History

1820 - 1950 | 1952 - 1990 | 1991 - 1999 | 2000 - 2007

The Presbyterian Church in the City of Richmond was organized on June 18, 1812 with fourteen members and two ruling elders. Dr. John Holt Rice was installed as its first pastor on October 19 of that year in the new church building on the south side of Main Street, between 27th and 28th Streets.

In 1816 its name was changed to First Presbyterian Church, and it moved to a new site on the south side of Main Street, between 17th and 18th Streets.

1952-1989

1952	Mrs. Mary Ann Gray becomes Minister of Music.
1954	Additions to educational building completed.
1956	Kindergarten Day School established.
1960	Dr. Edwin Kelsey Regen installed as pastor, replacing Dr. Carson who had died in 1959 after 37 years as pastor.
1961	Mr. Llewellyn P. McCord installed as assistant minister.
1962	Miss Myra Kight employed as director of Christian education. Sanctuary air-conditioned. Membership, 1,350.
1965	First Carson Memorial Lecture Series presented.
1966	Mr. James A. Jones, III installed as pastor, replacing Dr. Regen who had died in 1965.
1971	Mr. D. Cameron Murchison, Jr. installed as assistant minister.
1972	Ordination of the first woman as ruling elder, Mrs. Lydia Ferrell (Lorentzen), and first woman deacon, Mrs. Anne Gordon Harrison.
1974	Dr. Roy Jackson Sadler installed as pastor, replacing Dr. Jones who accepted call to Tyler, Texas. Mr. McCord resigns to accept call to Tyler, Texas.
1975	Mr. Kenneth I. Newman installed as associate pastor, replacing Mr. Muchison who had resigned in 1973 to accept call to Knoxville, Tennessee.
1976	Miss Mary DeWitt Dukes employed as director of Christian education.
1979	Mr. Newman resigns; Dr. Craig William Seitz, missionary to Zaire, installed as pastor for pastoral care.
1981	Dr. Robert Randall Laha, Jr. called as associate pastor for youth and family ministry. Funds collected to sponsor Gayton Kirk as a new church, FPC Membership, 1,514.
1984	Expansion program approved to add 22,300 square feet, refurbish educational unit and the chapel. Pledges for building program total $1,615,000. Dr. J. Walter Mann called as associate pastor, replacing Dr. Seitz who had resigned to accept call to Suffolk, Virginia.
1986	Mr. J. Michael Grant becomes minister of music, replacing Mrs. Gray who had retired after 34 years of service.
1987	175th Anniversary. Mrs. Cynthia Hutchinson employed as first director of Weekday Child Ministry, a consolidation of kindergarten and Mothers' Morning Out programs. New facilities dedicated.
1988	FPC partnership with CARITAS begun (Congregations Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter).
1989	Dedications of Andover sanctuary organ and Tripiano chapel organ. Mrs. Dorothy Jordan employed as director of Christian education. Memorial Garden designed and dedicated. Freedom House feeding program initiated. The Presbyterian Church U.S. and the United Presbyterian Church had merged in 1983 to form the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Synod of the Mid-Atlantic comprising presbyteries North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia was formed with offices in Richmond. After the Synod's formation, the Presbytery of the James officially came into existence on July 1, 1989, having been created from three different presbyteries: Blue Ridge, Hanover and Southern Virginia.

Data Sources:
A History of First Presbyterian Church, compiled by Dr. Walter Lapsley Carson (Pastor, 1922-1959)
A Chronological Summary 1812-1998, the First Presbyterian Church Directory 1998
A Short History of the Presbytery of the James (presbyteryofthejames.org)