July 1885. In some ways the new church was modeled after the Academy of Music because it had a square auditorium with galleries on the south and west sides, a long platform across the east end and a choir balcony above the pulpit platform. "By no means a gem of architecture, the brick church was typical of the pompous, nondescript style of many churches built in the generation after the Civil War. Yet, as the years passed, it acquired the sort of beauty often given to undistinguished structures by pleasant memories and long
Growth
The church flourished. By 1921, membership had grown to nearly 1,150 persons. In 1925, the cornerstone was laid for the Church House, which was located on what had been the Prange family property on the southwest corner of St. John's Place and Park Street, the site of the current church building.
Fire
On the evening of 6 July1926, the third fire in four months to break out in the Brick Church tolled its death knell. Previous fires had been discovered near a motion picture projection booth and near the front end of the building. The final blaze left the church nothing but an empty brick hulk. It was the third big church fire in Kalamazoo that year. Previous arsons had destroyed the First Congregational and Methodist churches. In total, 14 fires had been set in Kalamazoo, 12 of them in churches or in buildings in which fraternal organizations held meetings. It is not known if these blazes were the work of one or of several persons.
Fourth Church
The large congregation held Sunday services in the old Central High School Auditorium from 1927 until the current Gothic sanctuary was completed and dedicated on Palm Sunday, 13 April 1930. It rose majestically on the South street site where it stands today. A prominent feature of the church is the Rose Window that faces South Street. It was made of imported glass, the color being in the glass and not enameled over the top. It follows the scheme of the solar spectrum, with high lights in the center, grading through rubies to purples and rich blues. In the center is the seal of the Presbyterian Church of America and the six "Shields of the Martyrs," which have historically stood for heroic martyrdom in the past and represent the part the church played in the Protestant Revolution.
Community Outreach
The First Presbyterian Church has been involved in outreach efforts throughout its history in Kalamazoo. In 1864 it began the Mission Woods Sunday School, which became Kalamazoo's North Presbyterian Church. It also operates its own health clinic for indigent and homeless individuals, and has housed programs for mentally handicapped and emotionally disturbed children. It joined other Presbyterian churches to help resettle families from Vietnam, provide low-income housing, and participate in the Loaves and Fishes food pantry network. The church also extended its aid to Mexico and overseas to Ghana, West Africa.
Written by Fred Peppel, formerly of the Kalamazoo Public Library staff, August 2005. Updated October 2007.
Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Historical Photos
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