Established in 1849, the First Presbyterian Church celebrates its significant heritage as the second oldest Presbyterian Church in Northern California. This future-focused congregation has served the greater San José community in many ways for almost 150 years.

Local Mission Activities include serving people who are impoverished seeking services such as food, shelter, emergency transportation and medical care.

We are an inclusive and caring community in Downtown San José where you can answer a call to follow Jesus, to serve, receive and celebrate our spiritual and human lives.

First Presbyterian Church in the Mission Field
Since it was "planted" in the mission field, it seems only appropriate that First Presbyterian Church takes great pride in its ongoing work in the area of mission and outreach to the community and the world.

The minutes of the Woman’s Board of Missions, the Home Mission and Foreign Mission societies of our church date back to 1874! In truth, much of what is recorded would not be considered "Politically Correct" today. Words like "heathen" "uncultivated" (referring to the Chinese, yet!) and "demons." There was a lot of effort expended towards the immigrants in San Jose’s Chinatown, teaching English, providing food, discouraging opium usage and aiding young Chinese girls sold into prostitution here.

For example, on March 1, 1876, Nellie Eyster, secretary of the Ladies Mission Society, reported on the "glorious promise" of the local mission field in San Jose’s Chinatown. She wrote "Soy Ying, a girl of 16 who, threatened by her parents to be sold into prostitution, said she would die instead. Aided by Christian friends, the girl escaped from Chinatown and fled to the refuge for such unfortunate ones, “The Home” in San Francisco. (This is now known as Cameron House). Mrs. Carey urged the necessity of her support there and the secretary was requested to correspond with the Matron of the Home relative to the amount of money which said Ôsupport’ would require."

Later entries report the monthly cost to support Soy Ying was $6. Mrs. Carey visited Soy Ying numerous times, taking sewing materials to her and teaching her about Jesus. On one visit, which occurred on a Sunday, she found Soy Ying sewing and told her that "American women who love Jesus do not sew on Sabbath." "Very well" Soy Ying was reported to reply, "I not sew."

Eleanor M. Wright

On December 18, 1926, Eleanor M. Wright sailed for China under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. Miss Wright joined First Presbyterian Church in 1907 and her service in educational and social service mission work was conducted at Ming Deh Girls School, at Nanking, China.

Miss Wright was killed in the line of duty in Nanking. She had been in charge of social work for the mission, doing pioneer work organizing a dispensary, playground, Mothers’ Club, bathhouse for women and children; sanitary, health and religious education and conducted the choir in Hansimen Church, Nanking.

On the occasion of the 90th Anniversary of First Church, the courageous Miss Wright wrote (just six weeks before her death): "This is no era for marking time or waiting for a more convenient day… As Christ’s followers we cannot stand by with folded hands when so many call to us for help. We must work unitedly and much more effectively not only to relieve suffering, but for peace and good will among men." As First Church celebrates it’s 150th Anniversary, Miss Wright’s words still ring prophetically true.

Over the years, church members have consistently served the community as leaders and as hands-on workers. Included in good works have been:

• developing and maintaining a dormitory for young women students experiencing living away from home for the first time while attending San José State
  
  
• providing nutritious meals and tutoring for the children of migrant farm workers in the 1940s
• developing an English as a Second Language program
  
  
• serving as one of the founding members of InnVision (formerly Urban Ministry) and continuing to actively support the agency’s work
  
  
• continuous outreach and services to the poor, homeless and others in great need who are welcomed at our door through our Warm Line ministry
  
  
• providing fun-filled social activities for seniors through the Silver Sparks ministry

• developed a health ministry for frail and elderly directed by a parish nurse

Rev. Alejandro Hernandez, Missionary in El Salvador

Today, the Mission Committee of First Presbyterian Church continues the tradition of World Mission with an ongoing relationship of support to the Rev. Alejandro Hernandez, a missionary in El Salvador and with the Medical Benevolence Foundation, an agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) which provides medical missionaries and supplies around the world.

Locally the Mission Committee oversees "Random Acts of Kindness" at local festivals and a budding relationship with Horace Mann Elementary School, providing flashlights and safety lessons at Halloween and school supplies for incoming kindergartners whose families are unable to provide the supplies themselves.

Our accessible construction and convenient location allow us to provide space for a weekday Adult Day Care center, weekly gatherings of the Orchard City Community Chorus, and a Chinese musical group, as well as community meetings for City agencies.