Decatur Presbyterian Church sits on Sycamore Street at the corner of Church Street, one block south of Ponce de Leon Avenue and across from the Decatur MARTA station in the heart of downtown Decatur, Georgia. The congregation marked its bicentennial in 2025 and counts around 750 active members who worship in the Sanctuary and Scott Chapel, sing in a celebrated chancel choir, teach a weekday preschool, run their own ministry to people experiencing homelessness, and partner with mission co-workers on four continents. At a glance, the congregation describes itself as offering "traditional, creative, intergenerational worship with humble, open-minded theology," and the description is borne out by the breadth of ministry that fills its week.
Bicentennial on Sycamore Street
The story of Decatur Presbyterian Church stretches back two centuries. The Session and congregation marked their bicentennial in 2025 with a year of celebration and reflection, and they adopted a bicentennial goal that captures the heartbeat of the church: "Every child of God - belonging, engaging, being transformed." That motto now sits beneath the church's name wherever it appears, and it shapes the way staff and members describe every program that runs on the campus.
The 2027 stewardship letter from Senior Pastor Todd Speed recalled the resilience the congregation has shown over the past decade - debt retirement, the disruptions of COVID-19, a joyful return to in-person worship, the bicentennial year itself, and a major renovation of the church's historic buildings. The session's mission statement, adopted on April 23, 2024, gathers the same conviction into a single sentence: "Rooted in the heart of Decatur, we worship, love, and serve with hospitality, generosity, and compassion." Seven core values expand that sentence - Hospitality, Generosity, Compassion, Community, Worship, Love, and Serve - each paired with a scripture that grounds it in the biblical story.
Worship on Sundays and Wednesdays
Two Sunday services fill the Sanctuary and Scott Chapel at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., each lasting about an hour. Worship is traditional: spoken and sung liturgy, prayers, anthems from the Chancel Choir, hymns led from the chancel, and a sermon from the pastoral staff. The choir often stops in the aisles to sing the opening hymn alongside the congregation, a small gesture that captures the church's understanding that the people in the pews are the main choir. Communion is celebrated regularly, and the table is open to all.
The 9:00 a.m. service in the Scott Chapel and the 10:30 a.m. service in the Sanctuary both feature preaching from the pastoral staff, and the latter is livestreamed through the church's YouTube channel so members who are traveling, homebound, or simply unable to attend can worship with the congregation in real time. After worship, coffee and conversation are hosted by a Caring Team, and the church regularly pairs the morning with adult classes and special fellowship events.
On Wednesdays, the rhythms shift to a quieter but equally full pattern. Children's choirs rehearse between 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. on the lower level. Adults gather for the Faithful Living Bible study in the Parlor Classroom from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m., often led by the senior pastor, where they walk through the text that will appear in the following Sunday's sermon. At 6:15 p.m. the Fellowship Hall fills with the Wednesday Night Dinner, an intergenerational meal that draws long-time members and newcomers alike to share food, conversation, and choir before the Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7:30 p.m.
The Music Program and the King of Instruments
Decatur Presbyterian is widely known throughout the region for the strength of its music program. The congregation treats making music as a sacred duty, and the music ministry exists to reinforce the scripture lessons of the day, to provide a bridge in communing with God, and to lead the people in glorifying God. Matthew McMahan has served as Choirmaster and Organist since 1997 and leads the program after earlier similar posts in Philadelphia, Birmingham, and Canton, Ohio. A native of Alabama, he holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Jacksonville State University and Westminster Choir College in Princeton, and he has been presented in recital in the United States, Austria, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
The instruments that fill the Sanctuary and Chapel are a particular point of pride. Both the sanctuary and chapel organs were custom built for the church by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut. The large sanctuary organ is voiced across three locations - above the chancel, in the chamber behind it, and in the antiphonal division on the back wall of the balcony - and is capable of producing pitches at the lowest and highest frequencies audible to the human ear. It was featured during the American Guild of Organists National Convention in 1992, the last time Atlanta hosted the convention. A two-manual Flemish-style harpsichord, Opus 47, built by Tyre and Goudzwaard of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was given as a memorial gift, and grand pianos are tuned in the sanctuary, chapel, and parlor. The handbell choirs ring a five-octave set of handbells.
