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Presbyterian Church of the Master (PCM) has been serving northwest Omaha for more than 40 years. From its inception to the present, PCM has been a family of faithful committed to following the teachings of Jesus Christ. We have a rich tradition and history which has formed a strong foundation from which we move towards the future. We hope you will take a few minutes to learn about our past.
1960's
 Rev. Bob Ware Before starting a new church, the Presbytery had to validate the need, seek approval from the Omaha Council of Churches, and secure front-end financial support from Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Following these efforts, the Presbytery purchased the site for PCM in January of 1963 at $2,200 per acre (there were 10 acres in the original parcel). Bob Ware accepted his call over 1 year later on April 15, 1964. Pastor Ware worked diligently to find people who would be interested in forming a new congregation. This often meant going door-to-door in the nearby neighborhoods. In four months, Bob had 75 to 80 families with enough interest that the first worship service of "Presbyterian Church of the Future" was held on Sunday, November 15, 1965. The first worship services were held at Laura Dodge Elementary School at 3520 Maplewood Blvd. Committee meetings and fellowship gatherings during the week were held at the Ware home until the first phase of our building project was dedicated on September 24, 1967. By 1967, PCM's membership had grown from 163 to 273.
There was a "pioneering spirit" and a great deal of closeness shared among the members of PCM during those early days. Maybe the pioneering spirit has gone but the closeness among members still exists at PCM today. It is that closeness and the shared faith in our loving God that no doubt lifted us up and carried us through the tough times throughout the years. As the 1960's ended, founding Pastor Bob Ware resigned in April of 1969, in order to accept a call to be the pastor of another church out of the area. As PCM headed towards the 70's, the search for a new Pastor began.
1970's Rev. J. Keith Cook By 1975 when PCM celebrated its 10th anniversary, membership had grown to more than 500. With this growth came more financial strength. We were able to expand our paid staff to include a full-time secretary and a part-time Christian Education Director. We even tried to come up with the funds to hire a second pastor but that would have to wait. But we would not wait on our plans to increase the size of our building to accommodate the needs of our growing congregation. In April of 1975 a second building campaign was organized to add what is now our sanctuary and to expand classrooms and our nursery. An additional 4.85 acres were purchased at $21,700 an acre (The original 10-acre parcel was purchased at $2,200 an acre!). "Church Blaze Puzzling to Pastor" An early morning fire blasted the inside of an Omaha church with smoke and heat Monday, causing an estimated $150,000-$175,000 damage. Irvington Fire Chief Ed Townsend said the fire in the Presbyterian Church of the Master, 2815 N. 108th, apparently spread form the pastor's study at the southeast corner of the church through a hall and into the sanctuary, starting at about 3 AM. The church's distance from the fire hydrant and trouble with the pumper engine complicated firefighting.
There are many shared memories among those that gathered in the chill of the pre-dawn on that Memorial Day. As the Irvington firefighters finished their work the Session and other members sadly left the scene for Denny's to have breakfast. At 8:30 a.m. that same morning Session met in our mobile home annex (the Sunday School "wing" at the time) to begin picking up the pieces and making plans for our growing congregation of approximately 550. Reconstruction was to take nearly six months. During that time worship services were held either outdoors or at the Old Mill Holiday Inn. Offerings were collected in "KFC" buckets! We were able to return for worship on the Sunday following Thanksgiving that year: November 19, 1978. Again, the closeness and shared faith of our church family held us together. It was during this time period that we kicked off our most aggressive building campaign to date, which culminated in the completion of our sanctuary as it is today. The rough-hewn cross on the East Wall of the Communications Center had been in the Fellowship Hall, and had survived the fire in 1978. It was moved to its current location in 1998. Plans for our building expansion began years before the fire when PCM commissioned a long-range planning committee for that purpose. Our ministry had grown and participation in worship, Christian Education, mission and fellowship programs stretched our small building to the max. PCM was on the move and in great need of more space. We broke ground for our fist expansion just six months after the fire on December 3, 1978. This project was to include only the sanctuary and connecting passage from what is now the Fellowship Hall. Pledges for this project would not cover the entire cost. PCM moved on nonetheless. The contractor was secured for the project and many members spent nights and weekends building cabinets, staining woodwork, hanging dry wall, and doing all kinds of finishing work. Separate fund-raising campaigns for things like our worship chairs, dry wall for the common area, carpet, landscape, and our "PCM Window" helped to fund the project and reduce our debt. The sanctuary was completed and the first worship service was held on August 26, 1979. In 1979, Mary Hansen, PCM's first Associate Pastor was hired.
1980'sThis same spirit and dedication experienced during the late 1970's continued into the 80's. The courtyard was completed in 1980, the bell tower was erected in 1982, and the final addition of the classroom wing, offices, music room, bride's room, groom's room and the apartment were dedicated in September, 1986.
Rev. Keith Cook's service to PCM spanned nearly two decades and included a nine-month sabbatical from July 1988 to May 1989. Under his leadership we completed our building projects, membership increased to an all-time high of 717, and we matured as a congregation serious about worship, Christian Education, and mission. PCM grew to become an active and engaged family whose ministry was supported by a strong lay leadership. Rev. Cook would end his ministry at PCM at the end of 1989. Three associate pastors supported PCM's ministry during this time period: Rev. Mary Hansen, Rev. Gale Prentice and Rev. Saunda (King) Thomas. Rev. Gale Prentice, honorably retired, remains active in worship and other activities of PCM to this day. Two notable events of the time were the ordination of Rev. Keith Cook's son, Paul, in 1988 and the courtyard marriage of associate pastor Saunda King to Steven Thomas in 1989.
