See also: Triptych Repentance and Resurrection Statement, Artist’s Statement
Rev. Robert Hall Morrison
(1798-1889; pastor 1827-1833)
This plaque was given by Mr. and Mrs. James O. Moore in March 1973. Mrs. Moore was the great-granddaughter of Robert Hall Morrison.
Robert Hall Morrison (1798-1889) was the first called pastor of FPC. He was also the founder and first President of Davidson College. He was born in Cabarrus County, NC, to William Morrison, a miller, and Abigail McEwen Morrison. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1818, and studied theology at the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) in 1820.
Upon returning to North Carolina in 1821, his first pastorate was at Providence Presbyterian Church near Charlotte. He left there after 18 months, answering a call to a larger and more affluent church in Fayetteville. He met his future wife, Mary Graham, when he preached in Hillsboro Presbyterian Church. They were married in 1824 and the couple eventually had 12 children. Two died in childhood.
With this marriage, Morrison joined the planter elite – the Grahams were among the largest landowners (and slaveholders) in the state. Mary’s brother William was a politician who served as US Senator, North Carolina governor, and Secretary of the Navy under President Millard Fillmore.
In 1827, Morrison accepted a call to Sugar Creek Church (2/3 time) and Charlotte (1/3). He continued that arrangement until 1833, when he became the full-time pastor at Sugar Creek, leaving the Charlotte church (later FPC).
Morrison was concerned that few candidates for the ministry came from his Alma Mater, the University of North Carolina. In a meeting of the Concord Presbytery on March 12, 1835, he presented a resolution for the establishment of a college in which Presbyterian doctrine would be taught. The Presbytery agreed and named Morrison chairman of a committee to select a site for the new Davidson College. In December 1836 Morrison became its first president, resigning his pastorate at Sugar Creek. In March 1837 the college opened its doors. Davidson College was named for Morrison’s wife’s uncle, Revolutionary war hero General William Lee Davidson. Morrison served as president until 1840, resigning due to ill health. He moved to “Cottage Home,” his plantation in Lincoln County which was part of Mary Graham Morrison’s dowery.
After leaving Davidson, Morrison supplied various churches in the Concord Presbytery. He lived until the age of 91, dying at Cottage Home on May 13, 1889. FPC’s pastor, Rev. A. W. Miller, delivered the eulogy.
Morrison’s family was closely associated with the Charlotte church. Four daughters were members – Isabella (married to General D.H. Hill, who was an elder), Eugenia (married to General Rufus Barringer), Mary Anna (married to “Stonewall Jackson,” who died before she joined the church), Laura (married to Col. John Brown).
A thesis written by a Virginia Tech master’s candidate explored Morrison’s contradictions. It states that although current writings are more eulogistic, he was far more complex. Morrison was a slaveholder and father-in-law to three Confederate generals. Yet early in life he opposed slavery, writing in a letter to his cousin, “I have long looked upon Slavery as a traffic in itself detestable and justified by no principle either of nations or of nature. Their condition is truly one of a most lamentable nature.” Morrison himself was a slaveholder most of his life. In 1821, he inherited an enslaved person, Mary, from his father. “House slaves” became an integral part of the Morrison home. The family enslaved as many as 66 people in the fields at Cottage Home plantation. Like many white people, he could not envision life without the system of slavery.
Rev. Morrison had significant accomplishments in religion and education and was highly respected during his lifetime.
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” loose leaf notebook, FPC archives
• Virginia Tech Masters Thesis, “Religion, Slavery and Secession: Reflections on the Life and Letters of Robert Hall Morrison”
• 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021
Rev. Abner Johnson Leavenworth
(1803 – 1869; pastor 1834 – 1838)
Abner Johnson Leavenworth (1803 – 1869) was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and attended Amherst College and Andover Theological Seminary. He came to Charlotte to conduct the Female Academy that had opened in 1822. While he led the Female Academy (where his wife, Elizabeth also taught), Leavenworth served as a supply minister at the Charlotte Church.
In 1834, Rev. Leavenworth accepted a call to become Charlotte Church’s first full-time pastor (Rev. Robert Hall Morrison was 1/3 time). He believed strongly in children’s right to an education and “delivered lectures, wrote articles for the papers, published pamphlets and edited almanacs, endeavoring in every way to wake up the people to the importance of public education.” Leavenworth served on Davidson College’s first board of trustees.
