The Presbytery of the John Knox
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| God speaks through the stories of all God’s people. History becomes stories when shared with others. As time goes by the stories are retold, passed on from person to person. The First Presbyterian Church of Dubuque, Iowa (originally called the German Presbyterian Church) provides the roots for the stories of immigrants who settled in the upper Midwest.
Two events are part of the history of the people of First Presbyterian Church of Dubuque. One event began when Peter Flury came to America from Switzerland to minister to Native Americans in 1847. Soon, however, he found the needs of the Swiss German farmers who were immigrants in this area more pressing. Constructing the “Blue” Presbyterian Church in 1856 on the site of the present First Presbyterian Church building was the beginning of a ministry that continues today. The other event was the calling of Adrian Van Vliet to minister to farmers. By 1870, the congregation had grown to 180 members. Adrian Van Vliet’s charge was to provide a seminary education for the young men in the congregation who wished to carry the gospel into the expanding frontier. From his small seminary in this church, the forerunner of the present-day University of Dubuque was founded, as were many churches of German heritage in the upper Midwest. The Presbytery of the John Knox includes the corners of 3 states, and it has 62 churches and 10,940 members. |
 Presbytery Staff Rev. Hal Murry, executive presbyter Rev. Ken Meunier, associate executive presbyter Judy Crotsenberg, presbytery administrator Rosemary Buchholz, administrative assistant Elder Alyson Janke, stated clerk PC(USA) General Assembly Staff Karen Sayers, BOP Lisa Sayers, BOP Ray Scaletti, OGA |
 “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Rev. 7:12). |
 Ps. 28, 54, 99, 146 Micah 3:1–8 Rev. 7:9–17; Luke 10:1–16 |
