In March 2009 this church was awarded a Texas Historical Commission subject marker.
This is the narrative history of the church as compiled by Sandra Tumberlinson and edited by Norman Rozeff.

    For citizens, and recent emigrants, of predominantly Catholic Mexico to convert to a Protestant denomination was an unusual occurrence at the turn of the 20^th Century . Undoubtedly, these particular individuals were influenced by strong role models who evidenced an attractive alternative to the religion under which they were raised or in some cases where they lacked any religion at all. After Texas had gained its independence from Mexico the Presbyterian and other Protestant denominations, primarily Methodist and Baptist, actively proselytized in Mexico, but less so in South Texas. The last half of the 19^th Century saw increased active ties by Protestant missionaries in South Texas and Northern Mexico but no major inroads. The story to be told of pioneer Hispanic Presbyterians is therefore aunique one and one which heretofore has received little recognition or documentation.

    By the mid 19th century, many self-sustaining ranches existed in the area which would later become San Benito.  The people who lived on these ranches, in many cases, were the descendents of the colonists brought into the upper Rio Grande River area in the mid-1700s by the Great Colonizer, Jose Escandon. They had over time migrated southeast on both sides of the river and settled in the area now known as San Benito. In 1904 the railroad arrived in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. This led to the establishment of towns along its routes and brought the prospect of transporting agricultural goods north. San Benito was one such town.

     At the turn of the 20th century, a new influx of people began settling in the newly founded (1904) town of San Benito.  The border between Mexico and the United States, the Rio Grande River, was constantly being crossed by persons who came from different parts of Mexico.  Their yearning for a better life and the threat of the Mexican Revolution accelerated this migration.  Some of these families, mainly from the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila, had already heard and accepted the principles of the Protestant movement advocated by the Presbyterian Church of Mexico and were fully indoctrinated in its fundamentalswhen they arrived in their newly adopted homeland.

     It is in this manner and for these reasons that by 1908, the families of Andres and Higinia Flores, Lorenzo and Nieves Pedraza, Clemente and Severa Lopez, Guadalupe and Hidelfonsa Rodriguez, Donato and Virginia de Hoyos, and Samuel and Dolores Rios, came to live in San Benito.  Other families, like native Texans Fer nando and Juanita de Leon, came here from their ancestral home in Victoria, Texas.  All of these families had been members of a Presbyterian church elsewhere and now found themselves in the San Benito area where no Presbyterian church existed. These families already knew one other and recognized the common Presbyterian background that they shared.

    These ministers encountered the aforementioned families, many of who were already known to them as members of Presbyterian churches in Mexico. It was at the homes of these Mexican Presbyterian families that the first Presbyterian Church services were first held in San Benito.  The fervor and religious zeal of these early Presbyterians, as reported by the missionary ministers, was a determining factor in the Mexican General Synod’s decision to explore the possibility of establishing a Mexican Presbyterian Church in San Benito.

     Many of the members of this early group of Presbyterians established themselves in town and commenced spreading the gospel.  Lorenzo Pedraza, for example, owned a modest restaurant in San Benito where he took advantage of his patrons’ mealtimes to "preach the gospel."  It was common knowledge in town that, "if you go to Don Lorencito’s restaurant, you get fed the Bible."  Andres Flores, on the other hand, had pastored the congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Matamoros, Tamulipas, Mexico in 1892. This experience esta-blished him as a potential leader in the San Benito flock.  Guadalupe Rodriguez was already a Presbyterian ruling elder by the time he and his wife reached San Benito.

     These early pioneers did not limit their Presbyterian work to the town’s people but also considered the small ranches in the surrounding area as fertile ground to plant the evangelical seed.  Carricitos, Texas, a river community five miles from San Benito, was established as a meeting point for the ministers and missionaries who served the communities on both sides of the Rio Grande River.  Throughout 1909-1910, the pioneer Presbyterian families, along with new converts, kept alive the flame of evangelism. It was this determined group that, the following year made possible the founding of a Presbyterian church in San Benito.