At the end of 1838, Rev. Leavenworth resigned as pastor of the Charlotte Congregation, and moved to Virginia.
Sources:
- A History of First Presbyterian Church 1821 – 1983 by Elizabeth Williams
- 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell
Rev. Cyrus Johnston, D.D.
(1797 – 1855; pastor 1846 – 1855)
Cyrus Johnston (1797 – 1855) was born in Cabarrus County and attended school at Rocky River Academy with classmate Robert Hall Morrison. His theology training was under Dr. John Robinson, pastor of Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church. For several years he preached in churches in South Carolina.
For a great part of his life, in addition to holding pastorates, Dr. Johnston also engaged in teaching. In 1839 he took charge of the Classical Academy at Providence, NC; the next year he became pastor of Providence and Sharon Churches.
In 1845, Dr. Johnson moved to Charlotte and became Principal at the Charlotte Female Academy. The following year he accepted a call to the Charlotte Church. At that time, it had 28 members.
He was a trustee at Davidson College. The University of North Carolina awarded him a D.D. degree in 1853.
At one point during his pastorate, the Session minutes recorded the following: “Maria, colored woman belonging to Rev. Cyrus Johnston, was examined as to her experimental religion. The result being satisfactory to the members she was unanimously admitted to church membership.” Although he was “fearless in denouncing immorality in every form,” slavery at that time was largely not seen as immoral.
He died unexpectedly on January 25, 1855 and is buried in Old Settlers Cemetery across the street from the church. As a measure of his popularity, church membership grew from 28 members to 164 members at the time of his death.
Sources:
- A History of First Presbyterian Church 1821 – 1983 by Elizabeth Williams
- 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell
- History of Mecklenburg County and The City of Charlotte from 1740 to 1903 by D.A. Tompkins (1903)
Rev. Arnold DeWelles Miller, D.D.
(1822-1892; pastor 1855-1857 and 1866-1892)
Arnold DeWelles Miller (1822-1892) was pastor from 1855-1857 and again from
1866-1892. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and graduated from the College of Charleston in 1841. He then attended Columbia Theological Seminary and graduated in 1847. He was licensed by Charleston Presbytery in October 1848 and served Fishing Creek Church. During this time his wife died, leaving him with two young children.
Miller accepted a call to Charlotte in 1855 but left in 1857 to accept a call to Tabb Street Church in Petersburg, Virginia. He was in Petersburg during the Civil War and endured the months-long siege when the city was relentlessly shelled by the Union Army. In 1863 he married Miss Lilias McPhail. In 1866 Miller returned to FPC and in 1867 received the Doctor of Divinity degree from Erskine College.
Upon his return to FPC he made known his expectation that members be law-abiding citizens and that failure to do so could result in suspension of membership or excommunication. He also firmly believed that ruling elders were “divinely appointed officers.” A newspaper declared that he “believed in the Divine origin of slavery.” There is evidence from oral and written histories of FPC that the Ku Klux Klan likely met in the church basement during Miller’s pastorate.
By 1873 the church had grown too large to accommodate all the members and Second Presbyterian Church was formed. It later merged with Westminster Presbyterian to become Covenant Presbyterian. A manse was constructed in 1876, which stood near the location of our current Poplar Street building. The Miller family moved into the manse in December of that year. Two months later the Session agreed to pay to build a woodhouse and chicken coop, and to paint the fence which surrounded the manse. Between 1875 and 1881, both of Dr. Miller’s children died.
Throughout Miller’s years at FPC, he was well-loved and his preaching was highly regarded. He was devoted to both home and foreign missions. He was interested in education, particularly in educating young men for the ministry. Among his “young preachers” were Dr. Walter W. Moore and Dr. R. S. Burwell. Miller was also a leader in the formation of Mecklenburg Presbytery and active in the General Assembly.
Rev. Miller had a particular interest in the history of Mecklenburg County, and especially the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. While in London, he searched for evidence regarding that document’s authenticity. He learned that important information had been “abstracted” from the files. He continued his research and found what he believed to be evidence of the Declaration in Charleston, South Carolina. Miller brought this evidence back to Charlotte and gave a public presentation at the YMCA. Entries in his diary suggest that what he found was the Mecklenburg Resolves and not the actual Declaration.
