For Christ in the Heart of Knoxville
First Presbyterian Church sits at 620 State Street, on the corner of Church and State, behind the Tennessee Theatre in the middle of downtown Knoxville. The congregation is the oldest continuing church in the city, organized in 1792 when the founder of Knoxville, James White, donated his turnip patch for "a church and a burying ground." That same property still hosts the church, its historic graveyard, and a roughly 70,000-square-foot building that rises four floors above downtown. Members travel from Oak Ridge to Sevierville, from South Knoxville to Fountain City, each Sunday to worship here, drawn by a congregation that calls itself "a worshiping community in our city since 1792" and lives by the motto Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide."
The church belongs to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and follows the denomination's representative form of government. Members elect Elders to the Session and Deacons to the Diaconate, both of which guide the work of the church under the higher councils of the PC(USA). Senior Pastor Mark Curtis, who joined the congregation on November 1, 2021, leads a pastoral team that includes Associate Pastor Meredith Loftis. The motto outside the building, "For Christ in the Heart of Knoxville," is the simplest summary of what the church has tried to be for more than two centuries.
Two Sunday Services: The Chapel at 8:45 and the Sanctuary at 11:00
First Presbyterian offers two distinct Sunday morning services, both rooted in reformed worship but with very different settings and feels.
The earlier service is held in the chapel at 8:45 AM. Centered on simplicity, diverse music, and the sacrament of Communion, it offers an intimate and welcoming atmosphere for those new to faith or who have walked with Christ for decades. Communion is celebrated every week at this service.
The later service moves to the sanctuary at 11:00 AM. It is a fuller reformed liturgy in which the Sanctuary Choir leads the congregation in traditional and classical music. The order of worship includes a call to worship, a hymn of praise, a prayer of confession, an assurance of pardon, a passing of the peace, scripture readings, a sermon, a time for affirmation and response, prayers including the Lord's Prayer, an offering, a final hymn, a charge, and a benediction. Communion is observed at the 11:00 service on the first Sunday of even-numbered months and at special services throughout the year. The sacrament is open to all who profess belief in Jesus Christ and is administered by the pastors and elders of the congregation.
Children are a visible part of the 11:00 worship. After the scripture reading, one of the ministers shares "Special Time with the Children" on the steps for the youngest worshippers, after which children ages four through first grade are invited to Children's Church on the second floor. Older children stay in the sanctuary for the rest of the service.
Both services are supported by livestreamed video. Worship bulletins are posted for each Sunday and archived going back years. Sermon podcasts are also available so members who travel or who cannot attend in person can follow along.
A Heritage of Sacred Music and Three Pipe Organs
Music is one of the most distinctive features of First Presbyterian. Director of Music Ministry and Organist Scott Scheetz, who joined the congregation after serving as Associate Director of Music and Organist at Christ United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas, oversees a comprehensive program built around three pipe organs and a strong choral tradition.
The sanctuary organ is a 56-rank Casavant Frères instrument originally built in 1963 and rebuilt and expanded during the church's 2016 renovation by B. Rule & Company of New Market, Tennessee. It was featured in the March 2020 issue of The Diapason and served as the cover feature of the February 2026 issue of The American Organist.
The chapel organ is a 9-rank Baroque chamber instrument built in 2005 by Taylor and Boody Organbuilders of Staunton, Virginia, as their Opus 52. The casework includes carvings of classical acanthus leaves and, in a nod to the church's origin, turnip plants. A third continuo organ, a 3-rank single-manual instrument originally built in 1983 by Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company and rebuilt in 2016 by B. Rule, sits in the sanctuary and accompanies chamber works and smaller vocal ensembles. Two historic Steinway grand pianos, a 1924 Model M in the sanctuary and a 1937 Model S in the chapel, plus a Ross/Lebedinsky harpsichord, complete the collection.
The Sanctuary Choir leads worship at the 11:00 service from August through late May. The choir blends volunteers, professional singers, and instrumentalists; some members sing with the Knoxville Opera, play in the Knoxville Symphony, or jam in local bluegrass groups. The group rehearses Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM and Sundays from 10:00 to 10:45 AM. Two handbell choirs, the Joyful Noise ensemble and an Adult Handbell Choir, lead worship at the 11:00 service every four to six weeks. The Children's Choir, which meets during the Wednesday evening program for kindergarten through fifth grade, leads worship every five or six weeks.
