The Miracle on Peachtree
Saint Mark United Methodist Church sits on the northwest corner of Peachtree Street and Fifth Street in Midtown Atlanta, a granite and stained-glass landmark whose rainbow flag flying from the belfry has become as familiar to Atlantans as the church's signature red doors on Fifth. The congregation is best known as the church that handed out cups of water to marchers in the 1991 Atlanta Pride Parade while other congregations picketed along the route. That single act of welcome, members call "the Miracle on Peachtree," pulled Saint Mark back from the brink of closing in 1990 and, within a decade, returned it to a membership of more than 1,700. In the years that followed, Saint Mark became one of the only Atlanta churches to hold funeral rites in its sanctuary for those lost to HIV/AIDS, and on March 13, 2011, the congregation voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with Reconciling Ministries Network and to adopt the welcome statement that still greets visitors today.
The welcome statement is explicit and expansive: Saint Mark welcomes every race, culture, family, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, faith history, and physical or mental ability into the full life and ministry of the church. Saint Markers describe themselves as a congregation with "open hearts, open minds, and open doors" who strive to embody God's absolute love and hospitality.
150 Years and Counting
The congregation traces its roots to 1872, when First Methodist Church at Walton and Forsyth opened a mission in a house on the east side of Peachtree just north of what is now Eighth Street. That stretch of road, outside the city limits, was nicknamed "Tight Squeeze" after a ravine that forced travelers through a narrow pass - a saying that it was a tight squeeze "getting through there with your life." The mission was first called the Peachtree Street Mission, then the City Mission, and by 1875 it had grown enough to relocate to Merritts Avenue and take the name Sixth Methodist Church. Bishop Warren A. Candler served as its first pastor before going on to lead Emory College (later Emory University).
By 1901, with 319 members, the Merritts Avenue congregation had outgrown its building and chose a new home at Peachtree and Fifth, "in the midst of fine residences." On January 1902 the church officially became Saint Mark M.E. Church, South, and on October 22 of that year the cornerstone of the present sanctuary was laid. A wave of growth after World War I led the church to acquire the neighboring Woodward property in 1922 for its expanding Sunday school, and a 1946 renovation added the Frances Winship Walters Chapel and a new educational unit. The 1950s brought the final educational wing, and in 2008 a 15-year sanctuary master plan concluded with the repointing of the exterior granite walls and the faux-wood restoration of the interior beams. The result is the warm, intimate worship space seen today.
Sunday Mornings on Peachtree
Sunday is the heart of the week at Saint Mark, and the rhythm is built to give worshipers options without rushing them.
- 9:00 AM - Worship in the Chapel, a smaller and more intimate setting.
- 10:00 AM - Sunday School for all ages across the Education Building.
- 11:00 AM - Worship in the Sanctuary, the historic main space with the stained glass.
Two adult Sunday school classes anchor the morning. Interacting in Faith meets at 10:00 AM in Room 206 and rotates presenters across a wide range of topics. Foundations meets at 9:45 AM in Room 111 and is a multigenerational, participatory class that works through books, videos, and Bible studies. Children's ministry, youth ministry, and the Young Adult Sunday gathering all meet at 10:00 as well.
Services are in English. A worship archive is maintained on the church's YouTube channel, and online giving is available through the giving page.
Wednesday Night Fellowship
Every Wednesday at 5:30 PM, the doors of Wade Hall open for Wednesday Night Fellowship, a church-wide supper that has become one of the congregation's most reliable midweek rhythms. Supper is $11 for adults, $10 for seniors, and is complimentary for young adults aged 18 to 35, subsidized by the Young Adult Ministry budget. Members, friends, and newcomers share a meal together, often followed by a presentation or program - recent gatherings have hosted Respite Care Atlanta, which partners with Saint Mark's Care and Connectivity Ministry to serve caregivers and people living with cognitive challenges.
An Inclusive Welcome, Stated Plainly
Saint Mark names three values that shape everything from sermon planning to sidewalk ministry: Loving, drawn from 1 Timothy 1:5; Accepting, from Romans 15:7; and Serving, from 1 Peter 4:10. Loving is expressed through unambiguous statements and tangible action. Accepting means receiving members as they are, while also accepting the church's own need to grow and learn. Serving is concentrated on neighbors who have been historically underserved. The Social Justice Ministry carries these values into public witness, advocating for trans and non-binary people and for racial justice across Atlanta.
