Second City Church is a community that exists to worship the Triune God and to celebrate, in word and deed, the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Harrisburg.
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ABOUT US
Mission Statement
Beliefs
Second City Church is made up of people from many backgrounds but who all embrace and seek to live out the historic Christian faith as it is expressed in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. We recognize the Heidelberg Catechism as a confession of faith.
The doctrinal standards of our national church which our pastor, elders and deacons affirm are the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms as adopted by the Presbyterian Church in America.
Our Story
In 1864, a group were sent out from Salem German Reformed Church to start the second Reformed church in the city of Harrisburg. As the city moved out, Second Church built our current building in 1905.
In 1997, a group from Trinity Presbyterian and a group from New Covenant Presbyterian began meeting for prayer and Bible study. These prayer groups grew into City’s Gate Church and in 2009 joined together as Second City Church .
The name Second City Church itself is a testimony to God’s working in the city and in these two churches over the last 154 years. It is also a reference to St. Augustine’s great work, ‘The City of God.’
Staff
Pastor Peter Rowan
Pastor Peter is the happy husband of Melise and the father of Lillie and James. Peter is a native of Washington state and a graduate of Western Washington University and of Covenant Theological Seminary.
Before coming to pastor at Second City Church, he was the campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA where he and Melise met at City Church. It was only fitting to go from City Church to Second City Church.
Peter loves living in the city, where those who work at the capital intersect with those who live at the mission; where those who he passes at the Broad St Market are those who he walks by along Riverfront Park. He loves food (cooking, eating, reading and talking), biking, music, books, his dog, and the list goes on. He would love to get together with you!
Administrator Cindy Russo
Cindy Russo joined the staff at Second City Church (SCC) in January 2017. She has always felt called to serve Christ in the inner-city.
Before coming to SCC, Cindy served on staff at her previous church as Children’s Ministry Director, Mercy Ministries Coordinator and Events Coordinator. Cindy also directed Vacation Bible School (VBS) there for 27 years. One of the highlights of her summers was leading VBS at the Bethesda Youth Mission and on playgrounds and in backyards all over the Harrisburg area.
In 2009 Cindy led a team of adults and youth to Chattanooga, Tennessee to work with Hope for the Inner City where they presented VBS on playgrounds in Chattanooga’s poorest communities.
In the summer of 2017, Cindy directed VBS at Second City Church where she hopes to do so for many more years to come