Welcome to the House of Hope

Thank you for visiting the The House of Hope Presbyterian Church site. If you are looking for more information about The House of Hope - the church's mission, what it means to be Presbyterian, and/or other general information - you will find it below.

Mission Statement | What is a Presbyterian? | Our Church History | Church Governance | Visitors and New Membership

As Christians and Presbyterians, we believe in the grace and promises of God, as revealed in Scripture, and in Jesus Christ, who make clear both the character of God and humanity in its most gracious form.

We gather to glorify God; to experience and express God's love; to explore together the meaning of Jesus' teaching in our time; to build a community that reflects God's grace; and to deepen our faith through worship, learning, fellowship and service, guided by God's Spirit.

We are committed to using our resources in service to others, and to supporting and enriching our members spiritually, intellectually, socially and artistically.

Soli Deo Gloria, November 7, 1994

What is a Presbyterian?

In the New Testament, Prebuteros means "elder" and refers to the custom of choosing leaders and advisors from among the wisest members of the church. The church maintains a democratic form of governance with representative elections, separation of powers, and graded appeals.

To be a Presbyterian is to confess the Christian faith and promise to follow Jesus and His example for living. Presbyterians believe in God as known in the teachings and life of Jesus, and that the church is a universal company of His followers. Historically, Presbyterians have emphasized the importance of scripture, education, ecuminism, lay leadership, and concern for the common good.

Church History

When the Territory of Minnesota was organized in 1849, a young missionary from Philadelphia -- the Reverend Edward Duffield Neill -- set out to form its first Presbyterian congregations. Rev. Neill founded First Church downtown St. Paul in 1849. He started a second congregation on Christmas Eve, 1855, and named it House of Hope. The name was selected "desiring that it might be the place of refuge for weary and heavy-laden souls."

The two churches merged, under the direction of Dr. Henry Swearingen in 1914, who oversaw the construction of the existing church at 797 Summit Avenue for the new congregation. The church building, a Gothic structure designed by Ralph Adams Cram, is rich in symbolism; the church's architecture, stained glass windows, carvings and adornments create an inspired setting for worship and reflection.

Dr. Swearingen represented the high mark in personality and leadership, serving as moderator of the national church while ministering here. Other leaders in church history include Irving Adams West, who served the congregation from 1943 - 69 and expanded the church to include an education wing and other facilities. Calvin Whitefield Didier succeeded West and served until 1993. He guided various outreach and missionary activities around the world that were sponsored by The House of Hope, while building a reputation for excellent preaching.

A comprehensive history of the church was recently published and is available in hardcover book format through the church office for $35. The book, A Journey of Hope by David Johnson, was written in celebration of the church's 150th anniversary and includes numerous photographs of the church facilities, stained glass windows, and pastors.

In celebration of 150 years, the church established the Houses of Hope Fund with a goal of raising $4.5 million to help meet affordable housing needs in St. Paul.

Church Governance

Three principles, which are important in our understanding of church government, are that:

church structure should be based on Scripture,
everything should be done in an orderly manner, and
government should be in the hands of representative assemblies, not individuals

[from Welcome to a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) by Ronn Kerr]

The House of Hope is a congregation of 1400 members and is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), an organization of 12,000 diverse congregations in the United States.

The local Presbytery, a body of church elders and ministers representative of the churches in the greater Twin Cities area, is considered the primary external governing organization. The presbytery oversees the installation and ordination of ministers, congregational formation and dissolution, and clergy and congregational discipline.
Regional ministry is facilitated by synods, comprised of church elders and ministers. The House of Hope is a member of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies.
The General Assembly is the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); it is an elected body comprised of elders and ministers, and is convened by the Moderator. The General Assembly meets annually to propose constitutional and doctrinal changes (which are then passed to the Presbyteries for ratification), and establishes special tasks forces and commissions.

The internal governance of the House of Hope is managed by The Session, a group of women and men (sometimes called "elders") elected to make policy, receive members, assign benevolence gifts, direct worship and the sacraments and oversee, day-to-day church business. Two other elected boards providing leadership:

The Board of Trustees consists of women and men elected to oversee church properties, assist in raising funds during the annual canvass, supervise the operating budget and investment portfolio and review church secular management. This board is responsible to The Session.
The Board of Deacons is a group of women and men elected to serve the needs of the congregation and community. Church service, care of members, ushering, new members classes and community programs to help our neighbors are overseen by Deacons. This board is responsible to The Session.

Visitors and New Membership

We are pleased that you are visiting the House of Hope site. If you would like to learn about membership at The House of Hope, please visit our New Membership section. Or, to have a minister contact you regarding membership, please leave your name and contact information with Receptionist Kristin Klaustermeier or call her at (651) 227-6311.

Weddings

Those who have been active, contributing members of House of Hope for one year before the desired wedding date may be married here. To make wedding arrangements, call Teddy Altman in the church office at 651-227-6311.