The Chancel Choir is composed of 40 volunteer and professional singers who lead congregational singing and offer anthems that match the scriptural emphasis of the day. The choir draws on a music library that has accumulated over the church's long history, and it has been honored to sing for other churches and at professional and community events. The Darnell Scholarship Fund, established by the Darnell family in 2005, enables talented young musicians to develop their gifts through annual scholarship awards.
Children's choirs are led by Director of Children's Choirs Lori McMahan, who has worked in children's music ministry since high school and built the preschool Cricket Choir upon her arrival. The children's choirs sing in worship about once a month and at special services throughout the year. The Cricket Choir gathers Pre-K and Kindergarten on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m., the Carol Choir welcomes 1st and 2nd graders from 5:30 to 6:10 p.m., and the Chapel Choir gathers 3rd through 5th graders from 5:50 to 6:30 p.m., all in the Children's Choir Room on the lower level.
Children's Ministry and the Milestones Path
Children's Ministry at Decatur Presbyterian is built around a simple conviction: relationships are the heartbeat of faith formation. The ministry is led by Rev. Emily Wilmesherr, Associate Pastor for Intergenerational and Caring Ministries, and welcomes close to 100 children from birth through 5th grade each year. Children come to worship with their families and leave for Kids Connect after the Time with the Young Church, returning to the sanctuary after the service to be reunited with their parents. Kids Connect is led by trained, background-checked adult volunteers and does not meet during the month of July, when extra worship materials are provided and the nursery remains open for the youngest children.
The nursery, staffed by Sitter Tree employees who have passed background checks, is open from birth through age 3 during Sunday morning worship, Wednesday evening programming, and special services and events. On Wednesdays, the children's schedule fills quickly: nursery care from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., Cricket Choir and Kids Club+ at 5:00 p.m., Covenant Choir for 1st through 5th grade and Godly Play for 3-year-olds through Kindergarten at 5:30 p.m., and Club 345 once a month from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. Club 345 gathers 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to explore scripture, worship, and service together as they prepare for the transition to youth group.
The Faith Milestones Ministry gives shape and direction to the journey from birth through 5th grade. Just as families celebrate a first tooth or first steps, the ministry celebrates the firsts of faith: infant baptism and the congregation's promises, presentations of Bibles in Pre-K and 3rd grade, the introduction to communion in 4th grade, a year of service in 5th grade, and a final worship service that marks the transition into youth group. Each milestone includes hands-on activities, family engagement, and special events designed to support the family unit and connect with the larger congregation. Special events through the year include Trunk-n-Treat in the fall, an Advent Festival in early December, a Lenten Workshop, and BAM Camp, a week-long summer day camp that explores Bible stories through scripture, music, and play and culminates in a full-scale musical presentation for family and friends.
Youth Ministry, Confirmation, and Mission Trips
Youth Ministry at Decatur Presbyterian is led by Rev. Tully M. Fletcher IV, Associate Pastor for Youth and Congregational Transformation, and is rooted in the belief that all youth are welcome regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or how much or how little they believe. The program gathers more than 50 active youth in grades 6 through 12, and its vision for graduating seniors is that they will develop a relationship with God and knowledge of God's love, build connectional relationships within the youth group and the church, develop spiritual curiosity, gain a foundational understanding of Christian beliefs, develop leadership and ownership in the church's youth ministry, and engage in Christian service.
Weekly youth group meets most Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Sycamore House at 218 Sycamore Street. It is a time and space for fellowship, games, Bible study, and service projects, and friends and newcomers are always welcome. Confirmation is offered in a cohort format, typically with 8th and 9th graders paired with a mentor who walks with them as they learn and serve together. The next cohort is scheduled to begin in spring 2027.