Children, Youth, and Young Adults
Howard Ashley joined Saint Mark in August as the Children and Youth Spiritual Formation and Engagement Coordinator, bringing a background in special education and experience in church and camp settings. His role spans both Children's Ministry and Youth Ministry, with a focus on helping young people be known, nurtured, and formed in their faith.
The Young Adult Ministry, led by Pastor Charlotte Crofton, serves people aged 19 to 35 - whether they are in college, in graduate school, newly arrived in Atlanta, or starting families. Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM, young adults gather in the Gathering Room on the second floor of the Education Building to read and discuss the Gospel of Matthew together. Monthly Theology on Tap gatherings offer a low-pressure space to talk about faith, life, and current events over food and drink, and the young adults also organize a Breakfast Club on the fifth Saturday of the month (the next gatherings are listed on the Young Adult Ministry page).
The Prayer Ministry
Prayer sits at the center of Saint Mark's common life. Each week a Prayer Partner shares a written prayer across the congregation's social channels and worship folder, inviting the church to pause and hold one another in God's care. The Prayer Ministry keeps an ongoing list of concerns that members and friends have shared, updates it weekly, and offers an after-hours pastoral line at 1-800-673-0411 for emergencies.
Music and the Stained Glass
The Music and Fine Arts Ministry supports the worship life of both Sunday services. The sanctuary's century-old stained glass windows are themselves a teaching text: in honor of the 150th anniversary, Saint Mark is producing a video series called Through the Glass: 150 Years of Faith at Saint Mark, in which members narrate the stories behind individual windows - the Nativity, the Ascension, Suffer Little Children to Come Unto Me, and Come Unto Me - and the faithful people who helped bring them into being.
Feeding and Clothing Midtown
Saint Mark's Outreach Ministry is one of the most active parts of the church's life, organized around three weekly rhythms:
- Breakfast Club - every Saturday at 10:30 AM, Saint Mark serves a free breakfast to the unsheltered community of Midtown.
- Supper Club - every Tuesday at 4:00 PM, Saint Mark serves a free supper to the same community.
- Outreach Closet - on the first Tuesday of every month, clothes are given out to those in need. Current needs include boxer briefs in sizes M to XXL, casual pants and shorts in 32-48 waist sizes, white ankle socks, shoes in sizes 9-13, body wipes, and bags with handles. Donations can be brought to the church office Monday through Thursday, 10 AM to 5 PM.
Beyond these weekly commitments, the congregation regularly collects individually packaged snacks - granola bars, fruit snacks, applesauce cups, pretzels, cookies, pudding cups, trail mix, juice boxes - to assemble into snack bags for Wellroot Family Services. The Care and Connectivity Ministry partners with Respite Care Atlanta to support caregivers and people living with cognitive challenges, and the church hosts periodic blood drives with LifeSouth and a Grief Support Group.
Pride Ministry
Pride is woven into Saint Mark's calendar every year. Pride Sunday features two worship services - one in the sanctuary, one on the terrace - and members walk together in the Atlanta Pride Parade as part of the North Georgia Conference float. The Pride Ministry also organizes social events for the wider community, including an annual Pride Prom for adults 21 and older.
Weddings, Funerals, Baptisms, and Rooms
Saint Mark hosts weddings in its historic sanctuary, offers funeral services for members and the wider community, celebrates infant baptisms, and rents meeting rooms for outside groups through its Meeting Room Rentals program. The church store sells Saint Mark merchandise, and Joining Saint Mark walks newcomers through membership.
Joining the Story
Saint Mark's leadership has launched a focused $150,000 Legacy Campaign to replace the sanctuary sound system, secure the campus with key-card access, and restore the Fifth Street red doors that have welcomed Atlantans for more than a century. As Saint Mark enters a new chapter of its 150-year story - with former members like Stacey Abrams among those who came up through its pews - the congregation's invitation remains the same one it has offered since 1991: come and see. Visitors can find service times, parking information, and frequently asked questions on the church's FAQ page.