First Presbyterian Church (Chattanooga, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Presbyterian Church |
|
|---|---|
| First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga | |
 |
|
| Location | 554 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church in America |
| Previous denomination | Presbyterian Church in the United States |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical, Reformed |
| Membership | over 2,000 |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga (1840-1871) |
| Founded | 21 June 1840 |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Tennessee Valley Presbytery |
The First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a very old and important church. It's located downtown at 554 McCallie Avenue. This church is part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). It was actually the first Christian church ever started in Chattanooga!
Contents
History
How the Church Started
The First Presbyterian Church began on June 21, 1840. It was first called the Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. Missionaries, who are people who travel to share their faith, helped start it. These missionaries had worked with the Cherokee people at the Brainerd Mission.
After a sad event called the "Trail of Tears" (when many Native Americans were forced to move), the missionaries came back to Chattanooga. They started working with the English, Scots-Irish, and Welsh people living there. They helped create this new church.
Early Buildings
At first, the church met in a simple log cabin. Its first real church building was finished in 1845. This building was on Walnut Street. The church used it until the mid-1850s.
Then, a new brick church building was built. It was located at Seventh and Market streets. During the Civil War, in 1863, the Union Army took over Chattanooga. They used this church building as a military hospital. After the war, church services were held in the minister's home for a while.
Growing and Changing Names
The church grew bigger over the years. In 1871, it officially became known as "First Presbyterian Church." This happened when another church, Second Presbyterian Church, was started.
From the 1880s until 1910, First Presbyterian was located on Georgia Avenue. Then, its current building was opened. Many pastors have served the church. Some famous ones include Thomas McCallie and Jonathan Bachman.
Church on the Radio
A minister named Joseph Glass Venable served the church from 1924 to 1928. He was the first minister to have a church service broadcast on a local radio station. The church believes this radio program is the longest-running one in the United States!
Later, another minister, Ben Haden, continued this tradition. He started a radio show called "Changed Lives" on WFLI in Chattanooga.
Church Building
The church building was designed by a famous architect named Stanford White. It was built in 1910 and cost $152,000. That was a lot of money back then!
In December 2009, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site. In December 2010, the church celebrated its 100th birthday with a special dedication service.
Missions
The First Presbyterian Church has helped start other churches. These churches are in Chattanooga and other parts of the United States. The church also supports missions in other countries around the world. They work with other churches and groups to help people.
The church also runs a special place called Camp Vesper Point. It's a camp and conference center that is open all year. The church supports 63 missionaries. They also help start 5 new churches in 31 different countries.
Gallery
- Historic American Buildings Survey 1933
-
-
-
-
