Initial Organization: June 6, 1881

Mr. G.W. McGrew, who was an ardent Presbyterian and an elder in the Santa Clara Church, came to Los Gatos in 1881 and found that there was no Presbyterian Church in our town. This made him unhappy and he decided to do something about it. He got other people interested and a meeting was held in the Methodist Church at 4 p.m. on June 26,1881, at which Rev. J.W. Newell of the Santa Clara Presbyterian Church preached. After the service it was decided to organize a church in Los Gatos and a formal application, signed by 23 people, was made to the Presbytery Committee on Home Missions.

Mr. R.C. Moodie, a recent graduate of Auburn (N.Y.) Theological Seminary, had just arrived in Oakland with his bride and he was available as a pastor. Rev. Newell asked him to come to Los Gatos to preach on Sunday, July 3rd, in the Lyndon Hall on West Main Street. The small group of Presbyterians were impressed with the young man and asked him to serve as "stated supply for one year". The 23 members pledged themselves to the amount of $400 and the Presbytery Board of Home Missions "generously granted us the remainder of the salary". In 1888 Rev. Moodie's salary was $891.00.

The Presbytery of San Jose, which held its semi-annual meeting in San Leandro on October 5, 1881, adjourned to meet in Los Gatos on November 8, 1881 at 2 p.m. for the purpose of ordaining R.C. Moodie "to the gospel ministry and also to install him as pastor of the church in this place".

Services continued to be held in the Lyndon Hall for a few weeks. On November 15, 1881, the Trustees sent a letter "to the members and friends of the Los Gatos Presbyterian Church" outlining the accomplishments and the financial standing of the church. The letter called on the people "to subscribe as much as possible to the church". A subscription blank was enclosed in the letter which was signed by the Trustees: W.S. Butler, John Henderson, W.D. Hudson, E.W. Mills and Samuel Templeton.

By Bob Ekstrand with excerpts from: History of the First United Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, 1881-1972 by George W. Bruntz 1972