Our History

The First Presbyterian Church of Biloxi was organized May 17th, 1891. Leadership came from New Orleans as did may members who had summer homes in Biloxi.

The following year the first church building was completed on East Howard Ave. (then known as Pass Christian Street).

The City wanted to build a new high school in 1940 and needed the church property. So a swap was made and the church building was moved and remodeled on West Howard Ave. in the vicinity where I-110 now crosses over West Howard Ave. The school which today is the Dukate Elementary School building was built on the old site.

The property on which the present day First Presbyterian Church facility is located was once the home of Ida Leiter, who in 1954, deeded it to the congregation. The Educational Building was completed in 1957, and the Fellowship Hall served as the sanctuary. A bequest from Mrs. Leiter helped build the present sanctuary that was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 29, 1962.

On August 17th, 1969, Hurricane Camille ravaged Biloxi. The church's only visible sign of that hurricane is the window pane in the sanctuary balcony which is slightly different in color. This is not a defect but a reminder of how blessed we were that the church was spared. Not one Sunday morning worship service was missed.

In 1985, on the night of February 2nd Buck Mosal looked from an upstairs window of the manse and saw that the church building was in flames. Fire spread through the Educational Building but was halted by the firewall between it and the sanctuary. Again, no morning worship services were canceled. First Baptist Church offered our church a temporary place to worship.

On August 29th 2005, Hurrican Katrina made worshipping in church buildings on the Mississippi Gulf Coast impossible for every congregation except for First Presbyterian Church of Biloxi. Though major damage was inflicted upon our building the structure maintained its integrity and our people maintain the vision of glorifying Christ on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for generations to come.