Dr. Miller was elected Pastor Emeritus on December 13, 1891. He was preparing his farewell sermon when he became ill and died on January 10, 1892. His funeral was held at FPC, a photograph of which is one of only two known which show the interior of the 1850s-era sanctuary.
Following Dr. Miller’s death, the church honored him with a memorial baptismal font and a large plaque placed in the sanctuary. According to the memory of a member from the 20th century, identical plaques with the same language and the quote from Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith,” are found in other churches, leading some to assume these plaques were mass produced.
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” looseleaf notebook, FPC archives
• The History of Mecklenburg County from 1740 to 1900 by J. B. Alexander, MD, 1902
• 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021
• Evidence of Ku Klux Klan meeting in our church basement in the 1870s comes from an FPC history written by church historian Mrs. J. A. Force (1864-1947) titled “A Sketch of the First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte” and published several places including the 10/21/1923 Charlotte Observer (p. 6).
Rev. Alexander Sinclair
(1797 – 1885; pastor 1857 – 1862 and 1863 – 1865
Alexander Sinclair (1834 – 1885) was born in Scotland, but his family moved to Nova Scotia when he was four years old. He graduated from Prince Edward College and Western Theological Seminary (Alleghany, PA). He accepted a call to the Charlotte Church in 1857, just a year after graduating. Within nine months after arriving, he married Mary Laura Davidson, who was from a very prominent and wealthy local family.
Sinclair’s time in Charlotte was dominated by the Civil War – its leadup and the war itself.
In early 1862, Sinclair requested a dissolution of his pastorate, citing health reasons. Dr. John Kirkpatrick, president of Davidson College, served as Stated Supply pastor. Davidson college had low attendance since many of its students were fighting in the war.
On October 29, 1863 Charlotte Church again called Rev. Sinclair. In the church and also in the Presbytery there were reservations on this call, but the call went ahead. There is no record of the specific reservations.
Issues between Rev. Sinclair and some members of the congregation deepened. He wrote a Narrative of the State of Religion, saying the congregation was in an unsettled state from “various causes.” Some members were so unhappy with him they no longer attended services. A committee of Presbytery was established to investigate the situation at Charlotte Church, meeting with many unhappy members.
At the same time, the war was going badly, and the Presbytery Committee was unable to resolve the issues between Sinclair and church members. Rev. Sinclair decided to resign, saying that he was unsure when his health would allow him to resume his pastoral duties.
Sources:
- A History of First Presbyterian Church 1821 – 1983 by Elizabeth Williams
- 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell
Rev. John Alexander Preston, D.D.
(1853 – 1896; pastor 1893-1896)
John Alexander Preston (1853 – 1896) was pastor of FPC from 1893 until 1896. He was born in Lexington, Virginia, graduated from Washington and Lee University, and studied theology at Hampden-Sydney College. Dr. Preston served churches in West Virginia, Virginia and Alabama before accepting his call to Charlotte in 1893. He moved here with his wife Elizabeth and three young children.
Dr. Preston had a special interest in church music, and coordinated services with organist Bessie Dewey, even pausing during some sermons while the choir sang a particular hymn.
Although the 1890s were a time of much debate on the rights of black citizens, Dr. Preston was unusually active in this area in a positive way. One local Presbyterian Church actively opposed the Presbytery in formally assisting two black candidates for the ministry. Dr. Preston composed the Presbytery letter in response to this church, citing among other arguments the “great work among the colored people” being done by the Presbyterian Church.
He also gave an “eloquent and timely” address at Biddle University (now Johnson C. Smith University), and preached at a revival at the Seventh Street Presbyterian Church (now First United Presbyterian Church). In addition, he gave an address at the laying of the cornerstone for the Seventh Street Presbyterian Church sanctuary building. Dr. Preston developed a reputation for openness.
Dr. Preston broached the topic of mental illness (in others and also himself) with candor not common at that time.
During much of Dr. Preston’s time as pastor, the church sanctuary building was almost completely replaced. This work started as some more limited improvements and grew due to structural issues encountered. The changes included a new balcony what was intended for use by black people, with separate entrances and stairwells on both sides of the narthex. Dr. Preston wanted them to feel at home in First Church. The first service of the renovated church was held on April 21, 1895.
