About First Presbyterian
First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte is a warm and loving family of faith in Jesus Christ, seeking to understand and follow God’s word and teachings. We find confidence and joy in the promise of God’s everlasting and redeeming love, and the truth that all people have inherent dignity and are known and loved as God’s children. We also acknowledge that we are an imperfect people in need of God’s grace as we continuously reform and learn how to be better instruments of God’s love. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we bring our diverse social, political, and theological perspectives to be woven together in a caring community of believers for Christ in the heart of Charlotte.
First Presbyterian is an inclusive, urban city church in the center of Uptown Charlotte. Though we are a large congregation of 2,000 members, we offer many opportunities to connect, making our large church feel small and intimate. We are a PC(USA) church which is a part of the Reformed tradition and is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US.
2023 Annual Report
The annual report tells the story of where we’ve been as a church over the past year, and give a glimpse of where God is calling us next.
Beliefs
We believe two historically Presbyterian affirmations, found in our Presbyterian Book of Order:
“In the name of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Christian community worships and serves God in shared experiences of life, in personal discipleship, in mutual ministry, and in common ministry in the world.”
“The Church is called to be a sign in and for the world of the new reality which God has made available to people in Jesus Christ.”
Our church is a member of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians,
which seeks equity still not fully realized for LGBTQIA+ people in church and society by
- Engaging the church to invite all of God’s children into safe and welcoming congregational spaces of affirmation, healing, dignity, and purpose;
- Educating the church to expand our welcome of LGBTQIA+ people, to affirm their gifts for ordained office, and to uphold marriage equality for all; and
- Equipping the church to bear witness to justice through advocacy and activism at the international, national and local church levels; speaking a prophetic word in anxious and divided times; and standing with others in fighting hate and oppression against any of God’s children.
Our History
First Presbyterian has a rich history that dates back to 1821, when the small town of Charlotte (yes, Charlotte was once considered a small town!) set aside a plot of land for the creation of a town church. Since then, First Presbyterian has grown along with the city, embracing change by leading important community conversations and living into our calling to be an urban, center city church.
The History Hallway
Within a dedicated hallway in the church and linked below, you can find photographs and brief bios for each of our senior ministers througout the history of the church. The biographies include both positive actions and – truthfully – those that show human failings, particularly in the area of race. The Hallway also contains a Repentance and Resurrection statement in the context of scripture and a dedication conveyed and brought to life by a work of art. The statement references our church’s history, rooted in our faith and the history of our city, and our hope for the future.
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