     The Hispanic Presbyterian congregation of San Benito sent a letter in April, 1911, to the secretary of the Tamaulipas Presbytery in Mexico requesting permission to organize as a church.  The petition was approved, and the Rev. William Ross and Ruling Elder Macedonio Garcia, both from the Brownsville Presbyterian Church, were charged with completing the arrangements.  They contacted the leaders of the congregation in

San Benito and decided that October 19, 1911 would be the official day of the church’s dedication service.  On that day, approximately twenty-five persons (most having already made their professions of faith and been baptized) met, named officers, and established a Session consisting of three ruling elders and one deacon.  The Ruling Elders were Guadalupe Rodriguez, Lorenzo Pedraza and Andres Flores. The church officially became the Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito.

     The new church celebrated Christmas 1911 at its school in the neighborhood called "Mexiquito."  Miss Anne E. Dysart contributed much of her time and talents to the church in its early months, and especially to the children and youth, who learned poems and songs for their first Christmas as a church.

     By 1912, the church membership had grown, thus establishing the need for a proper building in which to hold services.  Miss Dysart took it upon herself to solicit funds from members of the church and influential persons in the community.  With this money together with a generous donation from Missions Department of the Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUS), a city lot at the corner of Biddle and Hull Streets was purchased in the "El Jardin" neighborhood. On this site the first church and adjoining elementary school were built.  Known affectionately as "Miss Annie’s school," Presbyterian boys and girls attended the school as well as neighborhood children.  The curriculum consisted of reading, writing, arithmetic and sewing.  Most importantly, the curriculum emphasized religious training, and cultivating the mind and spirit of the students.  Several of the parents whose children attended the church-school converted and became members of the church. 

    Among the students who attended the school between 1912 through 1916 were Juanita Flores Hernandez, Porfiria Flores Goggens, Esthercita de la Garza, Aurelia Garcia, Maria de Jesus Trevino, Maria de los Angeles Villarreal, Luis Benavides, Ambrosio Gutierrez and Alfredo Trevino.

First Pastor, the Rev. Ignacio Escalante, mid 1912--1915

     The Rev. Ignacio Escalante was the first pastor of Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito from the middle of 1912 through 1915.  This was a difficult period in the life of the church.  In 1913, an incident occurred that cast a shadow over the life of the flock and mission of the church.  One of the church-school teachers, who was also a Sunday school teacher, was killed by a frustrated admirer in one of the school classrooms. He took his own life as well.  In addition, managerial problems began occurring.  At this time, the Session was charged with coordinating all evangelical, spiritual and administrative proceedings within the church.  Yet, the church-school, an important part of the life and mission of the church, was under the direction of missionary Miss Annie Dysart.  These circumstances created some problems between the leaders of the church and the missionary, so much so, that in 1915, the problems came to a head at a meeting of the Presbytery of Tamaulipas.  The ruling by Presbytery was as follows:  The church administration was placed under the direction of Presbytery, which meant that the Session became inactive regarding its administrative responsibilities.  Thus ended 1915.

      The church again encountered difficulties in 1916.  The Rev. Escalante resigned as pastor while the Session was still inactive, and by the end of the year, with the Mexican Revolution winding down, Anne E. Dysart went back to her missionary work in Mexico.  Despite these problems, the church did not falter in its dedication to continue its work.  Worship services, Sunday school, and the church-school continued as usual.  By early 1917, the church was looking forward to finding a new pastor.

Second Pastor, the Rev. Antonio Valiente y Pozo, 1917-- Feb. 1918

     The short pastorate of the Rev. Valiente y Pozo, from early 1917 through February, 1918, was characterized by sermons emphasizing the importance of Christian behavior and the responsibilities of the church.  He preached against what he considered vices and offensive customs prevalent in the Hispanic community and that diverged from his strict Spanish background.  It was during his tenure as pastor that the church, under the jurisdiction of the Tamaulipas Presbytery and having had its session deactivated in January 1917, submitted a request to reorganize. The Presbytery sent the Revs. Santiago O. Shelby and William A. Ross to direct the reorganization process.  On April 29, 1917, the reorganization meeting took place with 83 persons in attendance. Most were town members of the church plus others from the outlying mission.  The Rev. Valiente y Pozo based his sermon on Ephesians 4:11-16.  The congregation elected as Session members Agustin Plata and Samuel Rios; deacons elected were Migueas Lopez and Elias de Hoyos.  The church missions in the "Mexiquito" neighborhood and down by the river at Carricitos, where Santiago Gomez and family lived, remained active.  In February 1918 the church was once again without a minister.

