First Presbyterian Church of LG Welcomes Butler as New Pastor

Rev. Gordon Butler will be officially installed as the new pastor of First Presbyterian Church of La Grange this coming Sunday, October 26, 2025 during the worship service at 10:30 am.

Rev. Butler began as pastor of First Presbyterian Church, La Grange in July of 2025.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and desire to make our church the best witness to Jesus Christ it can possibly be.

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Rev. Butler is a native Texan who was born in Houston and grew up in Corpus Christi. First Presbyterian Church, La Grange is the fifth church Gordon has served as a pastor. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (and also attended the University of Oklahoma) in 1985 with a degree in philosophy. He also attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary where he earned a Masters of Divinity degree in 1989. He previously served four churches in Pasadena, Tx, Lafayette, La., Giddings, Tx., and in the DFW area from the late 1980s until 2004. Gordon has worked in the mental health field for 21 years (from 2004 until 2025) helping those who live with mental illness find their place in the workplace. He has been the initial Executive Director for two ICCD (International Coalition of Clubhouse Development) Clubhouses for a psychosocial rehabilitation/ peer support program that has been around since the 1940s. He has served on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center – San Antonio helping to direct the Money Follows the Person (MFP) pilot program. He also founded a company, Kairos-Recovery LLC dedicated to helping those disabled with mental illness and/or substance use move from disability to an independent, thriving life. During this time, he also worked part time for a number of churches in the area of pastoral and ministry development as well as preaching and teaching.

He has been married to his childhood sweetheart for over 40 years. They have 3 children and 6 grandchildren, with all of whom he spends as much time as possible. He was a collegiate golfer and enjoys sports. He is passionate about his OU Sooners, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Astros. Gordon is hearing disabled as he lost his hearing at the age of nine months old causing him to be deaf in his right ear and 95% deaf in his left.

The installation service will include representatives from ECO (A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians of which First Presbyterian Church is a member.) ECO is a rapidly-growing Presbyterian denomination that exists to serve the local churches and reclaim a sense of covenanted biblical community. ECO’s Four Priorities are: to lift up the centrality of the gospel, to grow with an emerging generation of leaders, to prioritize a wave of church innovation and to create an atmosphere of relational accountability.

Presbyterians arriving in Texas by 1826 have faithfully welcomed community members to worship. First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1848 and constructed the Union Church, in conjunction with the Baptist and Methodist congregations in 1853.

Please join your friends and neighbors in welcoming Rev. Butler to La Grange and the First Presbyterian Church. All are welcome to join us for this celebration on October 26, 2025 at 10:30 am at First Presbyterian Church, 205 S. Franklin St., La Grange. There will be a reception following the service in the Fellowship Hall.