The Settlement Movement
Philippians 2:1–5
If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus …
In the early 20th century, as American cities swelled with immigrants from all over the world, Presbyterian congregations looked beyond the physical walls of the church into the neighborhoods around them. Seeking to be faithful to Jesus’ ideal of loving God and loving neighbor, they transformed Sunday schools into community centers and built Presbyterian Neighborhood Houses — extensions of Christ’s compassion in tenement districts and immigrant areas.
This work was born out of the same call echoed in Philippians 2: to put aside self-interest, to regard others with humility and to embody Jesus’ servant-hearted presence. The settlement movement, rooted in Progressive ideals, sought to uplift, educate and care for newly arrived families, many of whom faced poverty, discrimination and cultural dislocation. Presbyterians responded not with charity alone but with deep community engagement: walking alongside the poor, learning their stories and offering practical support. This listening and engagement meant that there was no one-size-fits-all solution — the centers changed and grew with the needs of the particular community.
These neighborhood houses were more than social projects — they were tangible expressions of the gospel’s call to unity and justice. They bridged divides between cultures, classes and languages. They did not seek to dominate or convert, but to accompany and uplift.
The challenge for us today is to recapture that same mind — the mind of Christ that humbles itself for the sake of the other. In a time in our world and our country where division and fear of the “stranger” are often exploited and inflamed, the example of these Presbyterians reminds us that the church’s vocation is not to retreat from difference, but to engage it with love.
As Christ emptied himself, so are we called to pour out our lives in service — especially in neighborhoods, among the forgotten, the foreign and the fearful.
Prayer: Gracious God, you humbled yourself in love to draw near to us. Teach us to do likewise. Give us the courage to serve, the humility to listen and the compassion to walk alongside our neighbors. Make us instruments of your peace. Amen.