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First
Presbyterian Church of |
"For where two or three are
gathered in my name, I am there among them." – Matthew 18:20
The Founding
"City of Griffin, Pike County,
Georgia – On Saturday before the fourth Sabbath in November, it being the 27th
day, 1841, agreeable to an appointment of Flint River Presbytery, the following
ministers being present: Rev. Michael L.
Dixon, Rev. Henry L. Deane and Rev. L. W. Corbin, the following persons
presented themselves: Dr. James S. Long,
Mrs. Jane E. Long, Miles Garrison, Mrs. Garrison and Mrs. Bishop, having
previously been members of the Presbyterian Church elsewhere, and Mr. Thomas H.
Spruce who was examined on experimental religion. All of these had 'publicly' declared their
approbation of the doctrines, governments and disciple of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States, having covenanted to live together in unity as
Christians and also to aid as God might enable them in supporting the gospel
amongst them. These were constituted a
church to be known as the Presbyterian Church in the City of
First Presbyterian's Pastors
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Henry L. Deane |
1841 – 1844 |
William L. Keith
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1845 – 1857 |
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R. A. Mickle |
1858 – 1862 |
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Civil War |
1862 – 1866 |
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John Jones |
1866 – 1870 |
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Robert N. Nall |
1871 – 1877 |
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Malcolm McH.
McKay |
1878 – 1890 |
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William G. Woodridge |
1891 – 1901 |
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L. G. Henderson |
1902 – 1906 |
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William A. Murray |
1906 – 1918 |
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J. Marion Stafford |
1919 – 1924 |
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Malcolm Williamson |
1924 – 1930 |
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Paul Watson |
1930 – 1935 |
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1936 – 1943 |
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Leonard Topping |
1944 – 1947 |
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E. P. Nichols |
1948 – 1952 |
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Harold M. Shields |
1953 – 1956 |
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C. Edward "Ed" Davis |
1957 – 1968 |
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1969 – 1982 |
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Spencer R. Frye |
1983 – 1994 |
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1996 |
The First Presbyterian
Church of Griffin started with six members lead by the Rev. Henry L.
Deane. They met in an old warehouse
located on what is now Broad Street. The
members sat on sacks of corn and other goods, which filled the warehouse. In the first five months they grew by 67% to
ten members. The first report sent to
Presbytery read:
"FIRST REPORT, APRIL 1842
Organized and constituted on Saturday
the 27th day of November, 1841.
6 members present
2 members added on examination
2 members added on certificate
_____
10 Total now in communion, 1842"
Of special note from the
early minutes: "Sunday morning,
March 31, 1844, Wm. Thompson, infant son of Jas. S. and Jane E. Long; Sidney Clopton, infant son of Robt. S.
and Mary J. Lanier; Ellen Elizabeth and Samuel Henry, infant children of Henry
L. and Catherine T. Deane received the ordinace of
infant baptism." Sidney Clopton Lanier later became poet Laurent of Georgia.
The Rev. Henry L.
Deane served for three years, until the end of 1844. Under his ministry membership increased from
six to thirty-eight, church services were held only once a month, but there
were many prayer meetings. It is stated
that two-day meetings were common, beginning on Saturday morning and ending
Sunday night.
In 1848, more than six years after the
founding, the first church building was built.
The church was built on an acre lot received as a grant from Gen Lewis
Lawrence Griffin, the founder of the City of Griffin. This lot was located at the corner of North
Hill and Chapel streets. The building 
cost $2,000, $150 of which was received from the
Church Extension Committee of Presbytery, the rest being raised by the
members. On Sunday morning, August 16,
1848, the session adopted the following resolutions: "Whereas the meeting-house now building
is expected to be finished shortly; resolved, that it be dedicated to the
worship of Almighty God, and that appropriate religious services be held on the
first Sabbath in October next, for that purpose, Resolved, second, that as soon
as the house is finished and dedicated, that a Sabbath School be opened in it
for the instruction of the children and youth of our congregation." The Griffin Presbyterian Sunday School was
organized October 22, 1848 with ten teachers and forty-six pupils.
