Our Beliefs
At UPC, we consider ourselves to be an Evangelical, Reformed, and Presbyterian church.
Evangelical
We believe the Bible is the only true and perfect Word of God that directs how we are to live and reveals how we are to be saved. The Bible tells us everything we need to know about God – especially how we can be saved through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, who died to pay the penalty for our sin and rose victoriously from the grave to show His power over death and sin. We believe this good news, what we call the gospel, is the only hope for our world, and we seek to share it with everyone through our words and our actions.
Reformed
Many of our specific beliefs and traditions stem from the 16th and 17th century movement called ‘The Reformation’ in Europe, which was a time of recommitment to the Bible and a rediscovery of its central theology. Our Reformed beliefs emphasize God’s sovereign power over all things, our inability to draw near to God apart from the work of His Spirit, and His gracious initiative in calling us to himself and preserving us by His strength. Our denomination’s statement of belief, the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, comes from this period.
Presbyterian
One of the Reformed movements of the time, centralized especially in Scotland, England, and later America, was known as Presbyterianism. The name Presbyterian comes from the Greek word in the New Testament ‘presbyter’, which is the term given to the leaders of the church. Our church is thus led by a group of mature Christians we call elders. Presbyterian churches now exist all over the world, and are marked by the leadership of elders. Other distinctives include our view of God’s covenant with His people, which leads us to baptize both believing adults and their infant children. We are a part of the Presbyterian Church in America, a denomination of over 380,000 members throughout North America.
Our History
UPC has a rich history of God’s generational faithfulness to His people. Started in 1959 by a group of families with a vision and desire to worship God biblically, fidelity to Scripture is central to the DNA of UPC. Like any church, UPC has experienced its ups and downs, but continues to hold to the gracious, loving, and faithful sovereignty of our LORD, from our founding to the present day.
Our early gathering place was a small A-Frame building which was constructed by members of the church and still stands next to the church office, being used now to support both youth and Reformed University Fellowship ministries. The current Sanctuary was completed in 1999 after a fire destroyed our multipurpose structure in 1992. We added a Family Ministry Center adjacent to the Sanctuary in 2007. All of the land and buildings owned by the church are held free of debt. We are grateful for the LORD’s providence.
Our name reflects our close connection with and proximity to NMSU, and from the very beginning, we have been passionate about serving and ministering to its students. This commitment has spanned for more than half a century. We have continued to faithfully support the University through various ministries including Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), which just celebrated 30 years at NMSU. UPC desires to be a home away from home in Las Cruces for the college students.
At UPC, we are thankful to be a sending church. Over the last 50 years, UPC has helped to plant sister congregations in Alamogordo and Las Cruces. Our church family has had the opportunity to support numerous young men and women on their journey to seminary and into the ministry, as well as sending missionaries to South America, Mexico, and Europe. It’s truly a joy to witness these individuals flourish in their calling, and we love when they return to share their inspiring stories with us.