Dr. Preston led church growth by advertising in local hotels and focusing on attracting traveling salesmen when they were in town. He also was instrumental in starting the Humane Society to help the poor.
In mid-August 1896, Dr. Preston traveled to Virginia for a vacation. He soon contracted typhoid fever, and died there six weeks later. The entire city of Charlotte mourned.
Days after his death, traveling salesmen whom he had befriended began a collection for a memorial church window. The Preston Memorial Window, “The Vision of St. John,” was dedicated on May 23, 1897, “By the Commercial Travelers.” It’s near the front of the sanctuary.
Sources:
- “Ministers and Other Personnel” loose leaf notebook, FPC archives
- 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021.
Rev. James Robert Howerton, D.D., LL.D.
(1861-1924; pastor 1896-1906)
James Robert Howerton (1861-1924) was pastor of FPC from 189 until 1906. He was born in Lafayette, Kentucky. As a boy, he spent a great deal of time with his grandfather, who was a warden at the Kentucky State Penitentiary. There he came into close contact with convicts. “He found much good in them. His tolerance and his love for his fellowmen surely grew out of his experiences there.”
Howerton attended Southwestern Presbyterian University in Clarksville, Tennessee, and Columbia Theological Seminary. After graduating, he served churches and universities in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas and Virginia before being called to FPC in Charlotte at age 35. He was installed in February 1897. His large family filled the manse – In addition to his wife, Mary, he had three daughters, two sons, his mother, a niece, a nephew, a servant, a lodger and a nurse (presumably for his children).
During his ten years in Charlotte, Rev. Howerton was a strong defender of women, helping to establish the Florence Crittenton home for “fallen women,” and inviting a woman to speak from the pulpit when she was having trouble being heard from the floor (a major issue!). He also strongly defended another woman who was the victim of false rumors.
Rev. Howerton was the pastor during a tumultuous time for Black people when their rights were being taken away. As an example of his mindset, at an address to the Synod he said, “The negro is our neighbor, and we should love our neighbors as ourselves. If other sections had left us alone, by the end of the nineteenth century the rising tide of civilization would have stamped out slavery without the loss of a drop of blood… We will take care of the negro. We will give him justice. The way to draw a line between the races is for there to be no mixture of a white man with even one drop of negro blood in his veins. We cannot afford to have a yielding of any degree. The separation of the races must always continue.”
Toward the end of his time at FPC, Howerton, an avid fisherman who spent time at Montreat, facilitated its purchase by the Presbyterian Church, and then left FPC to become the president of the Montreat Association.
Later he became Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS), often known as the Southern Presbyterian Church. He was also a professor at Washington and Lee University. He died after a short illness on June 14, 1924.
The Celtic Cross at the front of the FPC sanctuary, hand crafted in Scotland, was presented to the church in honor of Rev. Howerton (Moderator of General Assembly PCUS, 1907-8), and his son, Philip F. Howerton (Moderator 1958-9 and Elder of FPC).
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” loose leaf notebook, FPC archives
• 200 Years in the heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021.
Rev. William Morris Kincaid, D.D
(1851-1911; pastor 1907-1911)
William Morris Kincaid (1851-1911) was pastor of FPC from 1907 until 1911. He was born in Utica, New York, the son of a Scotsman from Inverness and a French Huguenot. It was said that “this combination of Scotch tenacity of purpose and incisiveness of thought with French delicacy of feeling and quickness of intuition was a priceless inheritance.”
After graduating from Williams College in Massachusetts, he received his theology training at the Baptist Seminary in Rochester, New York. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1874. He served Baptist Churches in New York and California before uniting with the Presbyterian church in 1891. “He came to have conscientious scruples about remaining in the Baptist Church, as he had outgrown the belief in close communion, and had come to a belief in infant baptism.” He was honored with a Doctor of Divinity from William College in 1904.
Dr. Kincaid came to Charlotte in 1907 with his wife and three children. A fourth child had died young. “…a beautiful child of three or four years of age, whose memory was ever very precious to him.” His wife, Ellen, took an active role in the church, serving as superintendent of the “Cradle Roll” department and chairing the Foreign Mission Committee.
