On Sunday July 7, 1867, four men and ten women gathered at the home of Catherine Hornbaker for worship and to declare themselves "Manassas Presbyterian Church". The Reverend J. E. Nourse was appointed by the Presbytery of the District of Columbia ("New School") as regular supply pastor. The members met for worship in homes. A lot at the corner of Main and Church streets was purchased. The lot had a vacant government building on it which served the fledgling congregation as a church and school for eight years.
In 1875 a brownstone church building was constructed. It served as the home of the congregation for over one hundred years. An education wing was added in 1961. In 1964, the church began a kindergarten program which has evolved into the current preschool Early Learning Center.
By the nineteen-seventies, the old building and lot could no longer contain our congregation and the present hilltop site on Ashton Avenue was purchased by Presbytery. A new church building was erected in 1977. The bell and stained glass from the building on Main and Church were removed and installed in the new building. The first worship service was held in the new church in September of that year.
In 1870, the Presbytery of the District of Columbia merged with the northern part of the Presbytery of Potomac to become the Presbytery of Washington City ("northern" church). In 1972, the presbyteries of Washington City and Potomac became The National Capital Union as part of the transition toward denominational reunion. We are now one of 118 churches and missions in The National Capital Presbytery, renamed in 1984 after the Presbyterian Church U.S. and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. reunited to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Our presbytery is in the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic.
For more than 150 years, the people of MPC have lifted their voices to praise God, taught the faith to their children, reached out in service to the community, supported one another in the bonds of Christ's love and risen to meet the challenges of succeeding generations. Today our church family numbers two hundred sixty children, youth and adults. In response to the Good News of Jesus Christ, we offer inspiring worship, ongoing nurture, outgoing mission and sustaining fellowship to our congregation and community. We invite you to be a part of our present and our future.