as presbyterians
Kenilworth Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Presbyterians share and hold to the great body of beliefs
which down through the ages has formed the common heritage of
the Christian Church.
 Now and in history Presbyterians have been very careful to
ground their common faith and practice in scripture, both the
Old and New Testaments. And Presbyterians have always been
amazed at how this body of writing, developed so long ago,
speaks in a contemporary way to our life and our times.
The scriptures contain the remarkable and mysterious story of
God's love for humankind and God's very personal revelation in
Jesus Christ. Thus, Presbyterians have always affirmed the
Bible as the authoritative source for faith and practice. In
the Bible, the creative and redemptive power of God is revealed
and set forth.
The Presbyterian Church is also "a confessing or
confessional church." This means that our basic beliefs are
embodied in ten creeds/statements of faith/confessions written
down though the ages to "declare the faith of the Church" to a
particular culture and time. In each age the church must state
its faith in a contemporary and meaningful fashion.
A church member is not asked to subscribe to all the
statements of faith. Upon joining the Presbyterian Church
(USA), a person is asked the following questions:
Q: Who is your Lord and Savior?
A: Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.
Q: Do you trust him?
A: I do.
Q: Do you intend to be his disciple, to obey his word?
A: I do.
Q: Will you be a faithful member of this congregation,
giving of yourself in every way, and will you seek the
fellowship of the church wherever you may be?
A: I will.
More Specifically:
The reality of
life which defies precise definition. We believe God is the
basis for all that is. God is the "Ground of all Being."
- We believe in Jesus Christ
The great Mystery we call God
is revealed in a personal form, Jesus of Nazareth. The person,
words, and actions of Jesus the Christ are like a window into
the loving nature of God.
- We believe in the reality of the human condition
Men and women are not "at home" with
themselves, each other, or God..., truly, they are in need of a
savior. Down through the ages, the Church has called this
condition of discontinuity ‑ Sin. 
- We believe in the reality of Grace
This Mystery that we call God understands us
better than we understand ourselves: we are accepted as we are
so that we might become who we are truly meant to be in God's
sight;
- We believe in the presence of the Holy Spirit
God's activity continues in our day. We are never "stuck" where
we are. The presence of God experienced in our lives and the
activity of God in history is the Holy Spirit at work;
- We believe in the "Priesthood of all believers"
All persons are "special" and none more than others. All are invited into that
special relationship as men and women who are a part of the
great "Community of Faith." We have a common calling as
Christians to live lives of truth, justice, mercy, acceptance
and love.
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as a congregation
The congregation of Kenilworth Presbyterian Church was charted
on
 Sunday, October 18, 1908, as a Presbyterian congregation by
the regional body known as Portland Presbytery. The formal
organization took place with twenty-five charter members.
Before the end of the year, electric lights were installed
permitting evening services to be held.
Much preceded this October 1908 service. In 1894, the
Presbytery had received an offer of two lots from the owners and
developers of the Kenilworth Addition. The property was given
on the condition that “a building be erected thereupon in the
near future and the cost not to be less than $1,100.”
The offer was formally accepted on April 10, 1895, but the
building was already under construction. From September 1, 1895
to October 18, 1908, we were a Sunday School Mission.
Changes to the building were minor until 1949. At this time ,
the new Christian education wing was started. The expansion was
required to provide ample space for the growing enrollment of
the church school.
As originally built, the entrance to the church was on the
west end of the building on 34th Ave. The new construction
placed the entrance on Gladstone rather than 34th Avenue.
The next major construction was under the leadership of Rev.
Elmer R. Frimoth, Jr. and consisted of a total renovation of the
building with the sanctuary turned with the pews now facing
north. The work was completed in 1968.
In this past year, we have totally renovated the building
with paint, new carpet, and a new porch. In addition, we have
created a labyrinth for the members of the congregation and the
community. Kenilworth has been transformed into a warm and
welcoming place.
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