Our Beliefs


The prophet Isaiah said,

"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion - to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory."
Isaiah 61: 1-3 RSV

We believe our faith begins with Jesus Christ and reflects our response to God's creative goodness in the world.

We believe that God calls us through Jesus Christ to develop ourselves spiritually by living out our Christian faith in community.

We believe that God calls us through the Spirit to break down the barriers that separate us from one another and to cultivate an environment in which all God-given gifts can flourish.

Adopted by the Session on June 5, 2001

Our Vision


As members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, we acknowledge that our efforts to carry out God's purpose in our congregation, our local community and the world have fallen short of what God expects of us.  At times we have served others by reaching down instead of out and we have neglected important relationships.

We recognize that members of Westminster come from different backgrounds and faith traditions.  We also recognize that the neighborhood around the church contains distinct communities including gay and lesbian people, transients, and alienated youth. We realize that we need to get to know each other better, reacquaint ourselves with God's vision for us and to honestly identify our strengths and weaknesses.  We recognize our need to welcome the tension between who we are and who we seek to be, because opportunities exist in that tension to look deeply into ourselves and ask what God wants of us. 

More members of Westminster will be empowered to welcome the challenge that comes with being a congregation in the heart of a city in which many of its members do not live.  Part of our spiritual path is to recognize and become more fully involved with the community around the church, in all its many facets.  We will confront the forces that destroy relationships between people and prevent the sense of community needed for neighborhoods to flourish.  We will confront our own stereotypes and prejudices.  We will make a commitment to identify honestly where and when we are part of the problem, to deepen our understanding of the circumstances each person faces so that we may truly live out our Christian faith in community.

We are called to renew our commitment to God.  We must open ourselves to allow the Holy Spirit to move us. We must let go of our fears and forge ahead with new and creative ways to utilize God's house on State Street in the city of Albany.  We must re-evaluate some of the "things" we hold dear and let go of the values that serve ourselves more than they serve God so that we can discern God’s calling for our ministry.

We envision a day when all who come through the doors of Westminster find our church to be a place to which they would like to return.  A place where they hear God's good news, feel God's compassionate presence and are enlivened in ways they previously could not have imagined.

We challenge ourselves to continue to develop and deliver alternative forms of worship, to reach out to all ages in ways that match their interest and spark their enthusiasm.  Each generation can learn and grow through active involvement with one another.  We need to challenge ourselves to stretch our boundaries, open our hearts and make room for God's grace so the unique gifts brought by each person can be respected and nourished to bear fruit.

Adopted by the Session -- June 5, 2001