Period of Transition and New Presbyterian Relations

     The Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito, although geographically and politically in the United States, ecclesiastically was a member of a Presbytery within the Presbyterian Church of Mexico. Furthermore, the Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUS) had established missionaries in San Benito through its foreign missions department that considered San Benito as foreign ground.  Between the years 1911 to 1919, the Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito was under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Tamaulipas, but certain circumstances would occur that prompted the church to request affiliation with an American Presbytery.

     Distance was one of the major challenges the San Benito church faced being a member of the Presbyterian Church of Mexico.  To attend a Presbytery meeting in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas or Linares, Nuevo Leon, Mexico required a significant economic sacrifice, not to mention the dangers involved with travel in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917).  As if this were not enough, there occurred a change of strategy in the foreign missions department that supported the work of the Tamaulipas Presbytery. This change caused direct repercussions in the work of all the Presbyterian churches.

     The major Protestant denominations of the United States proposed a strategy called the "Cincinnati Plan" whereby each denomination would be assigned a specific zone in Mexico for missionary work.  The Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUS & PCUSA) was assigned the central and southern regions of Mexico where, in some places, there already existed Methodist missions.  The plan involved the Methodists surrendering their land and congregations to the Presbyterians and, in turn, the Presbyterians would cede the same in the northern region of Mexico to the Methodists and Baptists.  This plan would dissolve the Tamaulipas Presbytery, relocating its ministers to central Mexico and yielding all its churches and congregations to the Methodist denomination.  The pastors and congregations of the Tamaulipas Presbytery vehemently opposed the plan and vowed to stay with their congregations.  But the missionaries whose job was directly under the Department of Foreign Missions (PCUS), obeyed the plan, relocating to central and southern Mexico in April, 1919.

     The Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito, which was a member of the Tamaulipas Presbytery, was affected, to a certain extent, by the Cincinnati Plan, and, while this was not the only reason, it did contribute to the church’s continued desire to become affiliated with a Presbytery in the United States.  Being without a pastor since 1918 and not being able to find one, the San Benito church began bonding with the Texas-Mexico Presbytery in the hopes of negotiating membership with the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.  The two affected Presbyteries (Tamaulipas and Texas-Mexico) agreed to the move and on November 10, 1919, the Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito became a member of the Texas-Mexico Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.  The Rev. Isabel Balderas was named interim pastor until a full time pastor was called. 

New Location for Church

      Since 1919, the church had owned two buildings, the sanctuary and the school. Although not located in an advantageous site, both buildings were in good condition.  Rainy weather, however, made the roads impassable, making it very difficult to get to the church.  Also, the church was not centrally located.  At the end of 1919, the membership decided to explore the possibility of purchasing a larger site, since its merger with a U.S. Presbytery would potentially encourage growth.  The Session named Miqueas Lopez and Guillermo A Walls (interim pastor sent by Presbytery to help with Sunday school) to look for a prospective property on which to relocate the church.   A few months later, in July 1920, at a meeting of the congregation, the following decisions were reached:
1. Trustees were named:  Miqueas Lopez, Socorro Plata, and Agustin Plata.
2. Trustees were authorized to purchase four lots in Block 1, Addition 7, San Benito, at the corner of Combes and Diaz Streets.
3. Trustees were authorized to sell the two lots where the church and school were located.
The congregation approved a proposal to borrow $250, payable in 2 years, from the Texas-Mexico Presbytery.  A few months later, the church-owned buildings were moved to the new location at 140 Diaz St.

