On a corner of West Gray Street in downtown Elmira, just across Wisner Park from the Chemung River, The Park Church, Congregational, United Church of Christ, has stood for nearly two centuries as one of the Southern Tier's most distinctive congregations. It was incorporated on January 3, 1846, when forty-one members walked out of the First Presbyterian Church to form a new body that would brook no compromise with slavery. Almost a hundred and eighty years later, the same abolitionist DNA runs through the congregation. The Park Church calls itself a progressive church with a progressive pulpit and an activist congregation. Members have voted, in turn, to become an Open and Affirming congregation (2000), a Climate Justice Congregation (2021), and a steady sponsor of the annual Elmira PRIDE Festival. Visitors arriving on a Sunday morning will find traditional worship in a landmark 1875 sanctuary, a 2,832-pipe Schantz organ, three active social justice teams, and a community calendar that easily fills every week of the year.
1846: A Church Born of Conscience
The Park Church began on the Second of January in 1846, when forty-one members left Elmira's First Presbyterian Church rather than remain in a body that would not take a clear stand against slavery. The breakaway congregation incorporated two days later, on January 3, 1846. The original bylaws made their position unmistakable. They stated that the using, holding, or trading in men as slaves is a sin in the sight of God, a great wrong to its subjects, and a great moral and political evil inconsistent with the Christian profession, and pledged that no person known to be guilty of the same would be admitted to the pulpit or the communion table.
That same conscience soon turned outward. Several of the founding members helped run the Elmira station of the Underground Railroad, while the rest of the congregation sustained the abolitionist cause through time, talent, and money. After the Civil War, the church redirected that energy toward the care of widows, orphans, the aged, and the town's needy, planting a tradition of social ministry that still defines the parish.
The Beecher Era and the Sanctuary on the Park
The most famous pastor in Park Church history was the Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, a son of Lyman Beecher and a half-brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Beecher arrived in 1854 and would serve the congregation for forty-six years. He was, in turn, chaplain of the 141st New York Regiment during the Civil War, the officiant at Samuel Clemens's marriage to Olivia Langdon in 1870, and the friend who kept the city clock on time by taking noon sightings with his own transit. He opened the first free public library in Elmira out of his pastor's study. The Beecher family gave its name to Beecher Hall, the parish hall at the rear of the building.
The present sanctuary was designed by the Syracuse architect Horatio Nelson White. Its first section, now Beecher Hall, was completed in 1874, and the Victorian walnut sanctuary was finished in 1875, with the parlor section added the following year. On October 12, 2025, the congregation gathered for a 150th Anniversary Service of Celebration and Re-dedication in that same room, with the homily "Verbs" preached from Micah 6:6-8. Wisner Park, the city green that gives the church its name, lies just outside the front doors.
The building still holds surprises. Visitors can step into a 360-degree panoramic tour of the sanctuary and other rooms, or pull on work gloves to help restore and occasionally play the rare Deagan Chime Carillon that lives in the building.
Sunday Morning Worship at 10 AM
Sunday worship begins at 10 AM in the sanctuary, with the Adult Choir rehearsing at 8:30 AM beforehand. The service is offered as a Service of the Word and Sacrament, following a traditional liturgical shape that pairs readings, usually two, with a sermon, prayers, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper on scheduled Sundays. Scripture readings come from the Common English Bible.
The sanctuary itself shapes the experience. Skylights and stained glass fill the room with natural light, and the gallery at the rear holds the Schantz pipe organ. Music for the service is provided by Charlotte Cook, the Organist and Music Director, and the Adult Choir under Choir Director Davey McEuen. The congregation describes the sanctuary as breathtaking and filled with the melodious sound of the organ, while the 1875 Victorian walnut interior may feel old-fashioned next to a theology that is anything but.
After the service, coffee and fellowship run from 11 AM until noon in Beecher Hall. The driveway to the offices is on West Gray Street, with additional parking available in the parking garage just past the next light.
Worship on Zoom
For those who cannot attend in person, the Sunday service is broadcast on Zoom. The worship opens at 9:45 AM and the service begins at 10 AM. Attendees are placed in a waiting room and admitted once they have identified themselves. Zoom live captions are available for participants who find hearing a challenge. A downloadable Order of Service PDF is posted for each Sunday, and recorded services are made available for those who miss the live broadcast.
The Schantz Organ, the Adult Choir, and the Bell Choir
The Schantz pipe organ at The Park Church was dedicated on February 17, 1974. Built in the German Baroque style by the Schantz Organ Company of Orville, Ohio, the instrument has 2,832 pipes and fills the rear gallery of the sanctuary. Organist and Music Director Charlotte Cook oversees the instrument and the church's broader musical life. She trained as a concert organist, holds degrees in both organ performance and microbiology, and has served Baptist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian congregations in the Midwest as well as churches in Sayre, Elmira, and Corning.