During Dr. Kincaid’s pastorate in Charlotte, four hundred people were added to the church. He often spoke without notes with a rich vocabulary and fluency. Dr. Kincaid had a reputation for knowing no classes among his people. He was intensely interested in the social issues of the day, although he did not attend Presbytery and Synod meetings due to hearing limitations.
The Kincaid family lived in the manse on the church property and had a Great Dane, simply named Dane. Once Dane wandered in a side aisle during service. Dr. Kincaid realized the dog was there when Dane licked his hand. Kincaid calmly told him to lie down and Dane slept near the pulpit while Dr. Kincaid preached.
Dr. Kincaid was a man of frail health, suffering from diabetes. Late one evening returning home from visiting inmates in the jail, he had a fall from which he never recovered. He died on January 2, 1911. A tribute in The Charlotte Observer included the statement: “Like all those saintly men of the ages who have gone into the highways and the hedges and who have mingled freely with men without regard to their social or financial standing, he has placed a multitude under tribute to him for the optimism he created, for the good which he brought into their lives, and for all those other beneficent influences for which there is no measure.”
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” loose leaf notebook, FPC archives
• 200 Years in the heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021.
Rev. David Hopkins Rolston, D.D.
(1878-1917; pastor from 1911-1917)
David Hopkins Rolston (1878-1917) was pastor of FPC from 1911 until 1917. He was born in Virginia, and his boyhood was spent on his grandfather’s plantation near Harrisonburg.
He attended Washington and Lee University, followed by Union Theological Seminary, graduating in 1907. During seminary, he often preached at Second Presbyterian Church Richmond, and that was his first pastorate from 1908-1911. From there he was called to FPC, arriving at age 33. Davidson College conferred a Doctor of Divinity in 1914.
Elder Robert A. Dunn described Dr. Rolston as full of youthful energy and enthusiasm; his time in Charlotte was marked by almost constant activity. In 1915 he brought the massive Chapman-Alexander Campaign of Evangelism to Charlotte. The May 10 gathering in the church yard marked the end of the five-week revival. The crowd was estimated at 10,000. The Charlotte Observer wrote, “The high and lowly, the rich and poor, the saint and the sinner” attended.
In March 1915, Rolston officiated at the funeral of Mrs. Stonewall Jackson, a long-time church member who died at age 83.
In 1916-17, the growing church remodeled and expanded the Sunday School class space, encouraged by a large contribution from member John Craig Burroughs.
The U.S. joined the First World War in April 1917, and Charlotte was chosen as a site for a training camp named Camp Greene. As thousands of men came to Charlotte to train for the war, Dr. Rolston visited the camp often to minister to the troops. He and the congregation made the manse and churchyard available for recreation and provided ways for the soldiers to relax and worship.
In 1917 Dr. Rolston was a speaker at the Colored Laymen’s convention in Charlotte, which drew 800 people. His address on stewardship was termed interesting and inspiring. Less than two weeks later, he was seriously ill. He died of spinal meningitis on November 21. In his short life, he lived his faith and made many lasting contributions.
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” loose leaf notebook, FPC archives
• 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021
Rev. Albert Sidney Johnson, D.D.
(1881-1971; pastor from 1918-1940)
Albert Sidney Johnson (1881-1971) was pastor of FPC from 1918 until 1940. He was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, the son of Civil War General William Johnson and Katherine Myers Barton. Johnson was educated at Alabama Polytechnic Institute and worked in business for several years. He then attended Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He received Doctor of Divinity degrees from Lambeth College in Tennessee and Davidson College.
Dr. Johnson married Cecil Tipton in 1906; they had four children. He served churches in Huntsville, Texas; Greenville, Texas; Jackson, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama, before coming to FPC.
Dr. Johnson was involved in organizing two major city events: the Billy Sunday revival meeting in 1924, and the huge Confederate Reunion of 1929. Active in city civic affairs, he volunteered in the work of the Salvation Army, the Welfare Association, the American Red Cross and the Boy Scouts of America. He was a trustee of both Barium Springs Home and Davidson College.
During his pastorate, Myers Park Presbyterian Church was organized, and he encouraged a large number of FPC members to become charter members of the new church.
Like many people in the 1920s, Dr. Johnson was very opposed to the theory of evolution. He stated that teaching evolution led to “carnality, sensuality, communism and the Red Flag.”
