Northminster Presbyterian Church

Nestled in Northwest San Antonio, Northminster Presbyterian Church has a story as warm as a Texas sunset. It all began in 1981. The Presbyterian Development Foundation of South Texas secured a plot of land on Tezel Road. This land would become the future home of Northminster Presbyterian Church. In 1982, Reverend Don Houdeshell took the reins as the founding pastor. His mission was to gather a core group of people eager to establish a new Presbyterian presence in the area. Even before the church had a physical building, a small but determined group began meeting in homes. Drawn together by a shared vision, they found each other through a local newspaper ad and word of mouth. Northminster Presbyterian Church held its very first service on Easter Sunday 1982 at the New Territories Recreation Center. With visitors from the Presbytery and other churches, the attendance swelled to 130. The congregation quickly outgrew the recreation center. By November 1982, they relocated to Northwest Crossing Elementary School. The church continued to blossom. In February 1983, the congregation ordained its first elders on Palm Sunday. 250 people attended the ceremony, with 101 new members signing the church charter. Choosing a name was a crucial step. After much deliberation, the committee narrowed the options down to two: “Faith Community” and “Northminster.” On November 28, 1982, the congregation voted, and Northminster Presbyterian Church officially received its name. With a name and a growing congregation, the next step was a building. A Building Committee was elected in December 1983, and construction began in January 1985. By October 1985, Northminster Presbyterian Church had a permanent home. The building was completed and dedicated. Interestingly, Northminster Presbyterian Church began as a tri-union church. It represented the United Presbyterian Church (northern), the Presbyterian Church U.S. (southern), and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. With the merger of the United Presbyterian and Presbyterian Church U.S. in 1983, Northminster became a Union Church. From a small group meeting in homes to a thriving congregation in its own building, Northminster Presbyterian Church stands as a testament to faith and community.