The Adult Choir sings each Sunday morning, with weekly rehearsals beginning at 8:30 AM. Choir Director Davey McEuen is a classical guitarist and music educator who also teaches at the 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning, the Robert M. Sides Family Music Center in Williamsport, and Momentum Music Services in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. In addition to the Adult Choir, the church hosts an Adult Bell Choir, which rehearses on Tuesdays at 1 PM and plays in worship several times a year. Several members have written movingly about the bell choir as their doorway back into the life of the congregation.
Open and Affirming: A Welcome Spelled Out Since 2000
On October 29, 2000, the congregation voted to become an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. The vote committed the church to welcoming into Christian worship, membership, leadership, friendship, and employment all who covenant to seek God's truth and to follow Christ's example, regardless of ethnic origin, race, class, age, ability, gender, or sexual orientation. The Park Church's own statement grounds that welcome in Galatians 3:28: "For all of you are the children of God."
That welcome is lived out in a packed weekly calendar. Rainbow Room Game Night meets every Tuesday from 6 to 9 PM in Beecher Hall as a queer-safe space for LGBTQIA+ adults eighteen and older, with board games, light refreshments, and a donations-accepted door. The church sponsors the annual Elmira PRIDE Festival in Wisner Park and hosts the Elmira Disco Pride Ball and a Pride Silent Auction that funds the Rainbow Room. The Park Church also partners with the Alzheimer's Association to host virtual LGBTQIA+ caregiver support groups each month.
Climate Justice Congregation
On January 24, 2021, the congregation formally adopted a Climate Justice covenant. As a Climate Justice Congregation, The Park Church seeks to respect God's creation by focusing on the connection between climate change, planetary health, and human rights. The Climate Justice Team organizes its work around four pillars: Green Church Practices (reusable dinnerware, Equal Exchange coffee, green cleaning products, heat-pump HVAC, and divestment from fossil fuel investments); Justice in the Local Community (the Community Garden, Downtown Cleanup, Elmira Urban Green Equity, and partnerships with People for a Healthy Environment, Tanglewood Nature Center, and Friends of the Chemung River); Climate Justice Advocacy (letters and calls to representatives, the Climate Hope Voter Pledge, and sign-ons to environmental initiatives); and Education and Worship (forums, speakers, films, and themed services such as Earth Day Sunday).
Two ongoing projects keep that work visible in the neighborhood. The Wisner Park Zero Waste Project, run with Southern Tier Reduces, washes and sanitizes reusable plates, silverware, and glasses from the church kitchen for Wednesday market vendors in the park. Each November, the church hosts an annual Electronics Recycle Drive-Thru in its parking lot with REACT E-Cycling of Horseheads.
Racial Justice, Rooted in the Church's Own History
The Racial Justice Team sees its work as the continuation of the church's abolitionist founding. Its mission is to promote a community committed to addressing and dismantling racism in all its forms through education, advocacy, partnerships, and action. In practice the team facilitates adult education sessions and book discussions, identifies films for the Meaningful Movies series, builds the Social Justice free library on a cart in Beecher Hall, participates in Elmira's Juneteenth Freedom Day, contributes articles to the Cross Currents newsletter, and sponsors a $1,000 NAACP scholarship each year.
The team hosts Know Your Rights forums in partnership with INDIVISIBLE Cortland County, organizes book studies such as "How To Be An Antiracist," and screens documentary films like Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart, Becoming Thurgood: America's Social Architect, and the locally produced North to Freedom, which traces the Underground Railroad through upstate New York and features the Park Church and the John W. Jones Museum.
Wednesday School and Adult Spiritual Formation
The Park Church's adult formation program, known affectionately as Wednesday School, meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 PM in Beecher Hall. Taught by Pastor J. Gary Brinn, the series expands on concepts heard from the pulpit, with sessions on scripture, theology, and church history. Recent topics have included sacrament (the seven sacraments of the Roman tradition and the two of the Protestant tradition, claims about the effect of sacrament, and the idea of grace by proxy), the Bible and Homosexuality, Unitarianism, Universalism, and the story of King David and the Davidic promise in Christian origins. Snacks are welcome, and the program is open to anyone curious about the topic, whether or not they consider themselves members of the church.
Community Meals, the Community Kitchen, and the Garden
Hospitality at The Park Church takes several forms. From September through May, the congregation hosts monthly Community Breakfasts or Dinners in Beecher Hall, prepared by resident cook Bill Knapp and open to the public for dine-in or takeout. Proceeds support the church's four social justice priorities of Climate Justice, LGBTQIA+, Racial Justice, and Housing Justice.
On the second Monday of each month, members of The Park Church provide, prepare, and serve the dinner at Elmira's Community Kitchen at 160 High Street, with preparation starting at 1 PM and service from 4:30 to 5:30 PM. The Park Church has been involved with the Community Kitchen since it was founded in 1981 to provide a hot meal daily to those in need. Each February the congregation shares a Souper Bowl Sunday luncheon together, with the proceeds going to the Kitchen's operating budget. Park members also serve monthly collections for Second Place East.