He was also supportive of the Confederate position in the Civil War. His sermons “always had at least two references to the Civil War.” In Nov. 1936, FPC celebrated the 105th anniversary of its founding (using Aug. 1832 as the founding date) and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (often referred to as the Southern Presbyterian Church). At this service, pew markers were dedicated to five former members, three of whom were Confederate notables (Mrs. Stonewall Jackson, General D.H. Hill, and Governor/Senator Zebulon Vance).
In 1940 Dr. Johnson retired as pastor of FPC but continued to work as a Bible teacher and evangelist, serving many other churches as Supply preacher. In 1955 he fully retired. He lived until 1971.
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” loose leaf notebook, FPC archives
• 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell
William Addison Alexander, Jr., D.D.
(1896-1956; pastor 1941-1944)
William Addison Alexander, Jr. (1896-1956) was pastor of FPC from 1941 until 1944 – years covering most of World War II. In fact, the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, occurred the same day as Dr. Alexander’s first FPC sermon.
He was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, the son of Rev. William Addison Alexander and Ora Scales Reid. He attended Southwestern Presbyterian University and Louisville Presbyterian Seminary and served churches in Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas before coming to FPC. Dr. Alexander married Elizabeth Owen in 1921. They had two children and lived in the new manse on East Morehead Street in Dilworth.
Dr. Alexander was described as scholarly with a quiet sense of humor who was persuasive rather than domineering.
World War II dominated his ministry. About 10% of the congregation served in different areas of conflict. The Charlotte area also was the site of Morris Field Air Force base and Camp Sutton, an army training facility in Monroe. FPC furnished four rooms upstairs in the old manse as a Soldier’s Recreation Center, creating a space where soldiers could read, write, sing, and simply gather.
On December 5, 1943, the church bulletin acknowledged the war’s toll on everyone, including the pastor. “Death has entered a number of our homes, leaving blighted hopes and aching hearts. Much of Dr. Alexander’s ministry, therefore, has been given to cheering the sad and comforting the bereaved. So gracious has been his ministry in these trying days that we feel the Spirit has led him to us ‘For such a time as this.’”
During the warmer months, worship service was held on the lawn with Dr. Alexander preaching from the church steps.
Dr. Alexander was called to First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport, Louisiana, and left after almost three years.
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” loose leaf notebook, FPC archives
• 200 Years in the heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021.
Charles Edgar Stanberry Kraemer, D.D.
(1923-1988; pastor 1945-1953)
Charles Kraemer (1923-1988) served as minister of FPC from 1945-1953. He was born in Bonham, Texas, and graduated from Davidson College in 1931. In 1932 he married Beryl Birdsong. They had three children – Fred, Charles and Jane. Kraemer received a Bachelor of Divinity from Louisville Seminary in 1934. He served churches in Hawesville, Kentucky; North Kansas City, Missouri; and Leland, Mississippi prior to his call to FPC.
One of the most enduring legacies of Kraemer’s time at FPC is our Child Development Center (CDC). As his ministry began, Kraemer noticed the many children in the area surrounding the church who were left alone for most of the day while their parents worked. The CDC was established as afterschool care to help those families but soon expanded to a full daycare facility. A preschool was added later. In the beginning, the CDC was specifically for low-income families but was later opened to all families in need of childcare. This facility continues to serve a diverse group of families in Charlotte and is a model for childcare centers throughout the state.
Rev. Kraemer had studied Pastoral Psychology at Andover-Newton Theological Seminary and had a particular interest and training in counseling and mental health. He engaged in special clinical study at several facilities, including the Boston Psychopathic Hospital. Davidson College honored him with a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1947, noting that he was an “understanding counselor of troubled minds.”
During his pastorate, a Fellowship Hall was constructed. Beginning in 1949, a Thursday noon community worship service was initiated, with lunch served both before and afterward for the convenience of downtown workers. Speakers were drawn from all denominations in the area.
On December 30, 1951, Kraemer preached perhaps one of the most impactful sermons in the history of First Presbyterian. In his sermon entitled “We Do Not Plan to Move,” he made his case for the importance of this church remaining in downtown Charlotte to serve both those who live downtown and those who work there.
