First Presbyterian Church & School is one intergenerational community where faith, learning, creativity, service, and belonging grow together.
First Presbyterian Church & School brings together a welcoming church community and a Reggio-inspired school on one campus in El Paso. Together, we nurture curiosity, creativity, compassion, wisdom, and meaningful relationships.
We believe that people grow through connection—with one another, with the natural world, with ideas, with creativity, and with God. Our church and school serve different purposes, but they are connected by a shared commitment to the dignity, potential, and well-being of every person.
We join together as a community—school, church, and family—to nurture the unique potential within every child, guiding them with faith, wisdom, and love.
Our church and school each have their own ministries, rhythms, and responsibilities. They are also connected by shared spaces, shared relationships, and a common desire to help people flourish.
First Presbyterian Church is a welcoming community of faith where people of all ages gather to worship, grow spiritually, serve others, and build meaningful relationships.
We make room for questions, reflection, music, prayer, Scripture, service, and the ongoing work of learning how to love God, one another, and the world we share.
Visit and worship with usFirst Presbyterian School serves children from one year old through eighth grade. Our Reggio-inspired approach honors children as capable, creative, curious participants in their own learning.
Through play, inquiry, collaboration, the arts, nature, and project-based experiences, students develop knowledge, confidence, independence, empathy, and a lifelong love of learning.
Explore our schoolAcross the church and school, we seek to create a community where people are known, ideas are valued, questions are welcomed, and growth is understood as a lifelong process.
We make room for curiosity, questions, imagination, discovery, and the joy of noticing the world around us.
We seek thoughtful learning, reflection, discernment, and the understanding that grows through experience and relationship.
We value music, art, movement, storytelling, construction, science, design, and the many ways people express what they know.
We grow through relationships that encourage empathy, cooperation, responsibility, service, and belonging.
First Presbyterian is an intergenerational community. Children, students, parents, teachers, older adults, visitors, and longtime members share a campus and contribute to its life in different ways.
Through worship, education, music, service, conversation, celebrations, and everyday relationships, we have opportunities to learn from one another and to recognize the gifts each person brings.
We welcome people who are certain, people who are questioning, and people who are still discovering what they believe. We seek to create spaces where people are treated with dignity, compassion, curiosity, and respect.
As a Presbyterian church and school, we share stories, practices, and values rooted in the Christian tradition. We encourage spiritual growth, thoughtful questions, compassion, service, and lifelong learning.
At the school, Christian values are woven into classroom life through stories, songs, chapel, prayer, conversation, and the Nine Virtuous Roots: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We also recognize the spiritual diversity within our community and seek to engage respectfully with people, stories, and traditions from different backgrounds.
Our school is rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy and inspired by nature, language, culture, the arts, and meaningful relationships.
Students are active participants in their learning. Their questions, ideas, observations, and theories help shape classroom experiences.
Natural light, open-ended materials, outdoor spaces, and thoughtfully designed classrooms encourage independence, exploration, and creativity.
Children communicate and construct knowledge through art, music, movement, writing, building, science, storytelling, conversation, nature, and many other forms of expression.
Teachers, students, and families work together as partners. Learning is strengthened through collaboration, reflection, documentation, and meaningful connections.
Community life at First Presbyterian extends beyond Sunday worship and the classroom. There are many ways to connect, contribute, serve, and grow.
Gather through music, prayer, Scripture, thoughtful preaching, congregational singing, and seasonal worship experiences.
Learn about worshipSupport children and families through age-appropriate learning, relationships, worship opportunities, and care.
Explore our communityCreate opportunities for young people to build relationships, ask questions, serve others, and grow in faith and leadership.
Learn moreWork toward a more compassionate community through service, generosity, partnership, and care for our neighbors.
Connect with usOffer presence, prayer, support, and meaningful connection through the changing seasons of life.
Contact the churchCelebrate creativity and community through music, performances, gatherings, educational experiences, and local partnerships.
Explore First Pres
First Presbyterian Church of El Paso
First Presbyterian Church of El Paso traces its congregation to April 16, 1882, when sixteen charter members organized the church under the guidance of the Reverend John Alexander Merrill.
The congregation first worshiped with other denominations in a Union tent near the center of town. Its first sanctuary was dedicated in 1883, followed by a larger structure at Yandell Boulevard and Stanton Street in 1908.
During World War II, the congregation provided religious and recreational services to soldiers stationed in El Paso. In the postwar years, the church continued its community work through youth programs and missionary activities along the border.
The present church complex was begun under the pastorate of George W. Burroughs, with services first held at the Murchison Drive location in 1958.
As the first Presbyterian fellowship in Texas west of the Pecos, First Presbyterian has longstanding ties to West Texas history and the development of modern El Paso.
Explore our historical markerFirst Presbyterian Church & School is supported by dedicated educators, ministry leaders, administrators, staff, families, and volunteers.
Pastor Neal provides leadership for the church community and serves as Head of Staff for the organization. He helps guide the shared vision of a community rooted in faith, learning, creativity, and meaningful relationships.
Meet our staffWhether you are looking for a church community, exploring educational options for your child, or simply curious about First Presbyterian, we would be glad to welcome you.