Highlights of the choral year include the Hanging of the Greens service, Advent Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols at the late service, and a Good Friday choral masterwork. In recent years the Sanctuary Choir was joined by members of the Church Street United Methodist Parish Choir for a Good Friday performance of John Stainer's The Crucifixion that drew nearly 300 people.
From a Turnip Patch to 230 Years
The church's history begins with a small gift of land. Over two hundred years ago, James White, the founder of Knoxville, donated his turnip patch for "a church and a burying ground." That same plot is still home to the congregation, and the name has stuck. The annual cookbook compiled by Presbyterian Women is called The Turnip Patch. The church's outdoor deck is called the Turnip Patch Deck. The Fellowship Hall is sometimes referred to by longtime members with affection in the same tradition.
The graveyard behind the church was established in the 1790s and remains one of the oldest burial grounds in Knoxville. The names and tombstone inscriptions have been preserved and documented for visitors who want to trace early families of the city.
The most beloved pastor in the church's history is the Rev. James Park, who served from 1866 until 1905. Park was born in 1822, the eleventh of twelve children of James and Sophia Moody Park. His father, a pioneer merchant and one of the early elders of First Presbyterian, was once mayor of Knoxville. Park graduated in 1840 from what was then East Tennessee University, later the University of Tennessee, and at the time of his death in 1912 was the university's oldest living graduate. After studying at Princeton Theological Seminary, he was ordained by the Presbytery of Knoxville in 1848 and served several area churches. Park also served as principal of the Knoxville Female Seminary and the Tennessee School for the Deaf. He is remembered as a minister who "received respect and confidence at the hands of the city's citizens without regard to race, creed, or social condition." A classroom in the church is named for him.
The stained glass windows are another piece of the church's heritage. They were created by artisans whose work continues to draw attention. The history is documented and shared with visitors who want to learn more.
Today the church continues to describe itself with the same words it has used for years: "a worshiping community in our city since 1792." The 230th anniversary was marked in October 2022 with a Kirkin' o' the Tartan service that recalled the Scottish Presbyterian roots of the denomination.
Worshipful Wednesday: Dinner and Education for Every Age
One of the defining programs at First Presbyterian is Worshipful Wednesday, an evening of shared meal and education that runs during the school year from mid-August through the middle of May. The program begins at 5:30 PM with dinner in the Fellowship Hall, prepared by volunteer cooking teams made up of church members. Adults pay a small charge to cover expenses; the published price is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children, with a family maximum of $20. The meal doubles as a weekly "check-in" with neighbors in faith.
Programs for all ages follow. From 6:15 to 7:30 PM, the children gather by age group on the second floor: under three in the nursery, three- and four-year-olds in the preschool group, kindergarten through second grade in one class, and third through fifth grade in another. From 6:30 to 7:30 PM, adults attend classes that change in blocks throughout the year, with new topics each season. The youth program begins at 6:15 with a meal together and moves into Bible study and fellowship at 6:30 PM.
The Sanctuary Choir rehearses from 7:30 to 9:00 PM, the same evening. Choir members who come for the rehearsal can join the earlier dinner as well, so a single Wednesday evening at First Presbyterian can include dinner, a Bible study, and choir practice.
Worshipful Wednesday was designed to make the church a gathering point for the whole family. Parents who come for a class can drop children at programs on the same floor, then gather for the meal together. It is also one of the church's strongest paths to membership, since newcomers who attend a few Wednesdays quickly form relationships.
Children, Youth, and Parents' Day Out
The Children's Ministry at First Presbyterian serves children from infancy through fifth grade. The ministry is organized around the conviction that children are full members of the church family and that Jesus "made it quite clear that children, all children, matter to God."