On December 13, 1953, Dr. Kraemer announced his decision to become President of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia. He served there from 1954-1974. He also served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1973 and worked for reunification of the two branches of the Presbyterian Church that had split during the Civil War.
In 1980 he was named Pastor Emeritus, a title he held until his death on June 23, 1988.
Sources:
Sources:
• “Ministers and Other Personnel” looseleaf notebook, FPC archives
• 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell, 2021
Ernest Lee Stoffel, Th.D.
(1923 -2016; pastor 1955-1972)
Lee Stoffel (1923-2016) served as pastor of FPC from 1955-1972. He was born in Bristol, Tennessee, and graduated from Kings College in Bristol. In 1947 he received his Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. That same year he married Betty Williams in the college chapel. Stoffel later earned the Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology degrees from Union Theological Seminary.
Dr. Stoffel was only 31 years old when he arrived at FPC with his wife and four young children – Lee Jr., Bob, Bea and Bonnie. He arrived to a downtown in the midst of great change. Many residential areas were being torn down, leading the way to the razing of the African American Brooklyn area, which was part of the infamous “urban renewal” of the 1960s. Many churches were fleeing downtown, but part of FPC’s dedication to remain included the decision to raise $50,000 to address debt, and to carpet, paint, and air condition the sanctuary. FPC also began a tutoring program at First Ward Elementary to serve the predominantly underprivileged student body.
In 1957 FPC began broadcasting its worship service live on WAYS radio. In 1959 Dr. Stoffel preached at the General Assembly with a call for churches to respond to the racial and economic divisions across the country. In 1960 the church manse was demolished to make room for a new building to house church offices and Sunday School classes. It was also in 1960 that the church bulletin first carried Dr. Stoffel’s quote, “For Christ in the Heart of Charlotte.” It remains the motto of FPC. Under the leadership of music director Henry Bridges and Dr. Stoffel, the Community School of the Arts was founded on the church campus. While no longer housed at FPC, it continues to serve children in need throughout Charlotte and is now known as Arts+.
Another significant event that occurred during Lee Stoffel’s pastorate was the beginning of the Television Ministry. Since 1961 FPC worship services have been broadcast live almost every Sunday at 11 A.M.
The 1960s was a tumultuous decade with issues like Civil Rights and Vietnam dividing the country. Dr. Stoffel and FPC struggled with those issues. In 1970-71, FPC Elder and District Court Judge James McMillan presided over the Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education case that resulted in mandating busing to achieve school integration. Dr. Stoffel sheltered McMillan in his own home when the judge came under threat.
Dr. Stoffel left FPC in 1972 following a call to Riverside Presbyterian in Jacksonville, Florida. After his retirement from the ministry, he taught at Queens College in Charlotte. He was also the author of five books on preaching and theology. Dr. Stoffel died on November 22, 2016, at the age of 93.
Sources:
• Wedding article, various newspapers
• Obituary, various newspapers
• 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell
George Carswell Hughs
(1935-2016; pastor 1972-1983)
Dr. Carswell Hughs (1935-2016) served as pastor of FPC from 1972-1983. He grew up in Moultrie, Georgia, and held degrees from Mercer University, Union Theological Seminary and Yale University. He completed his Ph.D. at Edinburgh University in Scotland. Dr. Hughs’ wife, Ina, was a native Charlottean whose father had served as pastor of Myers Park Presbyterian Church. They were the parents of three children – George Carswell Jr., McNair and Claire.
By the time Hughs arrived in Charlotte, the center city was in decline and very few people came downtown in the evenings. FPC helped spearhead the revitalization of Fourth Ward with hopes of bringing residents back downtown. Charlotte banks worked to incentivize the purchase and renovation of homes.
During Dr. Hughs’ tenure, FPC broadened its outreach ministries to include office space and other support for what is now known as the Center for Community Transitions. It continues to serve ex-offenders seeking to re-enter society. Another “first” during this period was a youth mission trip to Haiti. A relationship with Haiti churches continues today. FPC members also donate their presence and financial support to other places of need throughout the world.