Each summer the youth ministry offers a handful of mission trips and youth conferences that are often the most formative experiences of a young person's faith journey. The 2027 calendar includes BAM Camp, the Montreat High School Conference, a Domestic Mission Trip, and the Montreat Middle School Conference, all aimed at helping young people grow in faith and in their abilities to serve God.
College Ministry with UKirk Atlanta
Decatur Presbyterian partners with UKirk Atlanta, the Presbyterian Church (USA) campus ministry serving Agnes Scott College and the broader Atlanta area. UKirk Atlanta gathers on Sunday evenings for dinner and discussion in the Session Room at the church and on Wednesdays for lunch on campus at Evans Dining Hall. The ministry is led by Rev. Drew Wilmesherr, husband of Associate Pastor Emily Wilmesherr, and is supported by local Presbyterian churches, the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, and individuals who value the work.
Members of Decatur Presbyterian can support UKirk Atlanta in three ways: praying for the community, students, and leaders; sharing a meal by signing up on the church's meal train; and contributing financially. The ministry has its own small budget and receives no financial support from Agnes Scott College.
Adults, Classes, and Small Groups
Adult formation at Decatur Presbyterian runs through every day of the week. The Cornerstone Class meets in the Session Room at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays for a broad and interesting discussion curriculum with a hybrid option for those who cannot attend in person. The Friendship Class meets online by Zoom at the same hour, and from time to time the two classes join forces for shared weeks of study. Presbyterian Women gathers women of all ages on the second week of each month in three small groups: Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m., Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday lunch at noon following worship. Regular meetings pause during June, July, and August, and the women gather instead for a monthly dinner at a local restaurant. The PW also sponsors mission efforts and gathers throughout the year for a women's retreat and a Christmas or spring brunch.
The Faith in Real Life small groups, led by Parish Associate Vernon Gramling, meet on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. The format is straightforward and fruitful: Vernon opens the upcoming Sunday's scripture text and the conversation takes it from there. The church's Senior Adult Ministry, known as SAM, plans monthly events and outings for active seniors and welcomes anyone of any age who would like to come along. Break Bread groups form each season as clusters of five to eight people who gather monthly for a meal, fellowship, prayer, and growth; some meet in homes, others in restaurants, and they fit just about any schedule. A weekly Grief Group meets on Wednesday evenings under Vernon's leadership for those mourning the loss of loved ones.
On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Alcoholics Anonymous groups meet in the Sycamore House, and the meetings are open to the public.
Threshold Ministry and the Church on the Margins
Decatur Presbyterian's most distinctive outreach is Threshold Ministry, the congregation's own ministry to people who are unhoused, unsheltered, and living with the effects of poverty. Threshold Ministry exists to invite women, men, and children who are in need into a community of faith where their stories can be heard, where Christ's love can be demonstrated, and where practical assistance can be offered. Leslie Raymer, a graduate of Furman University, Oklahoma University, and the Candler School of Theology at Emory, coordinates Threshold Ministry, and TJ Thomas-Johnson serves as Threshold Ministry Assistant.
The congregation supports a network of local partners in addition to Threshold. Decatur Cooperative Ministry, the largest recipient of local mission support from the church budget, offers family transitional housing, Hagar's House emergency night shelter for mothers and children, and Project Take Charge, a program that works to prevent eviction and homelessness. Clifton Sanctuary Ministries has offered a place of rest, shelter, healing, and support to homeless men of Atlanta for more than 27 years, open 365 days a year as the oldest shelter in Atlanta operating in a house of worship. The Decatur-Area Emergency Assistance Ministry (DEAM) helps Decatur-DeKalb families in crisis with eviction prevention, utilities, food, clothing, prescriptions, and referrals, and Decatur Presbyterian holds food drives for the pantry twice a year. Memorial Drive Ministries, located in the most diverse square mile in North America, nurtures diverse worshiping communities and innovative social services on the historic Memorial Drive Presbyterian campus. Our House, Inc. provides quality early childhood education and comprehensive support services for families experiencing homelessness. The Global Village Project, which Decatur Presbyterian hosts on its campus, is a specialized school for refugee girls with interrupted schooling, and members of DPC serve as both volunteers and staff for the program.
