Planting the Church

As part of a church planting mission in greater Boston, Pastor David Richter was called in 2012 to plant a new church: Christ the King Somerville (CTKS), out of Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Cambridge. In early 2013, an initial core group of families and individuals came together; many of these are still serving in the church, including in staff roles. Later that year, David was joined by Matt Owens, who would become the Assistant Pastor (and later Senior Pastor). After months of prayer and preparation, CTKS launched in September of 2014, with a vision to see our lives, our neighbors, and our city transformed by God’s grace.

In 2015, CTKS ordained its first elders and deacon. 

In the fall of 2018, Matt Owens was sent out from CTKS with his family to plant a new church in Quincy, MA (just south of Boston). 

In early 2020, Christ the King Somerville, like other Christ the King congregations around the city, “particularized” to become an independent church with its own leadership body within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). At that point, CTKS then changed its name to “Seven Hills Presbyterian Church” (SHPC) to reflect its mission to serve Somerville (known as the “City of Seven Hills”) and the surrounding communities.

Becoming Seven Hills

In early 2020, Christ the King Somerville, like other Christ the King congregations around the city, “particularized” to become an independent church with its own leadership body within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). At that point, CTKS then changed its name to “Seven Hills Presbyterian Church” (SHPC) to reflect its mission to serve Somerville (known as the “City of Seven Hills”) and the surrounding communities.In 2020, less than two weeks after the church particularized as Seven Hills, the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly limited the ability to meet in person in large groups. Following guidelines, Seven Hills pivoted from in-person worship services to weekly Zoom worship, as well as online community group gatherings, weekly prayer, Sunday school classes for kids by age group, and online devotional times together. SHPC members gathered online to worship, pray, and encourage one another; we served one another and community members in need with meals and other mutual aid services, and even contactless pick-up and delivery of gospel-themed children’s books.

Wide-scale societal shifts in 2020-2021 led many in the congregation to move outside of Somerville into broader metro-Boston communities, while remaining part of Seven Hills, while others left the Boston area altogether.

Leadership Changes

In May of 2021, Pastor David Richter accepted a new call to serve as the senior pastor of City Church of East Nashville in Tennessee, where he would be closer to family. SHPC members swiftly elected a committee of volunteers to conduct the pastoral search process, while Pastoral Intern Will Clark led a rotation of guest preachers to minister weekly to the congregation. Dedicated SHPC staff members and the church’s remaining elder and deacon took on extra church responsibilities to maintain weekly services, ministries, and grow membership after the impact of the pandemic. Despite the challenge of reduced leadership and attendance, God continued to provide joyful and willing volunteers, resources, new visitors, and opportunities for Seven Hills.

After a thorough and prayerful year-long process, in May of 2022 the Pastoral Search Committee recommended former Assistant Pastor Matt Owens to the church to return as the Senior Pastor of Seven Hills. The church voted unanimously, and Matt was installed into this role in July of 2022.

SHPC received many new members, including several from Pastor Matt’s former church plant in Quincy, whose March 2020 launch and growth were stymied by the pandemic, and which ultimately closed its doors in 2022.

In 2022 the SHPC Session began training new church officers and leaders, and in 2023 ordained several new elders and deacons, as well as commissioning an elder advisor and deaconess to serve alongside.

Seven Hills Today

Since the beginning, the vision of Seven Hills Presbyterian Church has been to see our lives, our neighbors, and our city transformed by God’s grace. Through community groups, our members have walked together through good times and hard times, praying, growing, grieving and rejoicing together. We have celebrated many marriages, births, baptisms, graduations, and ordinations. We have regularly partnered with local organizations, churches, and missionaries to meet community needs and share the Gospel locally, nationally, and globally. We have also said a bittersweet farewell to many members, whom the Lord has called to other parts of the country or the world.

After persevering through the global pandemic and significant church leadership changes, Seven Hills continues to steadily grow in attendance, diversity, membership, leaders, and ministries. Originally planted with a heart especially for Somerville, Seven Hills has since been blessed with an expanding community; people come in from South Hamilton to Weymouth, from Needham to Melrose, and everywhere in between, to find a home at our church. SHPC endeavors to be a loving Christian community to those of all ages and from all backgrounds, who are in the Boston area either for shorter periods of work or study, or for the long-term. As we walk together, God’s grace continues to form our lives, our neighbors, our city, and our world.