Celebrating 150 Years in Honor of our Past, Present and Future

Welcome to the Central Presbyterian Church website! We are glad that you have found us! As you explore this site, you will find a lot of information about our congregation. I welcome you to connect with us in any way that suits you. Among the possible connections, you can:

• listen to podcasts or watch videos of our worship services online
• follow us through Facebook or sign up to receive a weekly update from us by email
• watch live broadcasts of our worship services on local cable TV, Channel 33 on Verizon FIOS, and Channel 36 on Comcast Sundays at 10:00 a.m. with a re-broadcast at noon. We also broadcast our WAVE services and TV show Chaos to Calm during the following time slots: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:00 p.m; Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.; and Sundays at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m.
• participate in any of our ministries
• worship with us on Sunday mornings (services at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m.) or select Sunday evenings at 5:00 p.m. at WAVE
• watch our Parish Associate, Rev. Noelle Kirchner, in her parenting TV series, Chaos to Calm
• read our weekly Staff Blog (below)

Central Presbyterian Church is happy to announce the grand opening of the Central Arts Academy! This performing arts school is open to the public for private instruction and is committed to education and freedom of artistic expression.  Click here to visit their website.

May Christ enrich your life with all God’s grace! –Rev. Don Steele, Senior  Pastor

Staff Blog

ELECTION DAY

Churches should not take part in partisan politics. That is a conviction that I have. It is not one that is shared in every church. In our time, there are churches where certain candidates are given platforms, if not outright endorsed, while others are openly criticized. That seems to me to be a violation of fundamental principles operative in this country. Even more seriously, it seems to me to be a violation of the commandment not to take God’s name in vain, which means not to misuse God, and using God to support the election of this candidate instead of that one is misusing God.

And yet, I think that churches should encourage people to vote as a part of our duty “to seek the welfare of the city” where God has put us. And I think that churches should encourage people to vote, looking seriously at the issues that elected officials will face, and deciding which candidate they think will do the right thing, the ethical and moral thing as they see it from the standpoint of what they believe about God.

“God alone is lord of the conscience.” That is a fundamental principle to us as Presbyterians, and the implications are that, unlike other churches and religious organizations, the Presbyterian Church does not attempt to dictate to members, on any particular political issue, how they must think. God alone directs the conscience of each of us, but God does direct each of our consciences, and when we go to vote on Election Day, we should do it almost prayerfully, asking for God’s direction.

–Pastor Don Steele