In the beginning ...

In October of 1925, the United Presbyterian Church, Board of American Missions, purchased the property on which our church now stands. These lots were on the edge of Sunset Hills, a community in Mt. Lebanon. Community building growth was slow during the following decade.

The thirties

In the late 1930's, construction of new homes began beyond the original boundaries of Sunset Hills. Until this time a Sabbath School, attended by some 25 people, was held in Julia Ward Howe Elementary School. In 1939, a religious survey indicated that enough families were living in the area to support a church. With a positive conclusion to the survey, the Board assigned a mission pastor, the Rev. H. Paul Henderson, to the community. The first church service was held on September 10, 1939, in the small gymnasium of Julia Ward Howe Elemetary School, where the Sabbath School was previously held. The service was attended by 32 persons of various denominations. "Spiritual Starvation" was the title of the Rev. Henderson's sermon.

The forties

With 16 charter members on January 21, 1940, the group was formally organized as a mission church, four months after the first service. One month later, the newly formed church had its first communion.

A church building fund campaign was created with 76 members in the congregation. In early 1945, the building committee presented to the congregation a preliminary plan prepared by Glenn A. Bickerstaff, Architect. On November 28, 1946, after nearly a quarter of a century of planning work and sacrifice, the cornerstone of our church was put into place. In the cavity of the cornerstone many pieces of memorabilia were placed, including a newspaper and newspaper clippings, a series of ministers' letters, bulletins from the first worship service and the cornerstone service, a handful of coins, a list of Building Fund donors, a list of members, a history of the congregation and a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws developed for the church.

The church sanctuary was erected in 1947, and our congregation worshipped in the Howe School until that time. The dedication of the sanctuary took place on October 24, 1948. A year later, the church school had far outgrown its quarters, and the church school wing was added.

The fifties

Our steadily increasing growth during the decade of the fifties was reflected in the congregation's expansion. Two adjoining properties were purchased in 1952 to provide for future expansion and to provide needed parking areas. By 1954, the church school enrollment had risen so further expansion was approved for the addition of a new church school wing on the Crystal Drive corner of the property.

Our music abilities expanded as well in the fifties. In 1959, a two-octave set of hand bells was given to the church. This has been augmented by several other memorial gifts to the present set of five octaves and a set of bell chimes.

The sixties

To continue to accommodate our expansion, two more lots were acquired in 1962 and more parking area provided for our growing congregaton. Along with this expansion of the building and congregation, a three-manual Moeller pipe organ was installed in October of 1967.

We entered our second quarter century with a large and still growing congregation which included many professionally and technically trained people of diverse talents. These talents and expertise were willingly put to work for the glory of God.

During the late sixties, an Ecumenical Service began with St. Winifred Church and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church. The service is still each January with our church and St. Winifred's alternating as host church.

The seventies

In 1973, SHUP took part in the "Key '73 Program", a nationwide effort to reach the unchurched and lukewarm church members. The Rev. Dr. Bruce W. Thielemann twice was brought to SHUP to conduct preaching missions concerning spiritual development. Family Night Lenten Dinners and Programs began, and a twelve-hour prayer vigil was initiated to take place in the sanctuary the night before Easter. Lay leaders conducted, a Bible study titled "Bethel Bible Series". The classes continued until 1978. A Bible study series titled "Kerygma" followed this. Bible Study has always been an important part of the life of our church and, in addition to Sunday School classes for all ages, we currently offer four weekly Bible Study opportunities.

The eighties

In 1984, following an extensive study, SHUP adopted a unicameral system of government. From the 1950s until 1987, we had one worship service during the summer and two services the rest of the year. Church school classes for all ages met between the two services or one hour before the summer service. In 1987, SHUP began offering one Sunday worship service at 10:15 a.m. with Sunday School preceding the worship service.

The nineties

In 1991, SHUP formed a partnership, through the Pittsburgh Presbytery and the Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa, with a sister church in Litchenza, Malawi. This partnership has created an international relationship through the love of Christ and fellow Christians. We help each other spiritually and we provide assistance with material items, including educational material, medical supplies and other gifts sent as cargo shipments. Members of our congregation visited our sister church in 1994 and 1996 and the Litchenza church has sent visitors to experience our church and culture. The partnership is still active.

Our choirs and various musical instruments, ranging from the handbells, chimes and organ to four pianos and a harpsichord, are an important part of the the worship life of Sunset Hills United Presbyterian Church.

The year 1997 was a very busy one for our congregation. We celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the sanctuary and conducted a very successful anniversary campaign to provide funds to update and maintain the building and programs of the church.

Dr. William I. Gracey received a call to our church and began his ministry March 1, 1999. He is assisted by George Spencer, Minister of Music and Jane Elliott-Coul, Director of Christian Education.

We are grateful for the vision and faith of our staffs and members, present and past, who have sustained Sunset Hills United Presbyterian Church throughout the years, and for the example they have set for us. We hope to carry on this vision and continue to grow spiritually as individuals and as a congregation as we move forward with excitement and joyful anticipation of what God has in store for us.