Westminsters Founding

Westminster's Founding

The founding of Westminster began as a dream of several Munster families, who were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Hammond, that someday there would be a Presbyterian church in the growing town of Munster.

Formal steps to establish this church began in the fall of 1961 when an exploratory meeting was called at the Munster Town Hall to determine the extent of interest in the community. Twenty-nine families expressed the desire to join the new church. Events progressed quickly as we:

Established a steering committee in November 1961
Received validation of our new missions church from the Presbyterian Board of National Missions
Conducted our first worship service in February 1962 at the Independence Park Community Building. The Reverend Russell Bisnett of Gary's Lakeside Presbyterian Church preached to a congregation of eighty, while thirty-three children met for Sunday school at the Munster Town Hall.
Issued our first newsletter three days after our first worship service
Extended a call to the Reverend Gerald Gregg on February 11, 1962. Reverend Gregg accepted our call and became the organizing minister of the new church.
Received support from the Munster Christian Reformed Church, who offered their facilities for our services and Sunday school until we could erect a permanent building. Their organist and custodian agreed to serve our congregation as well.
Held our first service at Munster Christian Reformed Church on February 25, 1962. We held Sunday school in the basement and organized an adult choir.
Found space for a church office at a local nursery and purchased a manse.
Chose the name " Westminster" and received approval from the Wabash Valley Presbytery (Presbytery). By the time Presbytery accepted the petition and officially organized the church on September 18, 1962, membership had grown to 208 persons. A worship service celebrating the organization of the church was held Sunday afternoon, September 30, 1962.

Our Church Building

The congregation purchased five acres of empty land "way south of town" on the corner of

Elliott Drive and Columbia Avenue. Part of the land had been subdivided, but most was still farmland. The congregation established a building committee at the first annual meeting in January 1963. The congregation approved the church design, established a building fund campaign, collected pledges, and broke ground. On November 1, 1964, the cornerstone of Westminster was laid.

Westminster's first building consisted of the sanctuary, a small fellowship hall, two offices, a nursery and a few classrooms. We held our first worship service in the new building on Palm Sunday, 1965. Hours later, high winds blew over the not-yet completed steeple, knocking out one of the new sanctuary windows. Repairs were made and eight months later, with crowded Sunday school rooms and membership up to 450, the church began discussions about its building addition.

Our Building Additions

In 1976, we made our first addition to the building. At that time, we added four classrooms to the south end of the education wing and installed a kitchenette off of Fellowship Hall. Yet, we were only just beginning...

The congregation determined that they needed additional space for classrooms, and a larger room for fellowship, dining and physical activities. Again, we formed a building committee to draft a design that the congregation subsequently accepted. The addition was added to the south end of the church and included a large central room that could hold tables for feeding 200 people, four additional classrooms, a full-sized kitchen and space for the Samaritan Counseling Center. The South Hall addition was completed in 1983, along with a parking lot expansion.

Our Building Renovations
In 1989, Session formed a committee to determine how well Westminster was serving the congregation and the community. It was the general opinion that Westminster needed to expand its programs and opportunities for spiritual growth and service. As we set new program goals, we realized that we needed more space to expand our activities and for additional staff.

Session formed a building expansion committee in 1992 and chose an architect. Outward expansion was not practical and some of the existing space was not adaptable for renovation. Session decided that the entire building between the Sanctuary and the South Hall be torn down and new facilities built. The congregation accepted this design, began a building campaign, and began accepting pledges to fund the expansion.

This project was completed in the spring of 1995. A large gathering room, inside of the main entrance, serves as a central gathering area that leads in all directions to the Sanctuary, music room, offices and educational rooms and on to the South Hall. The gathering room also has a kitchenette that provides service for small groups.

Two large rooms for Middler and senior high school youth were added to South Hall. Also add was an office, the Samaritan Counseling Center offices were expanded, and the kitchen was enlarged during this renovation.

Currently, the reduction of debt is in the third congregational pledging campaign.

Our Church Parking Lot

The church parking lot at the south end of the property is in use 7 days a week. Monday through Friday, the staff of the Community Hospital, which is directly across the street from Westminster, has parked 100-plus cars in the lot per day, since the we expanded the lot in 1990.

Our Church Organs

When the original building was placed into use, an electric organ was donated and placed in the choir balcony. In mid-1970, the Presbyterian church in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood of East Chicago closed their doors. Their pipe organ, a 1910 Moeller, was still usable. A friend of Westminster had already purchased it for his personal use, but offered it to Westminster if our people would dismantle it, transport it, and re-assemble it in the balcony. He offered to instruct our people through the whole process. It took two Saturdays to dismantle and label all the parts and the whole summer to reassemble it. The 1910 Moeller worked for over 10 years until maintenance became impossible.

In 1985, Session formed an organ search committee. The committee visited several churches to see and hear the different pipe organs and to have Westminster's organist play each organ. A selection was made to the satisfaction of our organist and musical director. Session also approved the selection, pledges were received, and construction began. In 1987, the new 25 rank Reuter pipe organ was installed.

Our Memorial Garden

Construction of a Memorial Garden for the preservation of cremation ashes was completed in the fall of 2001. It is situated outside the building just west of the Narthex.

Our Pastors

Gerald Gregg, organizing pastor (1962 to 1978)

Robert Frey, associate pastor (1970 to 1977)

Francis Henderson, interim pastor (1978 to 1979)

Richard Rogers, co-pastor (1979 to 2008)

Bruce Haapalainen, co-pastor (2003 to present)