On Sunday mornings, children gather at 9:45 AM for Sunday School (9:30 during the summer). Classes for the youngest children include the crib nursery and toddlers, two- and three-year-olds with Mr. Raymond, Pre-K and Kindergarten, first and second grade with Ms. Jane Armstrong and her team, and third through fifth grade with Ms. Sharon and Ms. Marie. The Sunday morning curriculum walks through the lectionary, the Ten Commandments, the books of the Bible, and the Presbyterian hymnal.
At the 11:00 service, after the children's sermon on the steps, children ages four through first grade are invited to Children's Church for music, teaching, and fellowship. On Communion Sundays, members of the oldest elementary class carry the Communion elements into worship.
Throughout the year, children take part in special events including the Easter Pageant, the Christmas Pageant, Vacation Bible School, Camp John Knox, and Lenten activities. The annual Christmas Pageant is one of the church's longest-running traditions.
Parents' Day Out is a weekday preschool program run by the church. Lauren Nunn directs the program, which provides childcare and early childhood education for infants through four-year-olds. Parents' Day Out meets in the Children's Area on the second floor across from the Children's Courtyard.
The Youth Ministry serves students in sixth through twelfth grade. Most youth classes and gatherings take place in the youth area on the fourth floor. On Sundays the youth meet at 9:45 AM for Sunday School; on Wednesdays during the school year they gather at 5:30 PM for dinner and at 6:15 PM for Bible study. The youth program includes a Confirmation Class for eighth graders and older. Each year the group attends the Montreat Youth Conference in North Carolina and middle-schoolers take part in WOW Urban Ministry, a youth-led mission in Knoxville. Retreats coordinated by the Presbytery of East Tennessee round out the year.
Adults, Presbyterian Women, and Fellowship
Adults at First Presbyterian find their primary connection through Sunday School, Worshipful Wednesday classes, and small groups. Four adult Sunday School classes meet each Sunday morning. The Carrick Class is for adults of all ages and meets in Heritage Classroom A. The Discipleship Class meets in Courtyard A. The Foundation Builders Class, led by Ginny and Bill Morrow, meets in Heritage Classroom B. The Embarked Class, for singles and parents of kids, youth, and college students, meets in the James Park classroom on the second floor. Anyone is welcome to attend any adult class.
Presbyterian Women (PW) is an independent organization within the PC(USA) that includes more than 300,000 women nationwide. At First Presbyterian, PW is organized into Circles, small groups that meet for fellowship, study, and service. The PW purpose statement commits members to nurture faith through prayer and Bible study, support the mission of the church worldwide, work for justice and peace, and build an inclusive, caring community of women. The PW yearbook lists circles, officers, and mission projects for the year.
First Fellowship Groups are small groups of ten to fifteen people who gather once a month for six months for a meal or other activity. Groups are formed at random to mix ages and genders, giving members of the congregation a way to meet people they would not otherwise encounter on Sunday morning or Wednesday evening. Every six months the groups reorganize, so members can keep meeting new people.
The church's softball team, the Fightin' Turnips, plays in a local co-ed league. The name is a quiet nod to the church's origin in James White's turnip patch.
From Knoxville to the Congo: Global and Local Mission
Mission work, both near and far, is central to the identity of First Presbyterian. The Local Missions Committee and the Global Missions Committee work in tandem under the umbrella of the church's mission program.
The strongest global partnership is with the Democratic Republic of Congo. First Presbyterian funds three PC(USA) mission co-workers in Congo: Jeff and Christi Boyd, who serve as Regional Liaison and Regional Facilitator for Women's and Children's Interests, and Jose LaMont Jones, Education Assistant for the Presbyterian Community in Kinshasa. The church supports the Christian Medical Institute of the Kasai (IMCK) in Tshikaji, which was founded in 1954 by Dr. Bill Rule, a medical missionary from First Presbyterian. IMCK includes the Good Shepherd Hospital, clinics, and schools for nursing and laboratory training. The Congo Leadership Initiative offers training in changemaking and entrepreneurship for Congolese youth, and the church is an active participant in the Congo Mission Network and Build Congo Schools. In 2016, First Presbyterian fully funded the construction of a new building for the E.P. Mbyia Mulumba School in Mbuji Mayi, which now serves about 640 elementary students each year.
