Who We Are
MISSION: Westminster Presbyterian is a church on mission to exalt Jesus, help others, and launch disciple-makers.
VISION: We believe God has called the people of Westminster Presbyterian to: love and serve our local community with mercy, care, and compassion; share the gospel so that people discover new life in Jesus; and prepare and mobilize the next generation to live a life on mission for Christ.
DISCIPLESHIP: We are a thriving family of believers committed to reaching and loving our community for Christ. As Christians who believe we have been called to be disciples as we disciple others, we worship, serve, connect, and seek fresh ways to reach others with the gospel. We also love to have a little fun and just do life together! Our biggest desire is to grow in deep, meaningful faith as we go about our professional, social, and family lives. And we’re so excited for you to join us on that journey!
BELIEFS
We are shameless believers in Jesus. We embrace his death and resurrection and the salvation he offers. We believe that we are all sinful, and that sin separates us from God, and that our salvation depends on God’s free grace which is available to all who call on Jesus. The Scripture is our foundation, and we believe the Bible is absolutely true, infallible, and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
SACRAMENTS: As Presbyterian Christians, we observe two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper (also called communion).
OUR HISTORY
In the late 1970s God urged the St. John's Presbytery in Orlando, Florida to work toward new church development. One of the places they decided that needed a new church start was the Vero Beach area. Being Presbyterian, they commissioned a survey to determine if a new church start was feasible. The results of the survey showed that the population growth of Vero Beach would most likely be west and south, therefore, the ideal place for a new building would be the intersection of State Route 60 and 58th Avenue.
Moving forward to 1983, the Northeast Florida Presbytery and First Presbyterian Church joined together with the St. John's Presbytery for a new church development initiative in Vero Beach.
Following God's leading, the west Vero Beach Presbyterian Mission met for its first worship service at the Pro-Flight School of the Vero Beach Airport on March 4, 1984. The founding pastor was Rev. Russell D. Burns. By November, the new church had close to 100 members and the leadership of the two Presbyteries and First Presbyterian of Vero all joined in a commissioning service where the name Westminster Presbyterian was born.
Officially recognized, John Binkley drew up plans for the construction of a new multi purpose building located on 58th Avenue. Groundbreaking was held in June 1985. A new sanctuary and offices were added in 1999.
God has blessed Westminster with many strong leaders including Rev. Russell D. Burns; Rev. David Reeves; Rev. Rafael Sanchez Jr.; Dr. Richard Nysttrom; Rev. William E. Kelly Jr.; Dr. Les Koerselman; Rev. Graham Bingham and now Rev. Dr. Brad Klostreich.
Soli Deo Gloria!
OUR STRATEGY
We accomplish our purpose and our vision through five strategies:
1. Worship: We honor God through both our corporate worship and our individual lives.
2. Fellowship: We relate to one another and to Christ through gospel-based community.
3. Education: We learn about the person and work of Christ through bible-study, prayer, and corporate worship.
4. Ministry: We serve God, our fellow Christians, and those who don’t know Christ through our spiritual gifts.
5. Mission: We reach out to a world in need through charity, giving, witness, and time.
OUR AFFILIATION
Westminster Presbyterian of Vero Beach is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In 1983 the two branches of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States merged to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Presbyterianism has been a presence in the United States since colonial times and has exerted an important influence over broader American religion and politics.
The Fellowship Community
In November of 2022, the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach unanimously elected to join the Fellowship Community.
"The Fellowship Community (TFC) is a network of churches and leaders called together to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by growing in Christ’s likeness, living by God’s Word, and joining in God’s mission in the world.
At the heart of The Fellowship Community, is the desire to reclaim a covenanted biblical community, where we are united by a clearly articulated theology, a shared commitment to disciple-making, and a culture of encouragement and accountability."
To find out more about the Fellowship Community, please click here.