Making History Today: Pinecrest Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest

James S. Currie, Executive Secretary

This year several churches are celebrating anniversaries of note. First Presbyterian Church in Austin and First Presbyterian in Brownsville are observing their 175th anniversary. Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin is celebrating its 150th anniversary and Pine Crest Presbyterian Church in Houston is celebrating its 100th anniversary. No doubt, there are other important church anniversaries this year and we would like to know about them. This column will focus on the Pinecrest Church. 

William Temple (1881-1944), archbishop of Canterbury from 1942-1944, is reputed to have once observed, “The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.” Over the 100 years of its life this church has exemplified Temple’s view of the church’s primary purpose. 

According to Ed Triem, pastor of Pine Crest from 1968 to 1999, in 1922 Rev. James Hardie, pastor of

Second Presbyterian Church, invited Rev. James H. M. Boyce to come to Houston to start a church. Boyce served until his death on the last day of 1959. Born in Pleasant Hill, Mississippi, Boyce attended Stillman Institute. He was ordained by Central Atlanta Presbytery in 1913 and served churches Thomasville, Georgia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama before coming to Houston.

Originally located on Gregg Street, the church was organized in 1922 with about 40 families attending Sunday school and worship. In the church’s second year a Kindergarten was established. During the Depression years a food pantry was set up for area resident. A 5-gallon milk tank was set up on the porch of the manse where residents could bring quart bottles to be filled. In addition to offering Vacation Bible School to community youth, the church organized the first Black Boy Scout troop in Houston in 1935. In the 1930s Hi-Y girls met at the church. 

During World War II Black soldiers were welcomed at the church. In addition, many outside the church reached out for help with youth who were in trouble with the law. Rev. Boyce was asked to offer guidance. 

In 1949 the congregation had grown to 287 members and had outgrown the Gregg Street facility.

Land was purchased across the street from Wheatley High School and by 1950 the new building was completed. On March 18, 1951 the dedication of Pinecrest Presbyterian Church was held. Fifty-one new members joined in the first year of that new location. Youth programs and outreach continued. 

In 1955 Boyce was elected as the first Black moderator of Brazos Presbytery. Throughout the 1950s Boyce would travel to Beaumont to help start the Pioneer Presbyterian Church. 

Following Boyce’s 35 years of service Rev. David Shipley was called to serve as the church’s second pastor. He was installed on August 17, 1960. He was instrumental in helping start University Presbyterian Church near both Texas Southern University and the University of Houston. He also worked to establish a full-day pre-school program for 25 three and four year old children at the church. Under his leadership the membership of Pinecrest grew to 375. In 1966 Shipley resigned in order to accept a call in Northwest Missouri Presbytery. Later he went on to serve St. Mark’s United Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Missouri. 

After an interim ministry by Rev. Larry Spencer through 1967, Rev. Ed Triem was called as the third pastor of Pinecrest in February, 1968. A native of Iowa, Triem graduated from the College of Wooster and Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained on June 5, 1960. After serving churches in Hoboken, New Jersey and Minneapolis, Minnesota, he accepted a call to serve as pastor of Pinecrest. 

Triem served that congregation for the next 31 years. In addition to continuing various outreach programs, Triem launched some new ones. Church member Rebecca Howard was hired as Parish Worker and she led the community in delivering food baskets to needy families. A closing thrift store was also initiated for the community. Later Ms. Howard worked as a caregiver to women housed at the Harris County Jail on a weekly basis. She also organized Women for Justice to provide regular visits to women inmates. 

In these days of troubled race relations Pinecrest invited such community leaders as Mickey Leland, later Congressman, to speak. In addition, the Pinecrest youth put on the play “In White America”, first at Pine Crest and later at Bellaire Presbyterian Church. Over the years Congresswomen Barbara Jordan and Sheila Jackson Lee also spoke at Pinecrest. 

Pinecrest has a strong history of being active in the church beyond the local level. In 1973 Elder Nellye Joyce Punch was elected the first woman moderator of Brazos Presbytery. Member Ruby Everett served the church at Synod and national levels, mostly in the area of racial-ethnic ministry. Member Sharon Darden served on the staff of Brazos, Gulf Coast, and New Covenant Presbyteries for 54 years. Elder Barbara Campbell Davis served as associate executive of the Synod of the Sun for several years before going on to serve as presbytery executive of New Hope Presbytery in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. 

In the 1980s under Triem’s leadership Pinecrest became active in lobbying city, county, and state governments to improve services to residents, mainly addressing issues of racism. Triem serve as president of the Fifth Ward Housing Corporation for eight years, an organization that purchased 23 homes from a slumlord, remodeled them, and sold them at zero interest to most of the former residents. 

After retiring from Pinecrest in January, 1999, Triem supplied the church in Eagle Lake, Texas. He and his wife, Barbara, eventually moved to Brenham where they worshiped at the Presbyterian church there. Ed Triem died February 27, 2025. A service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at the Brenham Presbyterian Church on Friday, March 28, at 1 p.m.

The church has continued to make history today by serving the community, echoing William Temple’s words that “the Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.” 

The Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest exists to “stimulate and encourage interest in the collection, preservation, and presentation of the Presbyterian and Reformed heritage” in the Southwest. If you are not a participating member of the Society and would like to become one, the annual dues are $20 per individual and $25 per couple. Annual institutional and church membership dues are $100. Checks may be made out to PHSSW and sent to: 

PHSSW – 5525 Traviston Ct., Austin, TX 78738.