1848 was also the first year the pastor's
salary is mentioned. The Rev. Wm. L.
Keith was chosen to preach two Sundays a month for "at least $200"
annually. The annual report for that
year shows "For minister's salary $186.50." No explanation of the difference is
noted. In 1849 Rev. Keith received a
raise to $431 per year for preaching three Sundays per month.
On Thursday night, June 14, 1849, the
session met for the purpose of adopting rules and regulations for the better
government of the church. The following
were adopted:
First – There shall be a
board of trustees of seven members, to be elected by the church.
Second – It shall be the duty of the
trustees as soon as possible to get an act of incorporation from the
Legislature, and to have invested in them, the right of the church property for
the use and benefit of the Presbyterian Church in Griffin.
Third – They shall annually, on the
first of October, rent the pews, and they are hereby requested to collect the
same quarterly and to pay it over to the Clerk of Sessions.
Fourth – They are also requested to
have direction, and contract for, any repairs, alterations, or additions to the
church property that may be deemed necessary.
Fifth – They are also requested to
provide for the keeping and lighting of the church, and to recommend the way
and means to pay for the same.
Sixth – The session recommends as a
standing rule that the first Sabbath in each season, to wit: the first Sabbath
in March, June, September and December be the regular Communion for this
church, at which time the Sacraments of the Lord's Supper shall be
administered."
The church elected the
trustees in 1849, and an act to incorporate the Presbyterian Church at Griffin,
in the County of Pike, was approved by the Legislature February 1, 1850.
Discipline
In the early days, disciple by the session was very rigid, and members were often cited to appear before them. For example: "The clerk was directed to cite Brother X to meet the session at the church on the second Sabbath in April to show cause why he absented himself from the church, and thereby neglected the means of grace." Brother X presented himself and answered the charges against him; "I am in such circumstances that I am not able to appear in suitable attire at the church on the Sabbath Day." The case was continued for further consideration.
Another case happened February 28,
1851: "It being made known to the
session by the Moderator that two brothers had attended a ball and dance, a
committee was appointed to see the brethren and report at next meeting." The report read: "Both the brethren confess guilty and
manifest no signs of repentance, or desire to remain members of the church;
therefore, resolved that they be suspended until they show suitable signs of
repentance. Resolved, that the session
of this church disapprove of dancing at balls and dancing parties, and of
parents sending their children to dancing schools."
The Civil War
For much of the Civil War the church
was without a pastor. The Rev. James C.
Patterson served as interim pastor on several occasions, first from January to
October of 1863, then from June of 1865 to February of 1866. Rev. James C. Patterson was the President of
the Synodical College for Women, of the
Presbyterian Church in Griffin. It
was located on four acres where Taylor Street Middle School currently
stands. It was not uncommon for the
church to go several months at a time without holding services during the
war. Additionally, there were a number
of refugees that became members of the church.
One instance from the church records:
"Mr. Jas. H. Gordon and Mrs. Caroline M. Gordon, members of the
Chickamauga Church, presented themselves for membership in this church, but
without regular letters of dismission, having been
compelled to flee from the face of the enemy and leave their homes and their
sanctuaries in haste, their pastors having been driven from their flocks and
the flocks scattered – perhaps never to be gather again on earth. It has been found impractical to obtain
letters, the session having received satisfactory evidence of their regular
church standing – received them as members in full fellowship in this
church."
Need for Revival
In a narrative to Presbytery October
8, 1885, the session reported regular service twice each Sunday and weekly
prayer meetings; that these meetings were very well attended; that their pastor
preached with zeal, earnestness and simplicity, greatly to the edification of
his hearers; yet with all these means of grace that they were constrained to
confess that as a church they were in a cold state; that they had received no
member by profession, and but few by letter since their last report.