Earlier global partnerships included mission trips to Reynosa, Mexico, where youth and adult teams built homes in partnership with Ministerio de Fe between 2000 and 2008. The church also supports Bridge Refugee Services of Knoxville, which helps resettle refugee families in East Tennessee. Sometimes the church adopts a refugee family to help with housing, school needs, and fellowship.
Locally, the church partners with several Knoxville organizations. Habitat for Humanity teams build a house every other year under the direction of Rachel Trentham. Family Promise of Knoxville brings families experiencing homelessness to the church four times a year for a week at a time, with the congregation providing hot dinners, overnight hosting, and comfortable sleeping quarters. The church supports the Volunteer Ministry Center (VMC), which operates the Resource Center, Minvilla Manor and Caswell Manor apartments for permanent supportive housing, the Foyer night shelter, and the Dental Clinic. First Presbyterian also supports Isaiah 117 House, which provides a safe, loving place for children awaiting foster placement, and the FISH Pantry, which distributes food in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank. Other local partners include Justice Knox, Dogwood Elementary, Hand up for Women, the Compassion Coalition, and YWCA Knoxville.
The Mission Market is the most visible expression of the church's global mission work inside the building. Located on the second floor in Room 200, the Mission Market sells fair trade crafts and organic groceries from around the world. Goods include re-thread throws from India, cold-pressed olive oil from Galilee, whole-bean coffee from Eastern Congo, chocolate from South America, face masks from Global Mamas in Ghana, pecans from Black farmers in Georgia, pasta and rolled oats from the Northeast, and dry bean soup from Colorado. The market is sponsored by the Global Mission Committee and is open Sundays from 9:30 to 10:50 AM or by appointment. The small profit earned on sales helps underwrite the market's expenses and provides support for mission in Congo. The primary fair trade partners are Equal Exchange, SERRV, and Ten Thousand Villages.
Weddings, Memorials, and the Historic Graveyard
First Presbyterian hosts weddings for members and for the children of members. The Session, the elected governing body, authorizes each wedding at least three months before the service, and one of the church's pastors, or another ordained PC(USA) minister approved by the Session, must officiate. Couples prepare through multiple counseling sessions with the officiating pastor. The Sanctuary Guild assists the couple in planning the details of the worship service.
The church also serves members at the time of death. Funerals and memorial services are arranged through the church office in conversation with one of the pastors. The columbarium, a sacred resting place with both indoor and outdoor niches, and the memorial garden inside the historic graveyard offer places for the interment of cremains.
The historic graveyard behind the church was established in the 1790s and remains an active part of the property. Its tombstone inscriptions document some of the earliest families of Knoxville.
Getting There, Parking, and What to Expect
First Presbyterian is located at 620 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902, on the corner of Church and State, behind the Tennessee Theatre. The church office is open Monday through Friday and can be reached at (865) 546-2531 or church@fpcknox.org.
Parking is available in the State Street garage and in the lot at the corner of Church and State Streets; both are free on Sundays and evenings. The church also has an on-site parking garage accessible from Clinch Avenue, Central Avenue, and Church Street, with three levels of parking and an elevator to reach any part of the building. The entire building is wheelchair accessible.
An assisted listening system is available through the ListenWIFI app, so worshippers with hearing loss can participate fully in either service. The church is in the middle of a phased technology upgrade that includes new Wi-Fi, streaming, and classroom technology throughout the building.
For first-time visitors, the order of worship is laid out in the bulletin, and ushers and members are ready to help anyone find a classroom, a pew, or the children's area. Sunday School classes for adults are open to anyone. New members are welcomed through an Inquirer's Gathering that meets periodically during the year; the next session gathers in the Session Room on the first floor of the church office. After the class, those who wish to join are received into membership.
Visitors are invited to dress in whatever feels appropriate, from casual to business attire. The sanctuary worship includes music, prayer, preaching, and Communion on select Sundays; the chapel worship is shorter and more intimate with weekly Communion.
The congregation gathers each Sunday in the heart of Knoxville, in the same place it has gathered for more than two hundred years, to follow the God who provides.