Just three years after the turn of the twentieth century, eighteen imaginative “Colored people who were of Presbyterian inclination began holding religious services in the Central Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoons”. Some of them with a background of training and educationderived from schools operated in the Carolinas by the Presbyterian Church, spearheaded the committee that appealed to the then Los Angeles Presbytery for “care and development” of the new venture. On October 9, 1904, at 3 o’ clock in the afternoon the new work began and seventeen, “- who had no letters of dismission, though previously members of the church, were received by confession of faith and examination. - “One received the ordinance of baptism as he had not previously made his confession”. On October 21, 1904, the organizational work was finalized when “the church was reported to the Presbytery of Los Angeles and ordered enrolled in the Presbytery.

The new Westminster Presbyterian Church not only marked the birth of a Colored Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, it was also to be the first of its kind in the state of California.

In 1906, land was purchased at West 35th Place and Denker Avenue, a site far removed from the hub of Negro residences and activity, It was here that the first Westminster Presbyterian Church was to be erected. The young church, under the care of the Presbytery, began to grow and in 1908 a call was extended to the first pastor, Rev. Robert W. Holman. For five “Building Years”, Rev. Holman labored in the new vineyard with astonishing success in adding to the numerical growth of the church. At the conclusion of his ministry Rev. Hampton B. Hawes, a graduate or Lincoln University Theological Seminary, and later to become the former Pastor’s son-in-law, accepted an invitation to pastor at Westminster.

The magical touch of this deeply spiritual young minister added immeasurably to the congregation, and over a period of forty-five years Westminster grew spiritually and numerically. The ministry of Rev. Hawes, who was to become Moderator of the Synod of Southern California and have conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity by Occidental College, was marked by two World Wars, a devastating depression, the New Deal and numerous other national events that would have diminished the enthusiasm and quenched the spiritual fire of a less dedicated group of Christian believers.

It was during the agonizing years of post-depression that the first dreams of expansion began to take -hold, led by the young people of what was then the largest church school on the westside of Los Angeles. It was through their continued interest in Bible study and personal spiritual development that the need for larger facilities became apparent. Plans were made for the purchase of additional land across the street from the church for the erection of a Christian Education -center that would meet the needs of the ever-growing west side populace. However, because of the shortage of building materials, the plans for building had to be placed in -” curtailed until such time as there was some easement in the field of new construction.
Out of the ravages of war a new “Westside” began to develop and ethnic changes in residential areas became evident. Populations shifted and the expanding extremities of Negro occupancy west of Western Avenue began to have–an effect on congregations that had heretofore been exclusively located in the Crenshaw district and surrounding areas.

Before the retirement of Dr. Hawes in 1958, a special committee of Westminster, representative of the entire congregation, and under the direction of the Session, began to negotiate for the present church home. With the cooperation of the boards and the agencies of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., the acquisition of the 2230 West Jefferson Boulevard became a reality. In 1949 the new and expanded ministry began to have its effect on the “new territory.”

The acquisition of another home site for the congregation became one of the most notable achievements under the leadership of Dr. Hawes. The present location of Westminster was, in 1948, in ‘ethnically virgin’ territory, west of Western Avenue. Working through a maze of entanglements imposed by the Presbyterian Church, USA, Westminster experienced continued growth, and until his retirement in 1958, Dr. Hawes continued to lead the church congregation in building the foundation of a strong and fundamental religious force.

In 1959, a young graduate of Lincoln University with pastoral experience garnered at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Detroit, Michigan, Reverend James E. Jones was called to lead the congregation into what was to become perhaps, the most socially turbulent times of postwar years. His challenge to the membership was to remember, “The windows of Westminster look out upon all the avenues of the world.” Keeping this thought before them, Westminsterites began the first multiethnic ministry in the Synod of Southern California and the Los Angeles Presbytery.

It was during the pastorate of Rev. Jones that giant strides were made in the fields of public education and social services, resulting in an ever expanding church membership and an increasingly dynamic Christian witness. He preached that the people of Westminster must look realistically at the world in which they find themselves and admit that there is alienation, estrangement, and escalating political violence on nearly every main street in the cities of the world. Recognizing these conditions and knowing that God is our help, we then understand that God is calling His people to the work for the reconciliation and salvation of all men. After another pastor-people relationship of nearly 26 years duration, the Reverend Dr. James retired, and was later to be named Pastor Emeritus by the church.

Reverend Oliver L. Brown, coming from a pastorate in New Jersey, brought to Westminster a new awakening to the social, economic, and spiritual deprivation of our society with a special focus on the areas immediately surrounding the church. He reemphasized the responsibility of the church toward suffering humanity and instituted programs that are today bringing a measure of relief and compassionate comfort to the less fortunate at home and abroad.

Reverend David Morris, Associate Pastor, joined with Rev. Brown in gearing up for the unprecedented challenges and changes in the congregation and surrounding community. These included the purchase of land to build a senior housing complex and to put into play the building of bridges of communication with other congregations and denominations. He brought an all-encompassing concern for human kind and personally entered into cultural exchanges that opened doors of communication. Reverend Oliver Brown remained with the church until 2001.

Reverend Glenn Jones, the current pastor, has brought to the church a strong commitment for studying the scriptures and an enhancement of worship through his talent and love for music. His strong dimension of spirituality continues to move the church forward.

Now in its 100th year of worship, praise, service and celebration, Westminster, under his leadership, is looking forward to gearing up for the unprecedented challenges of the new millennium as we meet the spiritual and social needs of the congregation and community.

The installation of an elevator to better serve our congregation and community, the opening of the 56 unit Dr. Charles H. Moore Housing Complex, the repairing and modernizing of the physical House of God and the completion of the Westminster Presbyterian website are all established priorities.

In memory of the pioneering spirit of Reverend Robert Holman; The Architect of Westminster’s spiritual ministry, Dr. Hampton B. Hawes: the visionary and social conscious Dr. James E. Jones and the energy and expansiveness of Rev. Oliver Brown, Westminster enlistees in the ever-changing army of Christian Soldiers, pledge themselves to continue, with Jesus’ joy, the faith journey of which they have been called to be a part.