Presbyterians have been part of Nacogdoches since the 1830s before Texas was a state. The earliest Protestant minister to preach on Texas soil did so in this town. Westminster's roots reach deep into that story.

A detailed black and white illustration of a Gothic-style church with pointed arch windows, steeply pitched roof, and a tall spire.
Vintage photograph of a church with a tall steeple, brick exterior, and arched windows, surrounded by a grassy yard, trees, and neighboring buildings, under a cloudy sky.
Old newspaper clipping about a Presbyterian church in Nacogdoches, Texas, dated October 25, 1973, featuring a black and white photo of Reverend Leon Wilder and a picture of the church building.
A group of people in academic gowns and robes posing for a photo indoors, with wood-paneled walls in the background.
A large group of men, women, and children dressed in formal attire, posing on a wooden balcony or stage in an indoor setting, likely from the mid-20th century. The background features high ceilings, hanging lantern-style light fixtures, and a plain w
A group of people, including children and adults, dressed in beige choir robes with white collars, standing outside a brick church with a large cross made of flowers on the wall behind them. They are smiling and posing for the photo.
A brick church with arched windows and a bell tower on a partly cloudy evening, with trees and a street corner with a traffic light in the background.
A group of ten people dressed in choir robes, standing and smiling for a photo in a wood-paneled room.

Who We Are

  • In 1893, the Rev. B.A. Hodges and twelve founding members established Main Street Presbyterian Church under the Cumberland Presbytery of Texas. Around 1900, the congregation built a wood-frame church on Main Street designed by noted Nacogdoches architect D.A.W. Rulfs whose buildings still contribute to the charm of the historic downtown.

    By 1930, the congregation had outgrown that building and completed a new sanctuary and manse at the corner of North and Powers Streets, where Westminster still stands today. The church took its current name, and the campus grew over the decades: Westminster Fellowship Hall was added in 1965, and the Christian Education Building in 1998.

    But buildings only tell part of the story. Westminster's identity has always been shaped by what happens inside them and beyond them.

  • Westminster has a long legacy of service in Nacogdoches. During World War I, the church led the county's war savings stamps campaign. In the decades that followed, Westminster helped found the local Head Start program, housed the Samaritan Counseling Center for 35 years (1979–2014), partnered with Stephen F. Austin State University on music and education, and served alongside organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Love INC, and the Women's Shelter of East Texas.

    The congregation was named Nonprofit of the Year with a Community Impact Award in 2012.

    That legacy continues. In 2025, Westminster opened the Christian Education Building to the Christian Women's Job Corps after they were displaced from their previous location, a decision made by Session and carried out with help from church members, CWJC staff, and the SFA men's basketball team. Today, CWJC operates as a neighbor on our campus, and we continue to serve alongside organizations like H.O.P.E., Lamplight Theater, Hunger Free Nacogdoches, 21/7, and many more.

    Westminster has also maintained a deep commitment to music ministry, a tradition spanning more than a century. Through an ongoing partnership with the SFA School of Music, the church hosts a Graduate Scholar Accompanist each year and presents Mid-Day Noels, a beloved series of Christmas concerts for the community

  • Westminster's campus sits on historically significant ground. A 1936 Centennial bronze plaque marks the site as the former homestead of Juan Antonio Padilla, a native of Nacogdoches who served as General Land Commissioner of Texas and was a friend to Stephen F. Austin. In 2009, Westminster received a Texas Historical Commission marker recognizing the congregation's history and community impact. The church is currently pursuing inclusion in the City of Nacogdoches Historic Overlay designation.

    The loblolly pine that towers at the corner of Powers and North Streets is as much a landmark as the building itself, a quiet reminder that this church has been rooted here a long time, and plans to stay.

  • There's a phrase Presbyterians repeat often: "Reformed and always being reformed." It honors the fact that we are never starting over, and yet the Spirit continues to shape and mold the church.

    Westminster is living that out. In recent years, the congregation has embraced liturgical renewal returning to lectionary preaching, deepening the rhythm of the church calendar, and elevating the sacraments in worship. The baptismal font now holds water every Lord's Day. Cup and plate rest on the table each Sunday. These aren't innovations; they're recoveries, ancient practices given back to us by a Spirit that keeps reforming the church for the work ahead.

    More than 130 years after twelve people gathered with Rev. Hodges, Westminster is still here, smaller than some seasons, fiercer than others, and trusting that God isn't finished with us yet.

     

    Westminster Presbyterian Church is a designated Texas Historic Landmark.