“Seeking Christ’s Way, Welcoming All.”

Mission & Values

Longview Presbyterian Church has long embraced the vision:
“Seeking Christ’s Way, Welcoming All.”

Our congregation includes people of all ages, identities, and backgrounds from both sides of the Columbia River. Together we worship, pray, study, and serve — welcoming strangers, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, advocating for prisoners, and promoting racial and social justice. Our faith journey offers a safe harbor for both belief and doubt, grounded in Christ’s inclusive love.

Beliefs

Our Vision Statement

We commit ourselves to Christ’s way:

  • We commit ourselves to worship God in joy and thanks.

  • We commit ourselves to each other in this community of faith.

  • We commit ourselves and our resources to ministries which help others.

  • We welcome and fully accept all people.

We envision Longview Presbyterian Church to be a church where:

  • We experience and praise God with all the senses in a variety of styles of worship service.

  • We faithfully worship, pursue Christian education and offer witness to our values.

  • Inclusivity and diversity are realities in our community and personal lives.

  • People who are hurting find love, acceptance and help.

  • Discipleship becomes a way of life, with emphasis on personal spiritual growth and intentional outreach to others.

  • Mission includes reaching out and being involved in current social, health and welfare issues.

  • Building and campus are hospitable for the wide variety and ever-changing ministries of the congregation.

  • Leadership is passionate and authentic, holding each other accountable, mentoring others for roles in leadership, and communicating our vision.

Core Values

History

  • Small group worship gatherings begin in the home of the organizing pastor, serving residents of Longview’s growing Mint Valley neighborhood.

  • The church is officially chartered as Longview United Presbyterian Church with 52 founding members. One month later, the congregation raises funds to hire an architect and plan its first building.

  • Construction of the new church begins, and local mission work expands, including food and housing outreach through the FISH ministry.

  • The congregation grows steadily and dedicates its completed church building, establishing itself as a fixture in community worship and service.

  • The church strengthens partnerships with local nonprofits and deepens its commitment to social justice, inclusion, and outreach.

  • Longview Presbyterian becomes known for activism in housing, hunger relief, and partnerships within the Matthew 25 Initiative of the PC(USA).

  • Worship embraces hybrid formats (in-person and online). The church continues its mission to seek Christ’s way and welcome all, exploring new projects such as Sunrise Village, an affordable housing initiative in collaboration with Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington.

Decades ago, Longview Presbyterian Church adopted a simple but profound vision statement: “Seeking Christ’s Way, Welcoming All.” That spirit of open invitation remains at the heart of who we are. Our congregation includes people of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual orientations from both sides of the Columbia River. Together we worship, study, and serve in a community that welcomes strangers, feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, advocates for prisoners, and promotes racial and social justice. This is a faith journey that offers safe harbor for our beliefs as well as our doubts.

When Longview’s population doubled following World War II, Olympia Presbytery saw the need for a new church in the growing Mint Valley neighborhood. They purchased a five‑acre site near the new Mint Valley Elementary School, a central location for the expanding community. The organizing pastor began by hosting small group worship gatherings in his home. As interest and attendance grew, Sunday services soon moved into the school library in 1971. From the very beginning, local missions were woven into the fabric of church life — with the FISH ministry established as one of the first outreach efforts.

Elders were elected, a Session was formed, and Longview United Presbyterian Church was officially chartered with 52 members on November 7, 1972. Just one month later, in December, the congregation had already raised enough funds to hire an architect and begin planning for a permanent home.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, the congregation worked together to complete its church building and strengthen its mission in the Longview‑Kelso area. The new sanctuary quickly became a hub for worship, community gatherings, and service programs addressing poverty and hunger across Cowlitz County. By the time the church adopted the name Longview Presbyterian Church, its reputation as a compassionate, justice‑oriented congregation was well established.

Today, the church continues to stand as a beacon of inclusive, missional faith — a place where hospitality, compassion, and justice converge in the heart of Longview. Rooted in the Presbyterian tradition and guided by the life of Christ, Longview Presbyterian remains committed to seeking Christ’s way and welcoming all.