A Sanctuary at the Corner of First Avenue and Eleventh Street
First Presbyterian Church sits in the heart of Uptown Columbus, at the corner of First Avenue and Eleventh Street. Worshipers enter through a porte-cochère on First Avenue and step into a congregation that has shaped the religious life of the city since the 1830s. The church building itself anchors the block, but the ministry extends well beyond the walls, into homes, classrooms, kitchens, and streets from downtown Columbus to corners of the world.
First Presbyterian is a member church of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country. Through the bylaws adopted in 2018, the church is formally affiliated with the Flint River Presbytery in the Synod of South Atlantic. The church's 1830 Society celebrates a perpetual source of blessing for the ministry, honoring gifts that have carried the congregation from generation to generation.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Tradition of Broadcast Worship
Worship is central to life at First Presbyterian. Two Sunday services share a single sanctuary and a single musical tradition.
At 8:45 a.m. and again at 11:00 a.m., worshipers gather for a traditional service led by Rev. Danny Dieth, the pastor. The services feature the sanctuary organ, the church's musical ensembles, and engaging preaching in a classical Reformed pattern. The format pairs timeless liturgy with a modern message, so that visitors accustomed to either contemporary praise music or high-church formality find something familiar and something new. Tom George, the Organist and Choirmaster, leads a semi-professional Adult Choir in the best sacred repertoire from the Renaissance to today and an Adult Handbell Choir performing modern handbell literature.
At 10:00 a.m., Sunday School meets for all ages, Pre-K through Adult, with classes meeting in the parlor or museum. Adults gather for teaching and discussion while children explore their own curriculum. Between the two worship services the church is alive with conversation over coffee, with families moving toward Children's Church, with choir members warming up.
The 11:00 a.m. service is broadcast live on WRBL-TV 3, livestreamed on Sermon.net, and carried on the church's Facebook page. The broadcast tradition runs deep here. The congregation has produced televised worship since 1956, with a brief radio-only interval between, and the volunteer production team has built a style that longtime watchers call home. Audio and video archives of past services are available on the church's YouTube channel and Sermon.net, and the Sunday service lessons and sermon are available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts that updates each Sunday evening.
Children: Nursery, Children's Church, and the Day School
First Presbyterian takes seriously the calling to walk with parents as their children grow in faith. FPC Kids is the children's ministry for birth through fifth grade, and the church treats every child as a special gift from God.
Children are always welcome in worship. During the 11:00 service, they are invited forward for a children's sermon, and children Pre-K4 through second grade then move to Children's Church. Using a Montessori model informed by Godly Play, the children sing, hear Bible stories, and explore faith practices that nurture their spiritual growth.
For infants 6 weeks old through Pre-K, professional childcare workers staff a nursery during the 11:00 service. Parents sign their children in, leave a cell phone number, and receive a vibration on the rare occasions when a child needs them.
On top of the church's own programs, First Presbyterian Day School is a ministry of the congregation. The Day School offers traditional education programs for children 8 weeks through 4 years and Montessori programs for ages 3 through Kindergarten. Its goal is to provide a Christian atmosphere in which each child grows spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually. The Day School is directed by Gabby Parker, with Latoya Rembert serving as Assistant Director.
Youth Ministry from Sixth Grade Through High School
The Youth Ministry serves students from sixth grade through high school, partnering with families to develop young people as disciples of Christ through scripture study, mentor relationships, and a safe community of peers.
Students are invited to attend the 11:00 a.m. worship service alongside Youth Ministry staff and leaders. Youth Group and Confirmation Class of 2026 alternate Sunday afternoons beginning September 14 at 4:30 p.m. Monday Nights is a separate program for high school students in grades 9 through 12, with committed leaders walking with students through study, fellowship, and recreation.
Outside the church walls, the ministry shows up in everyday places. Youth Latte meets at Iron Bank on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. Summer brings high schoolers to Montreat in June and middle schoolers to a summer retreat in July. Aaron Lickliter directs the Youth Ministry.
Adults: Choir, Handbells, Classes, and Conversation
Adult fellowship at First Presbyterian runs through choirs, classes, and small gatherings that keep members connected to one another and to their faith.
The Adult Choir meets Wednesday evenings from 7:35 to 9:05 p.m. and provides leadership in both Sunday services. The Adult Handbell Choir rehearses on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., open to eleven ringers who read music fairly well. Both ensembles lead worship throughout the year and occasionally present concerts and cantatas.
On Thursday mornings at 7:15, men gather in the parlor for a hot breakfast, faith exploration, Bible study, and conversation. The Ladies Circle meets the second Tuesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. in the parlor. A literature and theology book club for women meets the fourth Thursday of the month. Adult Sunday School meets at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays in the parlor or museum.
