Fountain City Presbyterian Church sits on a triangular lot at the corner of Hotel Road and Holbrook Drive in the Fountain City neighborhood of north Knoxville. It is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) within the Presbytery of East Tennessee, and it has been gathering for worship, study, and service on that same corner since April 8, 1923. Members describe it as a community that is neither so large that visitors get lost nor so small that there is nothing meaningful to do. Traditional worship, Bible-centered Christian education, an in-house preschool called the Davis Center, a long-running partnership with a village school in Belize, and a packed calendar of small groups together shape a church that takes seriously both its Reformed roots and its neighborhood.
From a Sunday School to a Century on Hotel Road
The story of Fountain City Presbyterian Church begins with a need rather than a building. In June 1922, N. D. Barrows, an elder at Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Knoxville, started a Presbyterian Sunday School in the Fountain City area, holding the first meeting with forty-six people at First Baptist Church on West Fifth Avenue. By December of that year, support was strong enough to organize a church. A petition was presented to Union Presbytery on December 20, 1922, signed by thirteen people representing at least thirty prospective members. The congregation was officially chartered on April 8, 1923, as the fourth church established in what was then called Fountain Head, Tennessee, and the original worship services were held in the Odd Fellows Hall on the corner of Hotel Road and West Fifth.
In June 1923 the young church bought the triangular piece of property on which it still stands for $7,500. Funds for a building were delayed while leaders in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (the so-called Northern Church) debated whether Fountain City was large enough to support a new congregation. Extension leaders of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (the Southern Church) saw the opportunity differently and helped it transfer to the Knoxville Presbytery of the southern branch in 1927. Ground was broken for a building in September 1928, and the formal opening of that structure, now known as McCorkle Chapel, was held on October 30, 1929, at a cost of $15,000 and with 125 members.
The congregation outgrew the 1929 chapel in the late 1940s under its second pastor, Dr. J. Witherspoon Dunlap. The cornerstone of the present sanctuary was laid on May 21, 1950, and the formal opening of the new sanctuary was held on January 21, 1951. An education wing was added in 1959, a new wing was completed in September 1994, and a state-licensed child development center, the Davis Center, opened the following school year with just four children and one worker. In 1983 the reunion of the northern and southern branches of American Presbyterianism made Fountain City Presbyterian a congregation of the reunited Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The church called its first Director of Christian Education in 1964 and its first full-time Associate Pastor in 1984. A Wednesday evening program called Welcome on Wednesday, later renamed F3 for Family, Faith, Food, began in 1989 and continues in adapted form to this day. The kitchen was remodeled the same year. A Stephen Ministry program was launched in 1993, and in 1998 a 75th Anniversary Committee published a booklet marking the church's history. As the church has entered its second century, it continues to identify itself with the same mission statement adopted years ago: a caring community of faith proclaiming the good news of God's love through worship, study, and Christian outreach; through a ministry of compassion, healing, justice, peace, and stewardship of God's creation; and through opportunities for each person to seek Christ and make Him known.
Sunday Morning at FCPC
The Sunday rhythm at Fountain City Presbyterian is straightforward. Sunday School meets at 9:30 AM and the worship service begins at 10:30 AM. The service is described by the congregation as casual and traditional. There are physical bulletins, hymnals, responsive readings, an organ and piano, and a traditional sanctuary interior. There are no video screens, monitors, or a stage. Lay liturgists regularly lead parts of the service, and the music is a blend of classic hymns and more contemporary songs that is welcoming for newcomers.
Sermons are typically fifteen to twenty minutes long and are delivered from behind the pulpit. The whole service usually runs an hour or less, and a casual fellowship time follows in the church parlor. Visitors often note that they feel welcomed quickly, and members consider that a core part of who the church is. Dress ranges from suits and dresses to t-shirts and jeans, and the congregation encourages newcomers to come as they are.
The sanctuary was designed with families in mind. Rocking chairs sit at the back of the sanctuary for parents of young children who want to stay in worship, and children's worship bags are available to help younger children follow along. A children's sermon is included in the service. For families who prefer not to bring young children into the sanctuary, professionally staffed childcare is offered on Sunday mornings.
The Passing of the Peace is part of every service, a practice dating back to the early church in which worshipers share the peace of Christ with one another through handshakes, hugs, and high-fives. Visitors are welcome to move around the sanctuary or to remain comfortably where they are.
The parking lot is at the corner of Hotel Road and Holbrook Drive and is signed for Fountain City Presbyterian Church. Accessible parking and a ramp entrance are available beside the church on Gresham Road for those with mobility concerns.