Third Pastor, the Rev Ventura Euresti, July 1920–June 1928

    The eight-year pastorate of the Rev. Ventura Euresti began July 1920.  The congregation at that time consisted of sixty-nine members, excluding children.  On most Sundays, the attendance at Sunday school and worship service was forty.  The Rev. Euresti’s time in San Benito was marked by his ability to consolidate the church and its organizations, both spiritually and materially.  He emphasized the importance of observing the Sabbath as "God’s day."  During his first few years, he activated the "Esfuerzo Cristiano" (Christian Effort) working with the youth, teaching them how to help with worship services.  It was during this period that on February 5, 1924, the women of the church formed the "Sociedad Auxiliar Femenil," (Women’s Auxiliary. Society) an organization that became the backbone of the church and continues with the name "Dorcas" to this day.    During this time, revival campaigns were held at least once a year.  Some of the ministers who led these revivals were the Revs. Elias Trevino, Octaviano Lopez, and Arquimedes Martinez.  The congregation in Carricitos was regularly assisted by the Rev. Euresti, and a mission in the community of Rio Hondo, Texas was assisted by deacons Miqueas Lopez and Miss Lydia Rodriguez.  A mission was also begun in Harlingen, Texas, a neighboring town, where in 1927, ruling elder Vidar Najar was in charge of assisting the new congregation in their quest for a pastor.
     By 1925, the church-run school had stopped operating. The building was refurbished and used as the church manse.  Around this time, Julio Cantu, who had been named ruling elder in 1923, became the first pastoral candidate from the church.  He was ordained in 1937 serving three churches in the Texas-Mexico Presbytery.  After his retirement, the Rev. Cantu assisted the church in an unofficial pastoral capacity. Another member of the church who became a Presbyterian minister was D.G. Vera.

     From May 1926 to March 1927, forty new members were added to the rolls through profession of faith or transfer of membership and eight babies were baptized.

     In 1926, the Rev. Euresti married Miss Juanita Garcia, a member of the congregation.  In June 1928, Euresti was called for service by the Presbyterian Church of Kingsville.

Fourth Pastor, the Rev. R.D. Campbell, July 1928--April 1929

     With the departure of the Rev. Euresti, the Texas-Mexico Presbytery assigned the church to be under the guidance of the Domestic Missions Department of the PCUS headed by the Rev. R. D. Campbell.  He’d been in contact with the church since 1918 when the Texas-Mexico Presbytery assigned him the task of negotiating between the church and the Presbytery for admittance.  The Rev. Campbell had also been charged with the arrangements for the Rev. Euresti to become pastor of the church, so when Euresti left, the congregation felt comfortable calling him to the pulpit position, a call which he accepted. 

     The Rev. Campbell’s brief time with the San Benito church saw an exceptional growth in its missionary work in Carricitos and a new mission in Los Indios, Texas.  He received a $40/month salary after a $10 increase.  The most notable event occurring during his one-year term in San Benito was the Texas-Mexico Presbytery meeting held in the San Benito church.  This was the first time the Presbytery meeting had been held in the Rio Grande Valley.  The church rejoiced and warmly welcomed its Presbyterian brothers from April 10-14, 1929. 
     Unfortunately, the Rev. Campbell’s health didn’t allow him to continue to minister the San Benito church.  At the 1929 meeting of the Presbytery held in San Benito he requested a transfer to another location that would be more beneficial his health. His term ended May 1929.

Fifth Pastor, the Rev. Crescencio S. Guerrero, June 1929--June 1930

     As was his predecessor, the Rev. Guerrero’s term as pastor of Mexican Presbyterian Church was short but valuable to the life of the church.  Week long evangelical services increased church membership, Sunday school training for teachers was initiated, the missions at Carricitos and Los Indios reached sixty and forty members respectively, and in 1930, the San Benito church membership reached 130.  These circumstances increased the coffers and the church was able to remodel the sanctuary adding fifteen feet to its rear side at a cost of $165.  The Carricitos congregation built a church for their worship services.  The Women of the Church hosted a joint meeting of Presbytery WOC groups with churches as far away as Corpus Christi represented.  The Rev. Guerrero’s term as pastor of Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito, though brief, saw a tremendous growth in membership.