Reformed Beliefs Rooted in Scripture and Confession
As a congregation in the Reformed tradition, First Presbyterian holds a secure hope in the grace of God in Jesus Christ, a hope that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, empowers lives of gratitude. The church's statement of belief is unusually thorough, working through the historic doctrines with the language of the confessions.
The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are received as the final authority for faith and life, illumined by the Holy Spirit. The church confesses one God who has eternally existed in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, without sin, who lived a life of perfect righteousness and willingly gave himself on the cross as a substitute for sinners. He rose physically from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith, not by works, and the Holy Spirit unites believers to Christ, sanctifying them over a lifetime.
The church recognizes two sacraments instituted by Christ: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism, which may be administered to infants as a sign of the covenant, incorporates the baptized into the Christian church. The Lord's Supper is observed in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice until the end of the world. Each January the congregation reaffirms its baptismal vows together, following The Book of Common Worship.
The church teaches that the visible church is distinguished by three marks: the true preaching of the Word of God, the right administration of the sacraments, and church discipline uprightly administered as God's Word prescribes.
Stephen Ministry and Pastoral Care
First Presbyterian is a Stephen Ministry church. Stephen Ministry is a lay caring ministry that provides one-to-one, confidential, Christ-centered support to individuals facing grief, divorce, job loss, illness, or other long-term or short-term difficulties. Stephen Ministers complete 50 hours of training and walk alongside someone through crisis. Bea Haledjian leads pastoral care at the church, and those seeking a Stephen Minister can contact Rev. Danny Dieth.
Hands-On Service in Columbus and Beyond
Service runs through nearly every part of the congregation's life. Members serve once a month on Usher or Vestibule Teams, greeting worshipers, distributing bulletins, collecting the offering, and seating the congregation. Other volunteers run the TV Ministry and Soundboard during the 11:00 service, with training provided.
Through Home for Good, the church helps implement the city's plan to end homelessness by doing community outreach, assessing needs, and providing housing and other services directly or with community partners. Break Bread, a program begun more than 30 years ago by First Presbyterian, delivers hot lunches to the elderly and homebound through a partnership with Meals on Wheels. Volunteers, working alone or in pairs, pick up meals at Direct Services on Hamilton Road and deliver them along routes that take roughly an hour. The Abbey, a ministry to young adults in the Columbus area, is supported by the congregation with prayer, meals, and financial backing, along with volunteer hours.
Once a year, the whole family gathers to package 15,000 meals through Rise Against Hunger, a service event that sends food to children and adults around the world.
Local and Global Mission Partners
The church's 25/26 mission partnerships span the Chattahoochee Valley and the wider church.
Local partners include The Abbey Fellowship, Linwood Cemetery, Mercy Med, the Food Pantry, Safe House, Break Bread (Meals on Wheels), House of Time, the Pastoral Institute, the Pastor's Benevolence Fund, and the Montreat Conference Center. Global partners include Porch de Solomon, the Near East School of Theology (NEST), Friends of Forman College, the Outreach Foundation, Antioch Partners, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Guatemalan Presbyterian Women, the Bible Training Center for Pastors, and This Child Here. Members and visitors can give online to support this work.
Governance by Elders and Deacons
First Presbyterian is governed in accordance with the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), defined as the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order, subject to Jesus Christ as the Scriptures bear witness to him. The Session, the church's ruling body, oversees all church affairs. It consists of 15 elders elected by the congregation in three classes of five, each serving three-year terms. No elder serves more than six consecutive years.
The Diaconate consists of six deacons elected in three classes of two for three-year terms, exercising a ministry of compassion, witness, and service in the name of Christ to the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the friendless, the oppressed, and anyone in distress. Three trustees oversee the Special Funds Policy, coordinate with investment managers, and maintain the Goulding-Terry Pollard gravesite at Linwood Cemetery. The pastor serves as moderator of the Session.
Plan a Visit
First Presbyterian Church is located in Uptown Columbus at the corner of First Avenue and Eleventh Street. The main entrance is through the porte-cochère on First Avenue. Sunday parking is available in the parking garage across First Avenue, in the church parking lot across Eleventh Street, and in two-hour spaces along the street, with limited parking for the mobility impaired at the main entrance. The church office can be reached at (706) 322-4523.
Visitors are invited to worship at either 8:45 or 11:00 a.m. The 11:00 service is televised live on WRBL-TV 3 and livestreamed. Dress is comfortable and respectful; members tend toward traditional Sunday attire. Nursery care is available during the 11:00 service for infants 6 weeks through Pre-K, and children Pre-K4 through second grade are invited to Children's Church after the children's sermon. First-time guests are invited to introduce themselves to a pastor or to the greeters in the reception hall before Sunday school and at the sanctuary doors before the 11:00 service.
Those who want to deepen involvement can join a Sunday school class, sing with the choir or handbells, serve on a ministry team, or volunteer with Break Bread, Rise Against Hunger, Home for Good, or The Abbey. The Abbey has more information about how to help.