Music that Lifts the Service
Music is a point of pride at FCPC. Adult Choir Director Bob Eubanks, a University of Tennessee graduate who has directed the choir since 2003, leads a committed ensemble that anchors congregational singing. The choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:00 PM and on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:15 AM. The choir is accompanied by organist David Flick, a native of Bristol, Tennessee, who holds a Bachelor of Music in Church Music from Carson-Newman University and a Master of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has served churches in Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia.
George Hill serves as an assisting musician. A Knoxville native and Carter High School graduate, Hill has played the organ since he was fourteen years old and now provides music for memorial services and special services. He plays alongside a piano, violin, trumpet, and drum that together give FCPC's music a richer sound than a single instrument can offer.
The result is a music ministry that mixes classic hymns with newer songs and welcomes both longtime Presbyterians and visitors who have not sung in a choir since childhood. Members say the music is one of the things people comment on most after their first visit.
Children, Youth, and the Davis Center
Fountain City Presbyterian has long taken seriously its calling to the children of the neighborhood. Children's Sunday School runs at 9:30 AM on Sundays for children from Pre-K through fifth grade and uses a rotational model that combines storytelling, crafts, and song across different weeks. Carol Smith, the church's longest-serving Sunday School teacher, leads story time with the core stories of the Old and New Testaments. Leigh Mosley leads a craft experience that reinforces the lesson of the day. Angela Bell leads a children's music time that brings scripture to life through song and movement.
Youth ministry gathers in the Youth Room in the Chapel Basement, a renovated space with its own kitchen and restroom. Sunday School for youth runs from 9:30 to 10:20 AM, and on Sunday evenings the youth group gathers from 5:00 to 7:00 PM for dinner, games, study, and fellowship. Wednesday evenings connect with the church-wide F3 program, with dinner provided. In the summer, dinner continues even when F3 is on break. Retreats and conferences are part of the rhythm, including the Presbytery of East Tennessee's Youth Summit each February, Montreat Youth Conference, and outings hosted by PET Small and Mighty Youth Groups. Youth Sunday in May is a long-standing tradition in which graduating seniors write and deliver their own sermons and the entire service is led by the church's young people.
The youth also continue a monthly tradition of preparing and delivering food to residents of Minvilla Manor who are housing-insecure. The program has been running for more than thirty years. Members raise funds after church on one Sunday each month and then serve the same menu to homeless neighbors that the congregation enjoys. The relationships built over the years have grown deep, with residents greeting the youth by name and the youth being introduced as part of the family.
The Davis Center, the church's in-house preschool and childcare program, sits at the heart of FCPC's commitment to children. Its mission is to provide the highest quality childcare in a loving, supportive Christian environment for children six weeks of age through pre-K. The center nurtures each child's physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual development and uses the Tennessee Early Learning Standards to plan developmentally appropriate lesson plans for each classroom. Weekly Chapel services are led by the pastor, and Bible lessons and the observance of Christian holidays are part of the program.
The Davis Center operates as a full-time, year-round program from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It is closed on Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the following Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas, and New Year's Day. The center can be reached at (865) 687-0815.
Family, Faith, Food on Wednesday Nights
Family, Faith, Food, or F3, is the church's Wednesday evening program and one of its signature ministries. F3 runs in the spring and in the fall in six- to seven-week blocks. Dinner is served at 6:00 PM and is free. Programming for all ages begins at 6:45 PM. The nursery is available for the youngest children, faith formation is offered for elementary-age children, youth have their own time together, and adults engage in a study of their own. Sign-up is required so the church knows how much food to prepare.
When F3 is not meeting during the summer months, the youth group still gathers on Wednesday evenings for a shared meal and fellowship, while adult classes and children's programming pause until the next F3 block begins. The format has been a hallmark of midweek life at FCPC since the original Welcome on Wednesday program began in 1989.
Sunday School for Every Adult
Four adult Sunday School classes are active and well-attended. The Collier Corner Class uses a quarterly Bible study called The Present Word and meets on the third floor above the Greeting Room. It is currently led by Don Grogan and Daryl Fansler. Disciple Too meets in the same area and runs book studies built around themes or books of the Bible, often with video lectures by well-known scholars such as Amy Jill Levine, Adam Hamilton, Matt Skinner, and Tim Keller. The class does seasonal studies during Lent and Advent and is led by Harry Ogden. Voice of the People, the church's youngest adult class, prides itself on getting into the weeds of scripture through discussion; Carl Snow leads the class in the church library and the group has worked through Proverbs and other books in depth.