Sixth Pastor, the Rev. Desiderio G. Cavazos, June 1930--May 1940

      The Rev. Desiderio G. Cavazos’ decade as pastor of Mexican Presbyterian Church occurred during the life of the church when the second generation individuals of founding families became old enough to serve in a variety of capacities.  His pastorate was well defined in three areas: education, missions and spiritual.
      Vacation Bible School, sometimes lasting three weeks, was begun at this time.  Sunday school attendance was so large and consistent that it had directors, secretaries and eight teachers.
     Revivals were held yearly, and new missions were begun at Las Flores and El Fresnal.  The mission at Carricitos was reorganized in 1936 after having been briefly abandoned.
     The Session of the church was characterized as one of strong internal discipline and severity regarding its influence over the lives of church members.
     The Valley Presbyterian churches formed an organization named "Regional Convention of Valley Presbyterian Churches" that met twice a year to promote and rekindle evangelical spirit.
     On Labor Day, September 3, 1933, a strong hurricane caused severe damage to the church sanctuary. For a while, worship services were held at the manse.  With donations from members, the community, other churches and $415.92 from Texas Synod, the new church was built.  A service of re-consecration was held April 7, 1935 with the Rev. Abraham Fernandez officiating.  Later, in Feb. 1939, the manse was severely damaged by fire.  After rebuilding it, insurance for both buildings was purchased.
     Of the original three trustees, two had died.  The congregation named Natividad Castillo, Zeferino Rios, and David Plata to serve with ruling elder Miqueas Lopez as trustees.  At the end of the Rev. Cavazos time in San Benito, the church boasted 179 members.

Seventh Pastor, the Rev. Ruben M. Armendariz, June 1940- July 1943

     During the Rev. Armendariz’ term as pastor of Mexican Presbyterian Church, two major events occurred, one world-wide and one local.  The first was the commencement of World War II. Many young men of the church served in World War II. Two died in action. The second event was that the Valley Convention ( "convencion") of Presbyterian churches met in San Benito. 
    
Eighth Pastor, the Rev. Alberto Luna, August 1943–December 1948

     The Rev. Alberto Luna came as pastor in 1943. His energy and enthusiasm quickly spread throughout the congregation. Membership grew to 150 persons with two-thirds attending church regularly. 
    Though the war in Europe raged, church finances reflected a healthy U.S. economy.  In 1939 the church budget was $750, in 1945 the budget was $2,000 reaching a high of $3,366 in 1947.  The pastor’s salary was still $40 in 1939 but by 1947 had risen to $100.
     The church hosted three Presbytery meetings. 
     During the Rev. Luna’s service, the church began a campaign to raise funds for the building of a new brick church.  The Texas Synod donated $1,200 to initiate the fund drive, and the members donated the remainder.

Ninth Pastor, the Rev. Juan D. Cavazos, January 1949–April 1955

     The Rev. Juan D. Cavazos’ time with the San Benito church can be characterized as one in which the spiritual leadership of the church was guided by a philosophy of strict and firm discipline both ecclesiastically and morally.  The conservative outlook prevalent in early 1950s society, defined the attitude of the congregation.
     Membership grew from 164 to 217 members during this time, making Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito one of the strongest and most solid of the churches in the Texas-Mexico Presbytery.
     It was during this pastorate that the new church building, of which plans were set in motion during the Rev. Luna’s years, was constructed.  The building cost approximately $20,000.  The General Assembly donated $3,500 and Texas Presbytery donated $1,200.  The remainder of funds came from members of the church as well as other Presbyterian churches. 
     July 1954, the Texas-Mexico Presbytery met at the San Benito church for one of the last times before it was dissolved by the Synod.
    The Rev. Juan D. Cavazos and the Rev. Desidero G. Cavazos were brothers.

Tenth Pastor, the Rev. Fernando Padilla, October 1955–February 1960

      The Rev. Fernando Padilla came to San Benito from The Divine Redeemer Presbyterian Church of Monterrey, Mexico.  
      Worldwide postwar social changes, as well as technological advances, began to show their affects on the local congregation.  The clash of the traditional and the modern was felt especially by the transitioning younger generation.
     The Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito, along with many other Spanish-speaking congregations, became members of the Western Texas Presbytery with the dissolving of the Texas-Mexico Presbytery.
     During these years of the Rev. Padilla’s service, the church became financially solvent and no longer received subsidies from Presbytery. 

First Period Without a Minister, February 1960–May 1961

     During this period without a minister, South Texas Presbytery made changes in the focus of its congregations.  Between 1920 and 1959, four of the ministers who had served the San Benito church had received their degrees and formal training in Mexico.  It was observed that those who had received their degrees and formal training in Mexico had served the church for a total of thirty years, while those whose degrees and training had been obtained in Texas, had served only ten total years.   It was also noted that since the founding families were from Mexico, and those Americans who joined at a later date were primarily Spanish speakers, the language used in worship was Spanish.  The literature for Sunday school was also in Spanish, and church customs and traditions were derived from those practiced in the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico.  However, when the predominantly English speaking baby boomers of the 1950s ,and who had been born and educated in Texas began to grow up, their allegiances to Mexico and its customs, began to change.  As a consequence of this change, the congregation named a committee in November 1960 to find a pastoral candidate who could deal with the transitional changes reflecting the new focus of the congregation. 

