About Us

Our Vision

In being obedient to the Word of God, we strive to be a nurturing, caring, Christ-centered family – demonstrating God’s love, so as to call people in our community and world into personal relationship with Christ.

It is our desire to provide a place where you can experience personal worship of God and be challenged with the practical principles of God’s truth, so that your life may be enriched daily.

We are grateful for our buildings on Prosperity Farms Road in North Palm Beach. They have been planned and are being paid for by generous, loving people. But the buildings are not First Presbyterian. This church is people… boys and girls, youth and adults. Together we are a local expression of Christ’s worldwide body of believers. We are all ministers here. Just a few are pastors, but all are ministers – servants of God, ministering to each other and to the world.

We are a church family that is committed:

  • to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ
  • to each other; unified in God’s love
  • to the work of Christ, sharing God’s peace through the words of the Gospel;
  • reaching out to others in our community and world.

Our Purpose

The reason First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach exists is to glorify God by being and making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Our Lord Jesus has declared that we are to “Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you, always to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

A Christian disciple is a person who is led by commitment to Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life which reflects the Master’s love, joy, service, and willingness to suffer. The disciple, led by the Holy Spirit, accepts the joys and sorrows of life with a strength based on faith in God’s providential care.

While growing in apprenticeship to Christ, the disciple practices obedience in following Christ’s directives to:

  • Share the Good News of faith in Christ with others.
  • Pray and meditate.
  • Study the Bible and other Christian literature seeking to make it applicable to home, work, recreation, and citizenship.
  • Attend public worship on a regular basis.
  • Share the Biblical guide of the tithe at least a part of which will be a systematic and proportionate financial support of the program of our church and its ministry.
  • Seek service in the program of the church or community as my labor is available, appropriate, and as I am called, guided, and equipped by the Holy Spirit to do so.
  • Share in a nurturing fellowship of mutual love and care.
  • Exercise justice in the framework of Christ’s love in every area of life.

Trusting in Christ’s enduring and empowering presence, we the officers and members of the First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach, seek to obey Christ’s command to be His disciples, make disciples of all nations, and to teach all Christ has commanded by ordering our corporate and individual lives around the unique calling of the Church in Christian evangelism, Christian nurture, and Christian service.

What We Believe

Very often a visitor at First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach will ask, “What Do You Believe? What is your doctrinal position?” Our response would touch on these key areas…

  • God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • Human beings sin and are separated from God.
  • Christ died that sins might be forgiven.
  • God’s gift of forgiveness is received only by faith.
  • Jesus is God.
  • The Church is people who love Christ.
  • The Bible is inspired by God.
  • Everyone needs to hear the Gospel.
  • Jesus is coming again!

We are members of the Confessing Church Movement within the Presbyterian Church (USA). We proclaim our commitment to these three essential doctrines:

  1. Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all, and the way of salvation.
  2. The Holy Scripture is the Triune God’s revealed Word, the Church’s only infallible rule of faith and life.
  3. God’s people are called to holiness in all aspects of life. This includes honoring the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate.

For more information on the Confessing Church Movement, click on this link www.confessingchurch.homestead.com

The Apostles Creed provides an expression of our beliefs:

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary;
Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried:
He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
I believe in the holy catholic church, The communion of saints;
The forgiveness of sins;
The resurrection of the body;
And the life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed also offers additional insights:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

History of First Presbyterian Church

A mission was organized in 1962 by Memorial Presbyterian Church of West Palm Beach. This small group of approximately 25 Christians met for a period of time in homes and then in facilities of the Port of Palm Beach. Later in 1962, meetings began in the classrooms of Kinder Kollege. It was there on July 28, 1963, that we received our charter as the North Palm Beach Presbyterian Church, Inc., now referred to as First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach.

In September, 1962, the Manse at 731 Eagle Way West, North Palm Beach, was purchased. In November, 1963, six acres of land on Prosperity Farms Road was bought from the Village; this included an existing building that had housed a commercial TV transmitting station. The building was quickly enlarged to provide more space for worship services.

Our first minister, Gerald L. Voye, was welcomed in January, 1965. While Rev. Voye was with us a master plan was adopted for a building expansion. During this same year, an option to buy one additional acre of adjoining land was exercised.

Rev. James F. Anderson was called to our church in August, 1967, and under his leadership a new sanctuary and Christian Education building (then called the Robinson building) were made a reality. The sanctuary seated 250, and the C.E. building at that time contained 5 classrooms, a nursery, the minister’s study, and a Church Office. Plans for the original building, now known as Hawkins Hall, included additional classrooms and fellowship facilities. By the end of 1968, our membership had grown to 145.

Rev. Robert O. Kantner was called to our church in July, 1972, and was the first minister to live in a new manse located at 541 Marlin Road, North Palm Beach. Rev. Kantner left in July, 1973, at which time Dr. Ryan Lee Wood was appointed temporary moderator by the Presbytery and served until Dr. James T. Stout was called in January, 1974. In January, 1977, Dr. R. H. Duke was called to serve as our Minister of Outreach, and Rev. Walter “Lucky” Arnold, Jr. joined our staff on June 15, 1980, as our Minister of Education. Dr. Stout left in June, 1981, at which time Rev. Arnold was named as the Interim Pastor on an indefinite basis until the church would call a new pastor.

In the 1970’s, we made several major improvements. In 1974 Hawkins Hall was renovated, and two acres of the church grounds were leased to the Village for $1.00 per year to be used for recreational purposes. In 1979 the new Christian Education building was completed with the dedication in December.

Rev. Arnold was installed as the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church on September 18, 1983.

In July, 1986, we moved into our new Santuary. The old Sanctuary was renovated into a new Fellowship Hall, and Hawkins Hall became the Youth Building. Our former Youth Director, Rev. Ronald R. Hilliard, completed his studies for the ministry and returned as our Associate Pastor in April, 1987. At this time the discipleship of the approximately 700 members expanded into even more dynamic Christian Education programs. As the church continued to grow, small group and fellowhip activities were developed to facilitate a connectional community. The mission emphasis of the church also continued to grow and reach out to more people in need.

Our capital campaign, Foundations for Faith, took place in 1996. The success of this campaign enabled the building of our Administration Education building, the Fellowship hall, with the removal of the Robinson building to redesign the courtyard and provide parking expansion.

Rev. Jeffrey Conway served as Associate Pastor for Evangelism and Fellowship from July, 1996 through September, 1999. A pastor search committee was called to begin the process of calling another Associate Pastor. Rev. Elton Piersma began serving as part-time Parish Associate for visitation in May, 2000.

The fall of 1997 witnessed the beginning of our Christian pre-school, another example of the congregation’s call to serve its members and reach out to the community with the Gospel.

In the winter of 2000 we worked directly with the Presbytery to plant a new church in St. Lucie West. This church, known as All Villages Presbyterian Church, celebrated its first worship service in March, 2000.

In 2001 we launched the three year Gift of Joy campaign. This enabled us to build the new youth building at the rear of our property, which has become a great tool to help reach the youth of our community. With the funds from this campaign we were able to pay off the debt incurred by All Villages Presbyterian Church, and allowed us to complete the Laurie Upthegrove School in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

In March, 2002, Rev. Timothy Gooley became a Pastoral Associate for the church.

The First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach has been and continues to be a vital church family. We gather to worship the triune God and listen to God’s call as we are sent out to serve.