Norvisi Fellowship, an African worshiping community meaning "friendship," has gathered in the Scott Chapel every Sunday for more than 15 years under the leadership of the Reverends Johnny and Dorothy Akoto. The fellowship includes members of every age and enjoys special events throughout the year, and Decatur Presbyterian is glad to host this vibrant worship.
Around the World and Around the Corner
Decatur Presbyterian's mission reaches well beyond Decatur. The congregation partners with five global missionaries who extend the ministry of the church across the world. Mark and Miriam Adams serve with the Presbyterian Border Ministry in Agua Prieta, Mexico, where Mark coordinates the six ministry areas of Frontera de Cristo and Miriam serves as a liaison with a center for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Jim and Jodi McGill serve in Malawi, where Jim coordinates protected water within the Synod of Livingstonia's Development Department and Jodi teaches at the Ekwendeni Hospital's nursing school. Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather work with the Resource Centre for Civil Leadership, an ecumenical Christian organization in South Sudan that promotes peace building through trauma recovery, conflict transformation, and civic education. Dan and Elizabeth Turk work in Madagascar as advisors to the reformed church's environment and health departments and were honored by the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/FJKM in 2014 for twenty years of service.
Other global partnerships include Honduras Outreach, Inc., a non-denominational Christian organization building life-changing relationships in the department of Olancho; the Jef Jel Project, a ministry in the village of Ndangane in Senegal; and the Rural Presbyterian Church of India, to which the congregation gave more than $200,000 between 1998 and 2012 to help create the self-supporting presbytery of Rasulabad. Café Justo, a grower-owned coffee cooperative in southern Chiapas, Mexico, supplies the coffee served on Sunday mornings. Rise Against Hunger engages hundreds of thousands of volunteers each year in meal packaging to address global hunger, and the congregation participates in its work.
Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals
Decatur Presbyterian regularly baptizes infants, youth, and adults during Sunday morning worship. Parents who are ready to reaffirm their faith and make promises to raise their child in the knowledge and love of God can schedule a baptism, and the session approves each date. The congregation generally uses the method of sprinkling water from the font, and the congregation itself makes promises to nurture the faith of the one baptized.
A Christian wedding at Decatur Presbyterian is a service of worship, publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith. One of the church's pastors ordinarily officiates at all weddings held on campus, and all music and readings selected for the service offer glory to God who sanctifies the gift of marriage. The church ministers to members and their families for weddings and, on occasion, to non-members who are genuinely looking for a church home or have another compelling reason. The church does not rent the sanctuary or chapel for non-church related wedding services.
Funerals at Decatur Presbyterian are services of worship for the family of faith. When a member of the congregation dies, the ministers ordinarily meet the family for a brief committal service at the Memorial Garden or cemetery prior to a Service of Witness to the Resurrection of the Lord in the sanctuary or chapel, open to all. The Charlotte Rife Rowell Memorial Garden, dedicated in 2007, provides a place to inter the ashes of those who have died and has been a permanent part of the church's ministry since.
What We Believe
Decatur Presbyterian is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), one of 173 presbyteries connected through the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. The denomination is described by the church as distinctly confessional and connectional, distinguished by the representation of elders - lay men and lay women - in its government, with a membership of 2.3 million people in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Worshiping in roughly 10,000 congregations, Presbyterians adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
The local statement of faith is built around the seven core values of Hospitality, Generosity, Compassion, Community, Worship, Love, and Serve, each grounded in a scripture passage. Hebrews 13:2 frames hospitality as the surprising welcome of strangers; 2 Corinthians 9:11-13 grounds generosity in the overflowing ministry of the early churches; Matthew 25:37-40 anchors compassion in the care of the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the imprisoned; Jeremiah 29:7 roots community in the welfare of the city where God has sent the people; Romans 12:1-2 calls worship the offering of bodies as a living sacrifice; John 13:34-35 defines love as the new commandment by which the world will recognize disciples; and 1 Peter 4:10-11 reminds the church that every member has received a gift to use in service to one another.
