About Us :

The mission of our church is to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ through mission and example, both locally and to the far corners of the earth. Worship is extremely important for the congregation. Individuals in the congregation participate fully in all aspects of worship service glorifying Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Haines congregation is committed to being a light in the community for Christ and is reaching out with both time and offerings to others near and far. The church is a Christ centered community eager to learn from and to be transformed by God's Word.

The Presbytery camp, Rainbow Glacier Christian Camp, 8 miles from the church, provides a wonderful opportunity for all of Southeast Alaska and beyond. Rainbow Glacier Christian Camp has been and continues to be the passion of many people in the Haines congregation who have worked faithfully to see this camp be a way to reach young people for Christ. Together with the Presbytery, the Haines church is committed to developing this camp in ways that will increase its opportunity for use by all ages.

The first people to live in the Chilkat Valley were the Tlingits. They called the peninsula where Haines is located, "Deishu," which means, "end of the trail."

Mission work began at Haines when Sheldon Jackson and S. Hall Young came in 1879 and obtained land from the Tlingits. In July 1881, the Rev. Eugene Willard and his wife established a mission at Deishu to serve all the villages, which later included a home for orphaned children. Originally called Chilkat Mission, it was later renamed in honor of Mrs. F. E. H. Haines, who was secretary of the national women's missionary society.

The church was organized by Presbytery in 1895. In 1969, the congregation built a new church which burned and was replaced in 1973. A charred, wooden cross, which survived the fire, is displayed in the church. The oldest Protestant bell in Alaska, which arrived with the Willards, stands next to the new church. In the summer of 2006, the Haines church celebrated 125 years of Presbyterian Ministry in this valley.

Haines is surrounded by numerous rivers, lakes, and scenic mountains which rise from the sea. It is a community of about 2000, located on the western shore of Lynn Canal 80 air miles northwest of Juneau. It has year-round road access to Canada and Interior Alaska. The Chilkat Valley is home year-round to several hundred bald eagles. Between October and February, that number soars to almost 3500 -the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.