The history of the First Presbyterian Church of South Charleston began in 1908 when 25 members of the First Presbyterian Church of Charleston formed the Southside Mission. Their first meeting place was a small schoolhouse near the corner of Second Avenue and A Street, where a Sunday School class had been meeting since 1906 under the instruction of Otis Thayer. South Charleston itself had a population of 3,000 with two glass factories and a streetcar. In 1910 these church folk moved to a new small frame church building on Fourth Street. Meanwhile, the town of South Charleston was incorporated in 1917 (population just under 3,500).
The congregation organized officially on June 22, 1919, with 57 charter members. Rev. J.A. Boyd was the first installed pastor. In 1928, with a membership of 165 adults, the church moved into today’s Second Avenue building; and in 1940 the present sanctuary was complete, including the lovely stained glass windows. During World War I major industrial plants came to the area. The late 1940’s saw great growth in South Charleston and also our church. In 1954 a new Educational Building was added.
While these buildings have been completed, we are still building the congregation of First Presbyterian Church, for this process never ends. New members bring new ideas, diversity, and renewed enthusiasm to our ministries. They are vital to our future and to our always-challenging quest to serve Jesus Christ. Charleston native Gary McGrew is the latest installed pastor (2005).
Today the church reaches out to the community and to the world in a variety of ways: Child Development Center, Habitat for Humanity, Furniture Mission, Youth Mission Trips, Souper Bowl, Blanket Sunday, A.A., Gideons, Disaster Relief, Davis-Stuart emphasis, Sojourners, Heart and Hand, Friday Morning Prayer Fellowship, and much more. Our church has international connections by welcoming speakers and taking work trips to Haiti and Kenya. The worship hour enjoys excellent music, and often features community musicians, including Vandalia artists, Lincoln Brass, Appalachian Celtic Consort, and numerous soloists. The church makes major contributions to the work of the denomination through One Great Hour of Sharing and Joy Gift. The women are active in fellowship groups and mission projects, as also is the youth group. Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Wednesday Night, Bluestone Weekend, and our Young at Heart all have strong Christ-based programming. Members contribute to the future of the church through memorials, investments, and wills; and recently but quietly refurbished the pipe organ and remodeled the kitchen.
We are part of the Presbyterian Church USA, one of several reformed denominations whose beliefs, style of worship, and representative form of govenerment are rooted in the theology of John Calvin (not Calvinism) and John Knox.