First Presbyterian Church, Franklin Tennessee

(Drafted for Mission Study, 2025)

On June 8, 1811, Reverend Gideon Blackburn organized the Presbyterian Church of Franklin. The church began with 46 members. Its first location fronted on present-day Fourth Avenue. In 1815, a Meeting House was erected at that location, now on the northern part of the Old Franklin City Cemetery. Reverend Blackburn remained at the church until 1823.

By 1842, the church had purchased a lot at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Main Street in Franklin and built the first of three sanctuaries at this location. The first sanctuary, made of brick and included slave galleries. In November 1864, immediately after the Battle of Franklin, the sanctuary was dismantled and occupied by the Federal Army for use as a hospital. The second sanctuary was erected in 1887. That building burned to the ground in 1905 and a new building was built to look just like its predecessor. First Presbyterian Church remained in that location until the summer of 1994.

In 1986, the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee conducted a study to assess potential population growth and determine new church development needs. Williamson County (Franklin) emerged as the focal point. Given the church’s growth during the 1980s and early 1990s and the need projected by the presbytery’s new church development work, the congregation voted to purchase twelve acres of property on Franklin Road at Mack Hatcher Parkway to build adequate facilities at the earliest feasible date.

Approximately 500 members of the church moved to First Presbyterian Church’s third and present location at the intersection of Franklin Road and Legends Club Lane.1

On September 18, 1994, the church’s current building was dedicated to the glory of God, continuing a long, strong history of Reformed worship, Christian education, and mission, both locally and globally. The new facility allowed the congregation to expand its ministry in a rapidly growing community. This move was funded through a capital campaign. While much of the cost of the new facility was covered by the campaign, a mortgage was incurred.

In June of 2015, FPC’s Session voted to undertake another capital campaign, All Things Possible, with a target of $1.5 million to address two key goals. The primary goal was to eliminate the mortgage debt, which, after almost 20 years, was almost $1 million. That goal was reached before the campaign officially began on October 11. By that date, $1,621,800 had been pledged or contributed. By the final Sunday of the campaign, November 22, the church exceeded the top benchmark of $1.75 million, with more than $2 million pledged, and over $1 million contributed. Given the dollars already on hand, on November 23, 2015, the church officially became debt-free when the final $837,180.30 of the loan balance for the church building construction was paid off. A note burning took place on Sunday, December 6, in the church courtyard. The remaining $1.1 million from the capital campaign was used to address a variety of long-overdue facility upgrades.

Even though the amount of money raised in the All Things Possible campaign was impressive, FPC’s rejuvenation was even more so. When the church began this effort, all involved pledged to keep Christ at the center of it. Christ is the Head of the church, and each time the church has sought to discern his will, there has been renewal in ways that go far beyond financial success. As all worked together to achieve common goals, the congregation experienced grace upon grace. The entire church community learned that there is much beyond the financial outcome for which to be grateful.

By 2022, after celebrating the church’s 200th anniversary, it was time for the congregation to turn its attention to the exterior needs of a facility that was 28 years old. Surviving the COVID years with limited in-person gatherings, the Session decided that a two-year giving campaign was needed. Beginning in 2022, the congregation joined in Glory to Glory, a plan to fund all the existing ministries of the church plus multiple capital needs for the facility, including $900,000 for the Exterior Insulation Finish System (EIFS) and $50,000 to support the church’s ministry partners at NaCoMe Camp and Conference Center.

As a focal point of the campaign, the congregation was asked to pray, “Lord, what do you want to do through me?” The response was generous. The Glory to Glory Campaign raised $1,044,000 for capital needs and $1,990,000 for annual giving through April 2024.

Together, the congregation at FPC Franklin continues to glorify God, love God and neighbor and welcome the transformation God brings, from glory to glory. 2

Having now completed the first quarter of the twenty-first century, the legacy of the church’s founders lives on, as evidenced by a continuing line of faithful, devoted and talented ministers, teachers, leaders, and caring Christian people. Time after time, First Presbyterian Church Franklin has demonstrated an openness and willingness to serve all of God’s people - locally, nationally and internationally. Not only are all welcome, but the community of faith continually reaches out to share the grace of God with the larger world. Through worship, study and service, the church embraces this mission and looks forward to all that God has in store in the years ahead.

1 Seventy-five members of the congregation remained at the church in at the location on Fifth and Main and formed the Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church (PCUSA). The two churches began to engage with each other again in 2011. Today there are several shared events, including worship activities, each year.

2 Chris Joiner, One Journey, newsletter article, ca. 2022