Eleventh Pastor, the Rev. Guadalupe M. Armendariz, June 1961–June 1971

     The Rev. Guadalupe M. Armandariz, earned his credentials at Austin Theological Seminar and had pastored several Mexican-American churches before coming to San Benito.  His ability to work with Mexican traditions in an ever-increasing American setting and his work with English speaking youth made him the perfect man for the transitioning church.  One month into his new position, the congregation changed its name from Mexican Presbyterian Church to 2nd Presbyterian Church. 
     At this time, educational literature formally ordered only in Spanish, was now being ordered in English too.  Hymns, prayers and poems for special occasions were also presented in both languages, thereby offering the congregants a bilingual choice.  Services, social functions and communion services with 1st Presbyterian Church of San Benito were also held encouraging the youth of both churches to worship together. 
     Ruling elders and deacons, as of 1965, came under the rules of the Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUS) and its rotating terms of service.  The implementation of this rotation system allowed for a democratic change of ideas and people in authority.  At this time, the first female ruling elder and deacons were elected. 
     For many years, the spiritual and social life of the church remained separate, but with the arrival of the Rev. Armendariz, special worship services were often followed by congregational meals.  Youth activities often included trips to the beach and bowling.   The Educational Building, which personified the spirit and progressive attitude of the Rev. Armendariz, was erected in 1969 at a cost of $65,894.
     The Rev. Armendariz retired from the ministry in 1971. 
     The Revs. Ruben Armendariz and Guadalupe Armendariz were brothers. 

Second Period Without a Minister, July 1971–December 1972

     After the Rev. Armendariz’ retirement, the pulpit committee again had the task of finding suitable ministers to supply worship services while a permanent minister was called.  One of the ministers who assisted the church in this capacity was the Rev. Pedro Lopez, a Baptist minister, who had been approved by Presbytery to supply the San Benito church. 
     In its efforts to serve the community, the church allowed a kindergarten school, not affiliated with the church, to operate in the educational building, and, in 1972, the majority of the building was rented to Texas Migrant Council as a preschool. 

Twelfth Pastor, the Rev. Pedro Lopez, January 1973–March 1976

     The Rev. Pedro Lopez preached in both English and Spanish and began the practice of giving ten minute sermonettes for the children during Sunday morning services.   During his tenure as pastor, the interior of the church was remodeled and the exterior re-roofed. The Women of the Church donated the curtain that hangs behind the pulpit.  The choir ordered robes, and Sunday school was flourishing.

Third Period Without a Pastor, April 1976--May 1978

     The pulpit committee was reinstated and, while it vetted pastoral candidates, it provided the church several pastors to preach on Sundays.  Vacation Bible School continued to function.

Thirteenth Pastor, the Rev. Joel Martinez, June 1978--1984

     Second Presbyterian Church was renamed Getsemani Presbyterian Church in 1979 by congregational vote.  The pastor reflected that there were as many men as women on the church rolls and that the proportion was equal between youth and children.  The men of the church formed a group to coexist with the Dorcas (Women of the Church) and the youth became very active again, taking trips to Mo Ranch and serving in the church.  

Fourteenth Pastor the Rev. Dr. Jesse Leos, 1984--1987

Fifteenth Pastor, the Rev. Guillermo Enriquez, 1987--1991

Sixteenth Pastor, the Rev. Dr. John Paul Roberts Haine, 1994--1997

Seventeenth Pastor, the Rev. Efrain Buenfil, 1999

Eighteenth Pastor, the Rev. Jesus Juan Gonzalez, 1991--2001

Nineteenth Pastor, the Rev. Thomas C. Johnson 2002– present

    The Presbyterian church in San Benito that began by serving the community's Hispanics is nearing its 100^th anniversary. It now serves all, regardless of ethnicity. The following list clearly demonstrates how it has and continues to have a positive impact on the growing City of San Benito and its surrounding areas. Its commitment to the betterment of the city's citizens has never wavered and therein lies its historical/cultural significance.

Return to Valley History        Return to CCHC Home Page