The Pastors and the Wider Staff
The pastoral team is led by Rev. Dr. Todd Speed, Senior Pastor since 2007. A former Certified Public Accountant and graduate of Rhodes College and Columbia Theological Seminary, Todd completed a Doctor of Ministry at Columbia with an emphasis on nurturing effective lay leadership. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Columbia Theological Seminary, as President of the Decatur Rotary Club, as an advisor for the Global Village Project, and as a founding board member for Memorial Drive Ministries. Rev. Emily Wilmesherr, Associate Pastor for Intergenerational and Caring Ministries, joined the staff in August 2017 as Interim Director of Children's Ministry just after graduating from Columbia Theological Seminary, was ordained in 2020, and took on her current portfolio in 2022. Rev. Tully M. Fletcher IV, Associate Pastor for Youth and Congregational Transformation, joined the staff in 2021 after serving churches in Phoenix, Arizona and Rockdale County, Georgia, and has served the denomination on multiple presbytery councils, General Assembly committees, and as Treasurer for the Presbyterian Youth Workers' Association. Vernon Gramling, Parish Associate, attended Princeton Theological Seminary, was ordained in 1971, and brings a background in Clinical Pastoral Education and hospital chaplaincy to his work as a pastoral counselor.
Matthew McMahan has served as Choirmaster and Organist since 1997 and leads the celebrated music program. Lori McMahan directs the children's choirs and teaches music at the Decatur Presbyterian Children's Community preschool. The preschool itself, Decatur Presbyterian Children's Community, has served children from 9 months old through kindergarten since Brandon Laird joined the program in 2005 and assumed the role of Director in 2018.
The congregation is governed by an elected Session of elders representing four classes, and the staff includes Tom Brand as Financial Administrator, Karol Eubanks as Church Administrator, Denise Howell as Program and Ministerial Secretary, Leslie Raymer as Threshold Ministry Coordinator, and David (DJ) Jones as Physical Plant Manager, along with ministry interns and custodial staff.
Affiliations and Neighbors
Decatur Presbyterian maintains close relationships with the institutions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The church is part of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, a supportive network of 92 churches and over 400 clergy whose mission is to help each congregation be the best it can be. Columbia Theological Seminary, an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a community of theological inquiry and formation for ministry, is located only a mile away in Decatur, and the church regularly mentors Supervised Ministry Interns, hosts faculty for lectures and classes, and welcomes CTS students into its congregation and staff. Montreat Conference Center, one of the largest conference centers affiliated with the PC(USA), partners with the church on youth conferences and other programs. Philips Tower, a senior living center operated by Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, sits next door to the church and is named for a former pastor of Decatur Presbyterian; the relationship between the two institutions dates back to the senior living center's founding. Mission Haven, owned and operated by Presbyterian Women in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, provides short-term lodging for Presbyterian missionaries visiting the United States.
Coming to Sycamore Street
Visitors to Decatur Presbyterian will find the church on Sycamore Street at the corner of Church Street, one block south of Ponce de Leon Avenue and across from the Decatur MARTA station. Plenty of free parking is available in the main lot off Church Street, in the lot beside the Sycamore House across from the Sanctuary on Sycamore Street, and in the Decatur Library lot next door on Sunday mornings. The Sanctuary is to the left beyond the Parlor Classroom through the canopy entrance on Church Street; the church office is past the Reception Desk. Several handicap parking spaces are available on Sundays on the alley next to the Sanctuary, with more in the main Church Street lot near the portico entrance, and the Sanctuary entrance ramp on the east side of the Sycamore Street doors offers accessible access. The Fellowship Hall is also wheelchair accessible.
The office is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, and the pastors are glad to meet by appointment. Visitors are welcome to all programs and activities, and the church invites newcomers to Wednesday Night Suppers, small groups such as Faith in Real Life, the choir, community outreach, and the many fellowship and education opportunities that fill the week.