The Good News Class is led by Janice Hickman, who has taught it for more than fifty years. The class studies books of the Bible and topical themes, ranging from Adam Hamilton's Luke to Rabbi Evan Moffic's Reading the Old Testament Through Jewish Eyes and studies of biblical figures such as Joseph and Jeremiah. The class supports members Joe and Linda Schnorr in their missionary ministry Threads of Hope in Belize, an annual high school scholarship for a Belize student, the Fountain City Ministry Center, Grandma's Pajamas, Mission of Hope through bicycles, Lakisha Johnson's ministry for the homeless, and other needs as they arise. Members support each other in times of need through timely contact, prayers, and recovery meals, and the class gathers socially for covered-dish suppers, brunches, picnics, and restaurant outings. The class meets in room 207, across the hall from the pastor's office.
Adult Connections and Fellowship
Beyond Sunday School, FCPC offers a wide range of opportunities for adults to connect. The Women of Hope Bible Study meets on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM and is currently studying Brave and Beloved: Women of the Bible. The Disciple Class meets on Monday evenings at 6:30 PM and is working through the letters of Paul. The Men's Prayer Breakfast gathers on Thursday mornings at 7:30 AM in the Greeting Room to pray over and discuss the upcoming week's lectionary passage, then travels together for breakfast.
Grandma's Pajamas meets on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 AM to sew pajamas, dresses, and other garments that are delivered to area missions, hospitals, and the partners in Belize. The Lunch Bunch meets on the third Thursday of each month at the church and travels together to restaurants around Knoxville. Pilsner Presbyterians gathers on fourth Fridays at 2:30 PM at the Fountain City Social Club for a casual beer and conversation. Second Friday Presbyterians meets on the second Friday of each month at a local bar or brewery, with past meeting spots including Schultz Brau, Hexagon, and Gypsy Circus, and childcare is available on request. Odd Wednesdays Out, a summertime fellowship meal held every other Wednesday, continues from its origin a few years ago.
GriefShare is a support group for grieving church and community members that began in 2021 and meets on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 PM in the Chapel Basement. There is no charge, and all materials are provided. The group is led by Susan Espiritu.
Vacation Bible School is offered each year for children and youth, and adult VBS classes on engaging topics run alongside the children's program. The church's VBS program is open to all ages.
Mission in Fountain City and Beyond
FCPC's Mission Committee discerns where the church is being called to serve, both close to home and far from Knoxville. Locally, the Mission Team supports Fountain City Elementary School by feeding parents, children, and teachers at meet-the-teacher nights and math and science nights, volunteering at the school carnival, and helping maintain the school grounds. The church also partners with Family Promise, a network that provides food, beds, and fellowship to families experiencing temporary homelessness. Members of the Mission Team serve at the Fountain City Ministry Center, a partnership of area churches that provides groceries and a children's clothing closet to neighbors in need.
The youth prepare and serve a meal each month for residents of Minvilla Manor, many of whom are housing-insecure or living with disabilities. The relationship is long-standing and intergenerational. Grandma's Pajamas sews for Fountain City Ministry Center, Family Promise, and partners in Belize. A blanket ministry begun in 1968 by Ruth Wallace and continued by Wanda Dye gifts a handmade blanket to every new baby in the church. A care bag ministry started during the pandemic by the Congregational Connections Team delivers devotional materials and treats to the homebound. Members of the Session administer home communion to those who cannot attend services in person.
FCPC's longest international partnership is with Los Tambos Government School in Belize. The Mission Team travels to Belize each year to build playgrounds and libraries, paint and repair school buildings, and sponsor students to attend high schools and trade schools. A separate ministry called Threads of Hope teaches women in three different villages how to sew, both for personal use and for marketing their projects, building skills, self-esteem, and relationships with God. Members of FCPC support Joe and Linda Schnorr in this work year-round.
Over the years, FCPC has constructed fourteen Habitat for Humanity houses between 1993 and 2021 and has sent more than seventy volunteers to the Gulf Coast to assist with hurricane recovery after Hurricane Katrina across a five-year span. The church also partnered with Samaritan's Purse for many years to fill shoeboxes with necessities and treats for children in developing countries at Christmas.
Beliefs Rooted in the Reformed Tradition
Fountain City Presbyterian is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a member of the Presbytery of East Tennessee. The church traces its theological heritage to the Protestant Reformation and to theologians such as Huldrych Zwingli, Heinrich Bullinger, John Calvin, and John Knox. The Brief Statement of Faith found in the Presbyterian Book of Confessions is woven into the life of the congregation, beginning: In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.