Dr. Hughs supported what began as a walk-in ministry for those in need. Fifty volunteers joined its first meeting. FPC partnered with the Salvation Army to provide hot meals on Sundays and to provide shelter during winter months. In 1974 FPC joined the Uptown Cooperative Ministries, which included both Black and white churches. (Hughs preached at First United Presbyterian, Little Rock AME Zion and other Black churches.) Uptown Cooperative Ministries provided hot meals for the elderly, a soup kitchen, assistance for the homeless, and a tutoring program.
Another vital ministry began under Hughs’ watch with the establishment of a Resettlement Committee. Over 100 volunteers worked to support ten refugee families from Laos who had been displaced as a result of the Vietnam War.
For the first time in the history of FPC, women were elected to serve as Elders and Deacons, joining the Classes of 1979. In 1982 the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That year also saw the arrival of Robert “Bob” Ivey as Minister of Music and the surprise announcement in December that Dr. Hughes had accepted a call to First (Scots) Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina. His departure was met with much disappointment from both the staff and congregation.
Known for his sense of humor, deep intellect, warmth and outgoing personality, Carswell Hughs was well-loved. He died on May 17, 2016, at the age of 80.
Sources:
• Obituary, various newspapers
• Article, Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel
• 200 Years in the Heart of Charlotte, A History of First Presbyterian Church by Lois Stickell
Rev. William P. Wood, Ph.D.
(pastor 1983-2011)
Dr. Wood was born in Johnson City, Tennessee, and attended Davidson College, Union Theological Seminary and the University of Heidelburg. He served churches in San Antonia and Kingsport, Tennessee before being called to First Presbyterian in 1983.
Early in his pastorate, Dr. Wood supported the purchase of the Poplar/Pine Street property, which became an invaluable asset that allowed for future development. In 1990, he oversaw the establishment of the Weekday School to offer preschool for young families and the refurbishing of the Child Development Center (CDC).
In 1988, when the cost of operating the television ministry was about to become prohibitive, Dr. Wood led an effort to recruit donors and solicit support from viewers, resulting in long term financial support for the ministry. He also brought together diverse stakeholders to address the needs of street people with the purchase of the Seaboard Train Station to consolidate services for the homeless in one location.
During Dr. Wood’s pastorate, the Church Street and Poplar Street Buildings were constructed. This allowed for an expansion of the Loaves and Fishes Pantry to become the largest in Charlotte, space for Room in the Inn overnight shelter for the homeless during the winter, and for a new fellowship hall. He also strengthened outreach to include summer literacy programs and tutoring at Westerly Hills Academy. By the end of his pastorate, the Church operated 35 outreach ministries.
Dr. Wood also initiated the effort to commission artist Ben Long to create the fresco of the Good Samaritan in the entrance hall of the fellowship building. Upon his retirement, the fellowship hall was later named the Wood Fellowship Hall in his honor.
When he retired in 2010, The Charlotte Observer wrote that the city was “witnessing the retirement of a minister who had long been a community leader.” In addition to his accomplishments inside the church, he had chaired the library board when ImaginOn was built, served for many years on Davidson College’s Board of Trustees, and publicly stood up to a Mecklenburg County Commissioner who said that Blacks “live in a moral sewer.”
Throughout his ministry and into his retirement, Dr. Wood devoted himself to his children Grace, Will and Lucy.
Rev. Pendleton Peery
(pastor 2012-present)
A native Charlottean, Rev. Peery returned in Charlotte to find a revitalized, vibrant center city, and is determined to continue to stress the outreach ministries that have defined the church while adapting to the city’s fluid demographics and challenges. He has focused on racial justice throughout his ministry in Charlotte. This has included support of the Partnership Ministry Team with First United Presbyterian Church and for the letter of apology for past actions to the Session of First United, and leading an assessment of First Presbyterian’s systems and past actions through the Racial Justice Task Force. He has also been involved in NEXT Church, which visualizes the future of the PC (USA). In March 2020 the coronavirus pandemic forced churches to shut down in-person meetings. First Presbyterian was blessed to have a vibrant television ministry to continue services, and Rev. Peery took the opportunity to invite Rev. Small from First United Presbyterian Church to share the pulpit with him. Rev. Peery also presided over the 2020 Opening Doors capital campaign, funding major renovations and repairs to the Sanctuary as well as the purchase and installation of a new organ, the creation of the new Welcome Center, the creation of a Counseling Center, and the expansion of local and global outreach and mission.