HISTORY
Greenfield Avenue Presbyterian Church began in January, 1922, as a community Sunday School under the direction of Rev. O. O. Inman, pastor of the West Allis Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church in the United States of America), and Miss Katherine Ebel. In November of that year, the Ladies Aid Society took on the Sunday School as their project. With the aid of Rev. C. E. Franz and 21 charter members, the church was officially organized on May 9, 1926 in a former “garage hall’ on the northeast corner of 98th and Greenfield, built by men of the community for after-hours card playing.
The new building dedication was Feb. 27, 1927. The church had mission status, which remained until the early 1940’s. Rev. E. P. Loose served as our pastor, first jointly with Forest Park Presbyterian Church of New Berlin, then full-time for us.
The present church building was constructed in 1953, and the old property was sold to make way for I-894. An addition was built in 1969. A three-level elevator and other new facilities were completed in 1996 to make our building completely accessible.
This church participated with two other West Allis Presbyterian churches in a “larger parish” for three years, ending in January of 1981. Rev. John N. Gregg came to this ministry in 1978, as co-pastor of the three-church parish, and became pastor here in 1981.
The Session of the church voted unanimously on September 13, 1983, and reaffirmed that vote in 1992, to adopt the “Commitment to Peacemaking”, a major program of our denomination, the PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.). This continuing commitment was given an outdoor symbol with the “planting” of a peace pole on World Communion Sunday in 1991, proclaiming “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in eight different languages.
On June 16, 1999, Rev. Kevin G. Tarvid began work as our called pastor. (He’s now the Rev. Dr. Tarvid.) Pastor Kevin retired on June 16, 2019. At this time, we are in the process of searching for an Interim Pastor.
