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Welcome to Memorial Drive
Presbyterian Church (MDPC), located in Houston, Texas - in the
Memorial area - at 11612 Memorial Drive, 77024. Our main telephone
number is 713-782-1710. Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church is
located on the west side of Houston at the corner of Memorial Drive
and Blalock.
We are a congregation of real live people who face real live
problems with hope and joy because of the powerful presence of Jesus
Christ whose loving Spirit we encounter each day.
We have been drawn together into a caring family, and out of
gratitude for all that Christ is doing for us, we seek to serve
others.
This online resource provides a sketch of the church's life. To get
a full picture, come join us as we share the wonder of living in
Christ's fellowship. We hope the navigation of our site is intuitive
and that you will find the information you are seeking as well as
sense the spirit of our congregation. A word that may be helpful in
your tour: the buttons across the top of our home page point to
things you may do, with a second line denoting demographics. Along
the left side of the home page, the buttons lead to more general
information and thoughts about the Christian faith. Let’s start with
links to information that tells you:
Who We Are:
Even as a large church (4300 members), Memorial Drive Presbyterian
Church is known for its warmth, generosity, and dedication in
seeking to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ in the church, the
community and the world. MDPC is one of the ten largest
congregations in the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.). Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: they
adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology
and a form of government that stresses the active, representational
leadership of both ministers and church members. Presbyterians trace
their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation.
Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French
lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of
the Reformed thinking that came before him. Some of the principles
articulated by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian
beliefs. Among these beliefs are:
- the sovereignty of God
- the authority of the scripture
- justification by grace through
faith
- the priesthood of all believers
Our knowledge of God and God's
purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is
revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ.
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Our Founding Principles:
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church was founded on two basic
principles that we still hold dear today.
- First, our house shall be
called a house of prayer. (Matthew 21:13) Prayer guides our major
policy decisions as well as our everyday lives. Our Partners in
Prayer commit to fulfilling our goal that every member be prayed
for every day.
- Second, in obedience to
Christ's teaching, we are committed to a Dollar-for-Dollar
benevolence program. Since our beginning in 1954 and continuing to
the present, we annually set a goal of matching the money spent in
the operation of the church and its programs with giving to those
in need in the community and the world.
The Session of Memorial Drive
Presbyterian Church, the governing body of the congregation, adopted
this mission statement for MDPC:
“Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church exists to continue the earthly
ministry of Jesus Christ by recruiting disciples for the kingdom of
God renewing disciples in their faith commitments, and reaching out
in love and compassion to a world in need.”
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History: On Sunday, January 9,
1955, seventy persons gathered in the Memorial Drive Elementary
School, beyond the then western city limits of Houston, Texas, to
hold the first worship services of Memorial Drive Presbyterian
Church. From that modest beginning, the church grew rapidly, as the
surrounding area filled with new famlies. Membership rolls passed
500 in 1957; 1,000 in 1960; 2,000 in 1965; 3,000 in 1969. These
numbers reflected the community response to the new congregation,
led by Dr. Charles Shedd. The fourth anniversary of the church was
celebrated by 1,044 worshipers in a new Sanctuary/Fellowship Hall
built on six acres at the intersection of Memorial Drive and
Blalock. The present Sanctuary was built in 1972. New classrooms, a
chapel, parlor, kitchen, and fellowship hall were added in the early
1990s. A remodeling of the Sanctuary, a new Church Life Center, new
office space, and renovation of many classrooms were dedicated in
2002. Today the church continues the historic challenge of high
expectations of members to continue their growth through study,
prayer, stewardship, and outreach.
Our Beliefs: Our identity is
shaped by these beliefs:
- We continually seek the will of
God, believing that God is always offering people creative ways to
serve in the church and in the world. We believe we must take
risks as we respond to God's challenges.
- We believe worship is the
central act of the people of God. Worship is highly participatory
and is the hub from which prayer, study, service, stewardship,
care for one another, fellowship, evangelism, and servant
leadership emerge.
- Following the guidance of the
Westminster Confession, we affirm that the Holy Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the only rule of faith
and obedience. We acknowledge that the Bible is a record of God's
continuing loving relationship with humanity, as well as a rich
source of guidance for our lives.
- We believe that prayer is a
dialogue with God that provides nourishment and strength for
living. As we respond to God's activity in the world and in our
lives, we bring to God our deepest concerns and submit them to
God's sovereign will.
- We feel we have an obligation
to provide a Christian education program through which every
child, youth, and adult can understand the basic doctrine of the
Christian faith, apply the teachings of the Bible to the practical
situations of our lives, and grow toward Christian maturity.
- We believe that every Christian
is called to worship God regularly, to discover God's love and
God's will, and to demonstrate God's love to others.
- We believe that the biblical
concept of percentage giving is a joyful response to God's grace
in Jesus Christ and an inestimable privilege. We challenge every
member to be intentional, not only about pledging but also about
moving systematically toward the tithe and beyond it to radical
generosity.
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