First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta |
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First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta (2020)
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| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
The First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta is a church located in the Midtown area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This church was founded in 1848 and was the very first Presbyterian church in Atlanta.
The original church building on Marietta Street was left in April 1916. The land was then sold to the U.S. government. A new building for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta was built there. The current church building on Peachtree Street was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. Today, about 2,000 people are members of the church. It is located across 16th Street from the High Museum of Art.
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History of Atlanta's First Presbyterian Church
When the church started on January 8, 1848, only nineteen Presbyterians met in a simple log building. This building was known as the male academy. The church officially became a legal organization in February 1854. It was known as the 'First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta' and was the only Presbyterian church in the city at that time.
The first pastor of the church was Dr. John S. Wilson. In 1915, the church finished building a new Sunday School building at its current location. The first service there was held on December 5, 1915. The main church building, called the sanctuary, was designed by Walter T. Downing. It was finished in 1919. Beautiful stained glass windows, some made by Tiffany, were put in around that time.
The Sunday morning worship service from First Presbyterian Church was broadcast on local WSB (AM) radio. The only time the radio service was stopped was on September 3, 1939. This happened when the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, leading to World War II. In 1973, the church welcomed its first Black member since the time of slavery. Today, Dr. Tony Sundermeier leads the church as its pastor, a role he took on in 2014.
What the Church Believes and Does
The First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta aims to follow Jesus Christ. They have several important values that guide them.
Community and Belonging
- Spiritual home: They want to be a place where people feel like they belong for their whole lives of faith.
- Strong commitment: Members focus their lives on worship, learning, and serving God.
- Real diversity: They build relationships that respect everyone as children of God.
Love and Care
- Welcoming everyone: They share the welcome they receive from Jesus Christ with all people.
- Caring for each other: They give and receive support, care, and spiritual friendship.
- Healing relationships: They work to make things right with God and with each other.
Growing and Changing
- Always learning: They believe in being shaped by God's grace and the Holy Spirit's power.
- Joyful worship: They gather to thank and praise God, who created, saved, and supports them.
- Deeper understanding: They seek a closer relationship with God through study and spiritual practices.
Serving Others
- Humble leadership: They show they depend on God by following Jesus' example in today's world.
- Fair giving: They use what they have received to promote fairness, goodness, and human dignity.
- Sharing good news: They tell others about God's good news in everything they say and do.
The Church Organ
After the church was finished in 1919, the first organ was built by Henry Pilcher's Sons. It had four keyboards. In 1920, more sections were added, and the organ had 48 different sounds, called stops.
In 1969, another organ builder named M. P. Möller built a completely new organ. They used some parts from the old 1919 organ. In 1992, this instrument was fixed up and made even bigger. Most recently, in 2018, the organ was cleaned, repaired, and made larger again. This work was done by German organ builder Klais and US organ builder A. E. Schlueter.
The organ is very large, with 112 ranks (groups of pipes) and 6,397 pipes in total. It has 10 different sections and a modern control system.
How the Organ Works
The organ has many parts that work together to create its sound. It has different keyboards, called manuals, and a pedalboard played with the feet. Each part controls different sets of pipes, allowing the organist to make many kinds of music.
- Couplers: These are like switches that let the organist combine sounds from different parts of the organ. This makes the sound richer and more powerful.
- Effect stops: The organ can also make special sounds, like a "Zimbelstern" (a sparkling bell sound) and "Tower Bells."
- Special Features: The organ has modern features like recording and playing back music. It also allows many users to save their favorite settings.
