The United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton is proudly an open and affirming congregation and a member of the More Light Presbyterians movement. If you are seeking to learn more about Jesus Christ and discover what God can do in your life, we invite you to join us for worship, education, service to the community, mission, and fellowship.
You will find us to be a congregation of all sorts of people: young and old, single and married, adults and children, traditional and nontraditional families. We are teachers, secretaries, engineers, homemakers, line workers, retirees. Some are involved in a church for the first time (or the first time in a long time), others are transfers from other denominations, and some are lifelong Presbyterians.
What we hold in common is belief in the good news of reconciliation to God and to one another through Jesus Christ. We are committed to live and grow in that good news and to apply it to our lives.
On November 20, 1817, twenty people met on the steps of Binghamton’s Court House to assent to the Articles of Faith and Covenant prepared for a new church — First Presbyterian Church of Binghamton. The first members were enrolled by Rev. Ebenezer Kingsbury and Rev. Joseph Wood, who were representatives of the Presbytery of Susquehanna.
Over the course of the next 150 years, as the Binghamton area grew and flourished, First Presbyterian Church provided the seeds for ten more churches: the Presbyterian Church of Castle Creek (1833–1861), First Congregational Church of Binghamton (est. 1836), North Presbyterian (1870–1980*), West Presbyterian (1871–2011), Ross Memorial Presbyterian (1879–2021), Immanuel Presbyterian (1887–2022), First Presbyterian Church of Johnson City (formerly Floral Avenue Presbyterian, est. 1892), Broad Avenue Presbyterian (1894–1980*), John Hus Presbyterian (1937–2024; merged with First Pres JC), and South Hills Presbyterian (1962–2006).
[*In 1980, Broad Avenue–North Presbyterian Church was formed by merger; in 2007, they merged with First Presbyterian Church of Conklin to become Conklin Presbyterian Church and the Broad Avenue–North Presbyterian Chapel.]
In the mid-1980s, as our local economy began to struggle and demographics changed, mainstream church attendance declined. After several years of study, prayer, and collaboration, in 2010 the First and West Presbyterian Church congregations voted to merge into a single new congregation, and in August 2011 they became the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton. This merged congregation is now the steward of the 200+ years of history embodied in this church.
The United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton are a group of Christians who have come together because of our common faith in God and our commitment to live as Jesus lived. In order to fulfill that commitment we seek to
United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton is an open and affirming congregation, and officially registered as a More Light Presbyterians church in April 2018.
More Light Presbyterians believe we must refocus on who God is as a way to understand the fullness of what God is calling us to next. Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is to work for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and in society.
Seven members, elected by the congregation and ordained as Ruling Elders, are responsible for governing the congregation and guiding its Christian witness. Session members serve two-year terms.
Left:
Pastor Kimberly Chastain;
Associate Pastor Becky Kindig.
Top row, left to right:
Cindy Burger (2026)
Andy Chadwick (2025), Clerk of Session
Sherry Conklin (2026)
Bottom row, left to right:
Margaret Davis (2025)
Sally Hunt (2025)
Matt Johnson (2025)
Judy Girdwood Westcott (2026)
The work of the congregation is divided amongst several Teams, Committees, and ministry projects.
All Teams, Committees, and ministry projects are accountable to the Session. Each Team/Committee has a Session member to serve as liaison or chairperson.
Orientation/training is provided as new people become involved in the work of our congregation. Each year, Teams, Committees, and ministry projects prepare a proposed ministry budget with designated line items.
Our annual Congregational Activity Reports highlight the ministry that is going on in our congregation. (Download PDF)
Pastor Kimberly is the first installed pastor of UPC and has served our congregation since 2013. As the congregation grows and develops, she loves to use her experience as preacher, teacher, and community organizer to make connections and work with others to follow where Jesus leads. Through study, worship, and prayer, bringing exciting opportunities into the church building, and equipping others to seek opportunities beyond our walls, she hopes to work with others to bring Christ’s vision of justice, welcome, and peace to the community of downtown Binghamton. Kimberly lives in Johnson City with her nieces, Sara and Madelyn, and their dogs Kosmo and Jack.
Pastor Becky is the associate pastor for spiritual formation. She has been on staff at UPC since December 2012 and has more than 25 years of experience in youth ministry and Christian education. Becky also serves as one of the Co–Stated Clerks for the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley. Becky and her husband Scott are lifelong residents of the Greater Binghamton area. They live in Endwell with their adult son and their four cats. Becky enjoys nature, bird-watching, and Broadway musicals.
