Our History, Vision, and Mission
Welcome Home to New City Fellowship West End
Where Faith, Family, and the West End Meet.
Peace and blessings! We are so glad you’re looking into New City West End. If you live in the West End , you know this neighborhood has a soul and a history like nowhere else in St. Louis. We aren’t just in the West End; we are for the West End.
Whether you grew up in the church, haven’t stepped foot in a sanctuary in years, or are just looking for a place where you can be your authentic self, there is a seat at the table for you. We believe our church should look like our streets—diverse, vibrant, and full of life.
Our Roots
New City didn’t start by accident. It started with a vision back in 1992. At the time, the PCA denomination realized it needed to do more than just talk about faith—it needed to do the work of racial reconciliation and justice.
We knew that in a city like St. Louis, the Gospel has to mean something for our daily lives. We brought in Pastor Barry Henning from Chattanooga to help plant a church that didn’t just ignore the divisions in our city but worked to heal them through the power of Jesus Christ.
Our Heartbeat: To be a catalyst for proclamation of the forgiveness of sins, justice, compassion, and righteousness in the heart of the city.
Growth & New Beginnings
God has done more than we ever imagined over the last three decades, but we felt a specific calling to plant our roots even deeper into the West End.
May 2018: A dedicated group began praying and planning specifically for a West End site.
May 2019: We officially launched!
Where we are now: After starting out on Hodiamont Ave, we moved into our current home at 5872 Maple Avenue (the La Voz De La Esperanza building).
Why the West End?
We know the statistics of our zip code—about 75% of our neighbors identify as African American, and we believe the Black church tradition and the local community’s voice are vital to the spiritual health of St. Louis. We aren’t here to change the neighborhood; we’re here to grow with you and see God’s love transform our blocks, our families, and our futures.
The story is far from over, and we’d love for you to be a part of the next chapter.
Vision Statement
To see the reconciling and just reign of Jesus Christ established in St. Louis and the world.
New City Fellowship exists to humbly announce the good news of the kingdom of God in Christ by discipling the nations in the reconciling Gospel of Jesus Christ through a clear proclamation of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, and by doing Spirit-led deeds of justice and mercy that will help bring God’s restorative peace to his people, the city of St. Louis and the nations of the earth until the end of time, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Mission Statement
New City Fellowship is a church that is in, of, and, for the West End with the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
Because God so loved the world, we are called to show up with that same sacrificial, “agape” love in five specific ways:
With the Gospel: We offer radical acceptance, not condemnation. We bring the good news that God sacrificed His best to prove His love for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ giving us a seat at our Father’s Table.
In the West End: God is a “hands-on” God who walks in the neighborhood. We aim to serve as a parish church for the West End neighborhood. We are present in our seniors’ Bible studies, tutoring programs, and community gardens.
Of the West End: We don’t just serve the neighborhood; we identify with it. We are a “parish church” that honors African American culture and history, letting the community disciple us as much as we disciple them.
For the West End: We strive to be a community asset. If our church disappeared, we want our neighbors to notice because of the blessing we’ve been to local neighborhood institutions and families.
To the Ends of the Earth: Our mission doesn’t stop at the neighborhood border. We are a globally-focused church, empowered by the Holy Spirit to witness from St. Louis and beyond. We want to support and plant churches throughout the St. Louis area and the globe.
The reconciling and just reign of Jesus Christ established in St. Louis and the World.