1990's
 Rev. Mike Gillespie We were not ready to install a pastor when Mike Gillespie's term expired. Since Saunda Thomas had resigned and moved to New York in 1991, PCM was without a pastor. When a church is without a pastor the Presbytery's Committee on Ministry provides temporary pastoral leadership without the formality of installation. This is referred to as "stated supply." Rev. Lorna Kuyk stepped in for six weeks until Rev. Gary Bullard was installed as our third pastor on August 1, 1992.
 Rev. Gary Bullard Under Gary's leadership our decline in membership turned around and we grew to 573 by 1994. Two associate pastors assisted in ministry with Gary: Rev. Deborah Kevern and Rev. Louise Shaw. In 1998 we finished remodeling the old Chancel area at the north end of the Fellowship Hall for needed meeting and classroom space. The rough-hewn cross on the wall, a focal point during worship in the old days, had to be removed and it was nearly discarded. But this cross survived the fire of 1978. Instead , the cross was spared once again and moved to the east wall of the Communications Center. Gary left PCM in June of 1998. A relatively short interim period followed. Two successive interim pastors led us: Rev. Don Thursby and Rev. Anni Stedman. To help guide us during this time of seemingly constant change, Rev. Roy Fox served as Interim Associate Pastor. Rev. John Hansen was installed as our fourth pastor on October 1, 1999.
2000 to Present
 Rev. John Hansen Dedication to mission projects led to annual visits to Puentes de Cristo in Mexico, annual contributions to the Heifer Project, and most recently several visits to New Orleans to assist with the clean-up efforts after Hurricane Katrina. We continued to show a dedication to our music and youth programs by continuing to have a full-time director of Music and director of Christian Education. We began a Wednesday night fellowship program called LOGOS that incorporated worship, fellowship and music and built a solid foundation for our youth ministry. A few years ago the program was changed to B.L.A.S.T. to incorporate the adult members of the congregation into the active and communal environment. Just about every week you will see a contribution in the church service from the youth of the church. Sara Tonje joined PCM in 2002 as Associate Pastor bringing a new energy and enthusiasm to the church. John and Sara have built an environment enriched in vibrant energy, a relaxed worship environment, strong fellowship and a firm commitment to exploration of our individual faiths. Our worship services are filled with music, laughs, lively and modern songs as well as the occasional computer-generated movie or slide show on our large projector screen. We have expanded our Sunday School courses to included long-term small group discussions on various topics, starting with "A Purpose-Drive Life" last year. The small group approach to Christian Education has only strengthened the bonds amongst members, created new friends, and enhanced the community and family of PCM. Such small-group discussions continue to this day, sometimes outside the church. In 2006, the Session hired a consultant to evaluate the current environment at PCM and make recommendations to the Session and the congregation on how to enhance PCM's facilities, staff, resources and take us into the next 40 years of our life. Each day brings new opportunities to explore those recommendations, and PCM stands at the cusp of an exciting reinvigoration, thanks to the enthusiastic leadership of John and Sara, the dedication of a loving community of members, and a rich history of fellowship, mission and devotion to faith that has truly made a PCM a place where "Love Grows Here."
The Window PCM's stained glass window is a significant symbol of the tradition and heritage of the Church.
At the heart of the PCM window is the cross, the symbol of God's unconditional love and our calling to be devoted followers. It is a Greek cross with four equal length arms. These arms reach out equally to all parts of the world through mission and they reach out equally to every member of our congregation ... including all who come to PCM. The many colored pieces of glass symbolize the joy and richness of Christian life at PCM. Each of us is a brilliant crystal of life, created by God and colored when the light of our Lord shines through us. We are different, we are the same, we are all children of God ... children of the light. These shards of glass and the holy cross are embraced by a perfect circle; the symbol of God's eternal love which has no beginning and no end. The window was placed in the sanctuary when the sanctuary was completed in 1979. It serves as a focal point for worship and meditation. We hope it will enhance your experience at PCM and bring you closer in your walk with Christ.
Pastors at PCM
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PCM's first worship service at 108th and Maple was held on Easter Sunday, April 26, 1967. The service was held in what is now our Fellowship Hall. As usual for new church construction, not all the work was completed on time. But the bare concrete floors and the walls yet to be painted did not diminish the joy celebrated by the 300 members in worship that day.
The quote above was taken from a newspaper article published May 30, 1978, the day after "the fire." Though never proven, the cause of the fire is believed to be arson. The fire destroyed Rev. Keith Cook's office and personal library. Smoke and heat damaged most of the building. The actual losses were closer to $260,000. PCM lost most of the folding chairs used for worship, hymnals, office equipment, a Steinway piano, an organ that was just a few months old, and more.
Sandwiched in this period was our 20th Anniversary, April 25, 1985. Organizing pastor Bob Ware and his wife Pauline returned to share in the celebration. How things have changed over the years. "The God of Heaven will prosper us: therefore we His servants will arise and build." (Nehemiah 2:20)
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