The church confesses belief in the triune God, in Jesus Christ as fully human and fully God, in the saving work of the Holy Spirit, in salvation by grace through faith, and in the authority of Scripture as the special revelation of God. Presbyterians affirm the doctrines of election and predestination as biblical teachings that bring glory to God and assurance to the believer. Two sacraments are recognized: baptism, including infant baptism as a sign of God's covenant, and the Lord's Supper, celebrated in the midst of worship.
The church understands itself as both a visible and an invisible church, as the Confession of 1967 puts it, sent into the world as God's reconciling community. The church is governed by elders, and both men and women serve as ruling elders, deacons, and pastors. Women's ordination in the predecessor denominations of the PC(USA) began in 1930 for elders, in 1956 for deacons in some branches, and in the 1960s for ministers of Word and Sacrament.
The Session and Shared Leadership
At Fountain City Presbyterian, big and faithful decisions are made by people gathered to pray, talk, and listen. The congregation elects ruling elders who, together with the pastor, form the Session, from the Latin word sessio, meaning to sit and talk about. The Session acts as the spiritual leadership of the church. Members of the Session serve three-year terms and may serve additional terms. The current Clerk of Session is Dan Rhea. The church believes that God calls anyone to serve on the Session, regardless of gender, sexual expression, age, or experience, and the Session itself is intentionally diverse in age, background, and perspective.
The work of the church is carried out by a range of committees accountable to the Session, including Personnel, Stewardship and Finance, Worship, Congregational Connections, the FCPC Foundation, Infrastructure and Long Range Planning, the Officer Nominating Committee, Faith Formation, and Mission. Each committee is led by lay members and supported by the staff.
Staff and Pastoral Leadership
Fountain City Presbyterian is currently in a time of pastoral transition. The Rev. Janna Preston serves as Interim Pastor. Preston grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Psychology, and completed her Master of Divinity at Lexington Theological Seminary. She has served in parish ministries and as a chaplain at UT Medical Center, in a long-term care and rehabilitation facility, and at UT Hospice. Pastoral care is a great joy for her, and she is known for meeting people at their point of need and listening to their stories. She is a minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has been ordained since 2005. She has two adult daughters and two grandchildren and shares her life with a dog named Monk.
The Rev. Dr. Anne McKee serves as Transitional Consultant, helping the congregation between pastors and supporting the search for longer-term leadership. McKee has been a member of the Presbytery of East Tennessee since 1994, has served as Associate Pastor of Farragut Presbyterian Church, and spent twenty-one years as the campus minister at Marywell College. She holds a D.Min. from Columbia Theological Seminary.
Ashton Hicks has served as Church Administrator since March 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from King University in Bristol, Tennessee, and previously recruited administrative talent in the staffing industry, managed retail sales, and served as a church secretary. He is married to an Episcopal priest, and they live in West Knoxville. Bob Eubanks, the Adult Choir Director, has been at FCPC since 2003 and has served eight other local churches over the course of his career. He is also the IT Director at two hotels and a convention center in Pigeon Forge. David Flick serves as Organist and Accompanist. George Hill serves as an Assisting Musician.
Joining the Church
Everyone is welcome to participate in worship, education, fellowship, and mission at FCPC. There is no membership barrier to any of it. Membership simply opens the door to additional forms of leadership, including serving on a committee and possibly being elected as a ruling elder, and grants the right to vote at congregational meetings. To join, a person contacts the pastor, has a brief meeting with the Session, and is recognized in worship if desired. The Session votes to receive new members, and the church handles the logistics of transferring a letter from another church or receiving a person by profession of faith or reaffirmation.
Livestream and Online Giving
Worship services are livestreamed, and the church believes that virtual worship is as holy and faithful as in-person worship. The livestream launched in July 2020 and was made possible by anonymous donations of equipment, local installation support, and the work of volunteers. Bulletins for each Sunday are archived online. Online giving is available through the church's Realm platform, and a Plan a Visit form is available to help newcomers let the church know they are coming.
A Church with Two Front Doors
Fountain City Presbyterian Church, now in its second century, continues to be shaped by its history and its neighborhood. The triangular lot on Hotel Road holds the original 1929 chapel, now McCorkle Chapel, the larger 1951 sanctuary, the 1994 education wing, the Davis Center, and a series of rooms that over the decades have hosted Sunday school classes, quilting bees, Vacation Bible School, Wednesday night dinners, youth gatherings, prayer breakfasts, GriefShare, Habitat builds, and countless other ministries. Members and staff have changed; the building has grown; mission partnerships have stretched from Fountain City to the mountains of Belize. What has not changed is the calling that has shaped FCPC since the day N. D. Barrows started a Presbyterian Sunday School in 1922 and thirteen families signed a petition to organize a church.