Seattle First is an old church experiencing a new beginning.
SFPC was organized in 1869 by a pastor who came by wagon train and canoe, and started with seven people. By 1940 it had grown to 8000 members, the largest Presbyterian Church in the world. The congregation was active in the city, sharing the Gospel, planting churches, shaping public policy and higher education, advocating for the poor and outcast, and founding Harborview Hospital and Union Gospel Mission which still care for our city today.
While there was much to celebrate, like many churches, Seattle First membership and ministry steadily declined over many decades. By the turn of the century, it became clear that a new direction was needed. Church leadership began seeking God for guidance, with many friends of the congregation providing support and prayer. Their faithful efforts laid the foundation for the future.
Joined by new pastors, in 2006, church leadership began charting a new course, guided by our “Mission, Vision, Values.” We desire to be a community of faith not just in the city but of the city, reflecting the colorful mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and economies of the urban core and greater Seattle. Like Seattle First of the past, we are called to engage the city and the world, inviting people into relationship with Christ and serving those in need as God leads and equips us.
