History of MDPC

On Sunday, January 9, 1955, seventy persons gathered in Memorial Drive Elementary School, beyond the then western city limits of Houston, Texas, to hold the first worship service of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church. The church grew rapidly from that modest beginning as the surrounding area filled with new families. Membership rolls passed 500 in 1957; 1,000 in 1960; 2,000 in 1965; 3,000 in 1969. These numbers reflected the community response to the new congregation led by Dr. Charlie Shedd.

The fourth anniversary of the church was celebrated by 1,044 worshipers in a new building built on six acres at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Blalock. The present sanctuary was added on in 1972. New classrooms and a chapel, parlor, kitchen, and fellowship hall were added in the early 1990s. A remodeling of the sanctuary, office space, and many classrooms, along with a new church life center, were dedicated in 2002. In 2012, the 18-month Good Housekeeping Campaign was launched, providing for the enlargement of the Sanctuary chancel, media upgrades, more classroom space, creation of a community gathering space (The Nook), and development of the Columbarium.

Beliefs and Mission

Even as a large church (4,000 members), Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church is known for its warmth, generosity, and dedication to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways:

1. We adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed Theology and trace our history to the 16^th-century Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him. Some of the principles articulated by Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs, such as:
   • The sovereignty of God
   • The centrality of Jesus Christ
   • The authority of scripture
   • Justification by grace through faith
   • The priesthood of all believers
   • Our knowledge of God and God's purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ.
2. Our church government stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
   • “According to Calvin’s theory of church government, the church is a community or body in which Christ only is head and all members are equal under Him. The ministry is given to the entire church and is distributed among many officers. All who hold office do so by election of the people whose representatives they are. The church is to be governed and directed by assemblies of officeholders, pastors, and elders chosen to provide just representation for the church as a whole.” (Source: Britannica.com)

Prayer for Every Member, Every Day

Our major policy decisions as well as our everyday lives are guided by prayer, MDPC’s Partner in Prayer ministry fulfills the commitment made by church founders that every member be prayed for every day. Hundreds of volunteers annually commit to pray for approximately 10 people on our rolls each day.

Dollar-For-Dollar Giving

In obedience to Christ's teaching, we are committed to radical generosity. Since MDPC’s inception in 1954, we have strived to balance money spent each year on church operations with money given to those in need. This works out to millions of dollars going directly to missionaries, mission agencies, and mission partners, both in our community and around the globe. These “Dollar-for-Dollar” funds are allocated by MDPC Outreach Ministries, which annually reviews funding requests, visits ministry locations, and provides physical and prayer support to the 140+ organizations we support.