This brought about much searching of
hearts, and this searching began with the session themselves. Shortly after this the session held a meeting
the object of which was mutual confession.
Every member of the session was present and made feeling and touching
confession of his shortcomings. They
resolved to have a pastoral letter prepared and read to the congregation. In that letter it was stated that: The spirit of pleasure and worldliness had
prevailed among the people; that there had been no anxiety for the salvation of
souls; that offerings had been held back; that reproach had been brought upon
the name of Jesus Christ by the sinful lives of the people, and that the
session trembled at the wrath of God and the judgment denounced against his
careless shepards, and so they came with their own
humble confessions. These were long and
detailed confessions of their sins to Almighty God; to have more reverence for
the session, and to submit themselves to the discipline of the church. The next report to Presbytery stated that the
spiritual condition of the church was much improved and that peace and harmony
prevailed.
The Second Church Building
Having outgrown current facilities,
the church began construction of a new church building in the spring of
1888. The corner stone was laid. Engraved on it are these words, "Built 
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Corner Stone. – Ephesians 2:20." The corner stone now sits on the current
church grounds. The first service was
held in the new church November 4, 1888.
The full report of the Treasure of the Building Committee reports that
the lot cost $1420; the building $10,016; the furnishing, which was done by the
ladies of the church, $450. The Ladies
Society also donated $1236.20 to the building fund. The interest on the building fund was
$1436.01.
On December 17, 1888, the Building
Committee was instructed to move the bell from the old church to the new. The church bell had been purchased in
1871. This bell is currently on the
grounds of the present church. The old church
and half-acre lot were sold for $1000 and this was added to the building
fund. On 
was free from debt of any kind. A report from an old newspaper reads: "February 18, 1890 dedicatory services
of the new Presbyterian Church were held.
The church could not be wholly dedicated to the service of the Lord
until it was fully paid for. The church
decorations were very beautiful and the singing was good. The learned and eloquent Dr. G. B. Strickler of Atlanta read the lesson of the parable of the sower, Luke 8, and took as his text a part of the 18th
verse: "Take heed therefore how ye
hear." The text was appropriate to
the occasion since it was here that the Gospel would be preached and here that
it should be heard in the right way. He
said that as a man hungers for bread and thirsts for water just as much at
three score as at three, so should we desire and have keen relish for the
truths of the Scripture."
In 1894 a Pilcher
Pipe Organ was purchased at a cost of $1,425.
This organ was completely rebuilt in 1978 when it was moved to the
current sanctuary. The organ was the 25th
organ built by the 
Henry Pilcher Organs
Builders of Louisville KY. It originally
had manual bellows. Later a hydraulic
pump that operated by city water pressure powered the organ. This was not entirely satisfactory as the
pump leaked and flooded the basement on many occasions. At some point an electric blower was
added. In 1993, John Farmer of North
Carolina reworked the pipes and added another rank for a fuller and richer
tone. A new bench was added that allows
the organist to adjust the seat height for more comfort while playing. All original parts of the organ, including
the bench and the mirror have been preserved.
The Turn of the Century
In July 1902, the Rev. L. G.
Henderson, of Americus, was called and began his work in the church. A complete reorganization of the church took
place. The envelope system was
adopted. The home department of the Sunday
School was established. The missionary
spirit was awakened and the interest developed in missions was far-reaching. A Mission Sunday School was begun under most
favorable auspices. Mrs. C. H. Osborn
donated a lot and deeded it to the church for the purpose of building a house
of worship to be known as Osborn Presbyterian Chapel. This Chapel was on Tinsley Street and was
built during this time.
In 1902, it was the privilege of the
church to have with them for a meeting, Dr. Edward O. Guerrant
of Kentucky. Under his preaching there
was a gracious revival and large numbers were added to the church on profession
of their faith in Jesus Christ. Among
these were many of the young people of the church. Following the meeting, the session passed a
resolution of thanksgiving for these showers of blessing in answer to prayer.