The church also keeps eight raised beds at the Kathy Leary Community Garden just south of the Walnut Street bridge. The produce is donated to the Samaritan Center food pantry, and the Missions Committee welcomes volunteer gardeners of every skill level.
Meaningful Movies and Spirit Cafe
Meaningful Movies meets on the second Wednesday of each month from October through May at 7 PM in Beecher Hall. Films are chosen to spark honest conversation about justice, democracy, and the human condition. Recent screenings have included Sugarcane, The Prime Minister, Where Olive Trees Weep, and The Mask You Live In, with popcorn, coffee, and cookies provided free of charge.
Spirit Cafe, on the other hand, is a long-running spiritual seekers' forum that has met on the third Friday of every month at 6 PM since 2012. Tables are set for groups of six around a fresh, mostly vegetarian buffet; a candle-lit room and background piano music set the tone; and three short presentations lead into table conversation on a single theme. Past topics have included Gratitude, Mindfulness, Letting Go, Humor, Poetry, the Fool, and the Rainbow. Spirit Cafe is currently on sabbatical, with the hope that it will return in a potluck discussion format.
Bright Red Bookshelf and the Wider Community
The Bright Red Bookshelf program puts gently used children's books into the hands of children at fifty sites throughout the community. Children are encouraged to choose a book to take home, read, and keep or return. Thousands of books are collected and distributed each year, with donations accepted at Seaberg Insurance in Langdon Plaza, Jubilee Foods in Village Plaza, and Guthrie Southern Tier Pediatrics near the Arnot Mall. A Bright Red Bookshelf is also available near Beecher Hall.
Beyond these in-house programs, The Park Church supports more than eighty agencies and organizations on a local, national, and international scope. Direct partnerships include the Community Kitchen, Second Place East, Habitat for Humanity, the John W. Jones Museum, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, the Alzheimer's Association Rochester and Finger Lakes Region, the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley, the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, the Cantata Singers, the Common Time Choral Group, Runway for a Cause, Vocal Essence of the Southern Tier, Community Arts of Elmira, the Twin Tiers Baby Bank, Narcotics Anonymous, DeLaney's Athletic Club EOP Youth Boxing, and Bone Builders through Cornell Cooperative Extension.
VESTNY, BraVESTimo!, and the Gift of Song
The Park Church is also home to two growing choral programs run in partnership with Vocal Essence of the Southern Tier (VEST). The BraVESTimo! Community Chorus, a partnership with the Alzheimer's Association, meets on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3 PM in Beecher Hall. It is open to people living with dementia and neurodegenerative conditions, their care partners, and any community member who wants to sing, with no musical background required. VESTNY also launches its Adult and Intergenerational Ensembles and a Young Persons Chorus each September, with weekly rehearsals at The Park Church running through the following May.
Weddings, Baptisms, and the Sacraments
The Park Church hosts weddings as a service of worship offered to God in blessing of the covenant the couple has made with each other. The United Church of Christ, of which Congregationalism is a part, is open to and affirming of all who seek to be married with the blessing of God and the church. The Park Church has no requirements about church membership or previous marital status, although pre-marital counseling with the pastor is required. The pastor reserves the right to decide whether the church will host a particular wedding.
Baptism is offered to infants, children, youth, and adults as an outward and visible sign of the grace of God. For an adult, or at least one parent of any child, to be baptized in the church, membership in The Park Church is required.
Beliefs, Governance, and Connection
The Park Church adopted its current Statement of Faith in 1992. It affirms dependence on God and the love of God demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It acknowledges the healing work of the Holy Spirit within the community, looks to the Old and New Testaments for instruction and guidance, observes the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, commits itself to Christ's mission of peace and justice, and practices the congregational form of governance as the means through which individual conscience is expressed and decisions are made.
The congregation is under the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but is a member of the Susquehanna Association, which is part of the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ. All persons who are members of The Park Church are thereby members of the United Church of Christ and may request a letter of transfer to another congregation.
Visitors, Newcomers, and the Pastoral Team
The Park Church welcomes newcomers and asks only that they "come and join us" on the journey. The Rev. J. Gary Brinn serves as Pastor and Teacher. A Virginia native and Army veteran, he earned a Bachelor of Arts at Hunter College with a double major in Studio Art and Literature, a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, and has completed clinical pastoral education. He has served four parishes as pastor and teacher, including five years with Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ in the New York Conference. He is a committed anti-racist and feminist, an active promoter of LGBTQ+ equality, and the human companion of an eight-year-old Golden Retriever named Oscar Romero.
The Park Church is located at 208 West Gray Street, Elmira, NY 14901. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to noon. The phone number is 607-733-9104 and the office email is office@theparkchurch.org. Giving is accepted online and by mail. Annual reports going back to 2019 are posted, and a monthly newsletter, Cross Currents, is available in print and as a PDF.