Covenant

In 1960, the Presbyterian Church U.S. asked the Rev. Carl Eaton, a former missionary to China and recent graduate of the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, to meet with a group of northwest Austin residents intending to form a new church. In March 1961, a small fellowship of 96 members, who had been meeting in the Highland Park Elementary School, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church U.S. Under the leadership of the Rev. Eaton, the supporting presence of his wife Esther, and the work, prayer and diligence of the members, the congregation was soon thriving. After purchasing property on the southwest corner of MoPac and RM2222 (Northland Drive), the first sanctuary building, now known as Eaton Hall, was completed in 1965. In 1970, the Children’s Hall was completed and the patio enclosed (The Upper Room) in 1993. The new sanctuary building was completed in 1981. The same year, the Rev. Eaton retired from ministry and assumed the title of Pastor Emeritus. In 1989, he returned to Covenant as Parish Associate, which he filled with distinction until his death in 1992. His wife Esther preceded him in death in 1988.

The mid-1970 and 80s was a time of great growth for Covenant as it approached 1,000 members. Associate Pastors and non-ordained program staff were added to serve a vibrant fellowship. Over the years, our congregation has been led by many associate pastors and program staff, each of whom left his or her mark on our ministry in diverse ways. We are grateful for their service in Christ’s name. Pictures of some of them, along with the original charter, appear on the Heritage Wall in the hallway next to the parlor. The Rev. Dr. Richard Baldwin led the congregation as Senior Minister from 1982-1986. He served Covenant during a time of economic difficulty for the community and is well remembered by those who were helped and spirtiually nurtured by his gifts.

In 1987, the Rev. George Cladis was called to be Covenant’s third Senior Minister. During the 11 years of his ministry, Covenant’s budget grew from $500,000 to $1.1 million, and membership grew to 1,500. These statistics, however, are not themselves important; rather, they reflect the spiritual growth and development of the congregation. Emphasis has been placed on building quality ministries that reach out with the love of Jesus Christ and invite people into a relationship with the living Lord. A new office building, Covenant Hall, and a 100-plus space parking lot were built during his tenure at Covenant.

In July of 1999, the Rev. Dr. James (Jim) Singleton was called to Covenant as Senior Minister. He earned his BA at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., and graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1983. After five years as an associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, Texas, he moved to Boston University School of Theology where he received his Th.D. in church history and evangelism. From 1991 to 1999, Dr. Singleton was the senior pastor of Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church in Spokane, Wash.

In June 2006, Covenant called Rev. Richard (Rick) Murray of Yakima, Wash., as Senior Pastor. Rick is from California, where he graduated from Cal Poly University with a B.S. in Social Science and History in 1976 and graduated from Fuller Seminary in 1980. Rick then served in youth ministry as an Assistant Pastor and in adult education as an Associate Pastor in California. Next, Rick became Senior Pastor at John Knox Presbyterian Church of Dublin, Calif., followed by 13 years at First Presbyterian Church of Yakima and the surrounding community as the Senior Pastor/Head of Staff.

In August 2007, the congregation voted to begin construction on a new 59,000-square foot Fellowship and Education Building which replaced the former Children’s Hall. The four-story building provides much needed space for fellowship activities, small group meetings, youth groups and Sunday School. It also houses Covenant's contemporary worship service. This space ensures Covenant has room to continue growing for many years.

In July 2011, the Rev. Paul Parsons joined Covenant as Intermin Senior Pastor. 

A chronological history of Covenant is available in the church library as the result of ongoing efforts by the church History Committee. You are invited to learn more about the history and heritage of our congregation and take part in one of our many ministries.