In 1906 the church began to support a
missionary to China, Miss Josie Woods.
Women of the Church
The Women of the church have always
been very active and have operated under different names. Originally it was "The Ladies Benevolent
Society" and "The Mite Society" there was also a "Mission
Band." Later there was the
"Ladies Aid Society" the " Service Circle" and "The
Woman's Missionary Society."
Currently we have the "Presbyterian Women." In 1925 the women were organized as the
"Women's Auxiliary." The first
year as the Women's Auxiliary was so successful that a the meeting of the
Atlanta Presbyterial in 1925, the President stated
that out of fifty-five churches, in the Presbyterial,
the Griffin Auxiliary was recognized above all others for work accomplished
during the last year.
Growth
In 1924 it was decided that a Sunday
School annex was needed. It was decided
to use the Manse adjoining the church for this purpose, and the necessary
changes were made to accommodate the growing Sunday School. A new Manse was built on Mimosa Drive in 1938
on a lot donated by a few members. The
old Manse served as the Sunday School building until 1951 when an educational
building was built on the site. The
building was completed on November 4, 1951.
In April 1941 an outpost Sunday School
was organized at Liberty Hill in Lamar County.
Sunday School was held each Sunday afternoon, with original membership
of forty-seven.
Changes in Church Government
On November 1, 1936 the rotary system
of electing deacons was established.
Under this plan two new deacons were elected each year and serve for a
term of three years. In January 1949,
the rotary system for elders was adopted.
In 1990 the Deaconate and the Session were combined into one body.
Building the Current Church Building
On Sunday, February 19,1967, the
Building Planning Council recommended that consideration be given to moving the
church to a new location. On April 23rd,
the congregation voted 127 to 81 in favor of the recommendation. On September 24th, they voted to
purchase five acres of land at the intersection of Memorial Drive, Futral Road and East College Street for the future location
of the church. In 1975 the architect's
plans for the new building were approved, and the Planning Council was directed
to develop a plan for financing the new facility. 1977 was the year of decision, after many
years of meetings and discussions, planning, and prayers, the decision was made
to build the new church building at a total cost of $560,000. The groundbreaking ceremony took place
October 2, 1977. Some of 
the stained
class windows from the old church were moved to the new building,
and the Pilcher pipe organ (purchased in 1894) was
completely rebuilt. The church bell,
originally purchased in 1871 that had hung in the original church building was
moved to the grounds of the new building.
The corner stone was removed from the old church and now sits near the
bell on the current grounds.
September 10, 1978 was the last Sunday
in the old church, After the worship service that morning, members of the
congregation went home, ate lunch, and returned at 2 PM with trucks, station
wagons, and other vehicles. In four
hours everything movable had been transferred to the new building. The first service in the new building was
September 17, 1978. The dedication
ceremony was held November 19, 1978.
On August 24, 1980 the congregation
voted to build an Activities Building.
It was completed in July 1981.
The Sesquicentennial
On Thanksgiving Eve, November 27, 1991
the First Presbyterian Church of Griffin celebrated 150 years of serving the
Lord. There were three services that
were part of this celebration.
Thanksgiving Eve there was a community service held at the church. Leading in service were: Dr. Bruce Morgan – First Baptist Church, Dr. Cleopatrick Lacy – Mount Zion Baptist Church, The Reverend
Doug Winn – Saint George's Episcopal Church, The Reverend Monroe Grant – First
Christian Church, The Reverend Katherine Pash – Saint
John's Lutheran Church, Captain Ken Nelson – The Salvation Army, The Reverend
Hubert Flanagan – First United Methodist Church, and Dr. Spencer Frye – First
Presbyterian Church.
On November 29, 1991 (the day after
Thanksgiving) there was Celebration In Music at the church, with special
music provided by the choir. Then on
Sunday December 1, 1991 a special celebration service was given. After the service a Celebration Dinner
was held in the Activities Building.