A Short History of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Residential developments in Portland’s Southwest Hills first prompted the United Presbyterian Church of North America to consider the need for a neighborhood church in 1948. That vision became builders, leaders, and a congregation with the purchase of the present building site at Dosch Rd. and Sunset Blvd. in January, 1952. This was motivated by a nucleus of area residents, who were members of Valley Presbyterian Church, and the engagement of an organizing pastor.

The following year, ground was broken for a chapel to serve as the worship site of the fledgling congregation. First worship services and official dedication were in March, 1954, led by the Rev. W. Ralph Lufkin, who was chosen as our first organizing pastor.

With Rev. Lufkin’s door-to-door evangelizing and the work of a young, energetic congregation, membership burgeoned to serve the community, and the church quickly outgrew its initial facilities. Indebtedness for the first building was repaid in the first year, and St. Andrew’s received national “church of the year” accolades.

In 1962, the Rev. Thomas C. Jackson (1962-1967) was called to succeed Rev. Lufkin, and in 1965 a new sanctuary was dedicated. Succeeding senior pastors were the Rev. Spencer Marsh (1968-1972) and the Rev. Charlie Brown, who was called in March, 1973. After his retirement in 2001, the Revs. Tom & Patty Campbell-Schmitt were called as co-pastors in September of 2003.

With a modest chapel-classrooms beginning, major expansion came in the 1960s, with construction of the present sanctuary and additional classroom and kitchen facilities, and was followed by the completion of the Fellowship Hall and addtional facilities in the 1980s.

Although organized basically to serve Southwest Portland neighborhood residents and its congregation, St. Andrew’s outreach extends to broader community, national, and international missions. Its ministries have included work with prison populations, sponsorship of immigrant families, feeding and clothing the hungry and needy in the Portland area through Neighborhood House, FISH, Loaves & Fishes, and a long list of service organizations. St. Andrew’s youth mission teams travel each spring to Tijuana, Mexico, to build houses; other projects have included work on Native American reservations and locally for Habitat for Humanity.

In 2004, St. Andrew’s celebrated 50 years of ministry with a Jubilee Celebration.

In 2005, St. Andrew’s initiated a sanctuary renovation project (see the plans).