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The History of Friendship Presbyterian Church
Friendship Presbyterian Church
1945 - 2011
Friendship Presbyterian Church celebrated its 60 th Anniversary in June, 2007! For over six decades Friendship has provided opportunities for fellowship, learning, growth, service, and meaningful worship experiences.
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Friendship Presbyterian Church was the realization of a dream resulting from a challenge presented to the congregation of the Central Presbyterian Church in Athens by the Rev. Cecil Thompson of Valdosta. On Feb. 23, 1945, Rev. Thompson challenged the General Assembly to start 100 outpost Sunday school chapels by the end of the year as a means of spreading the gospel and "combating the alarming rise of juvenile and parental delinquency all over the nation..." Warren Robinson, a young family man and UGA graduate student, responded to the challenge that night and led his Central Presbyterian Sunday School class to sponsor an outpost Sunday School. Mr. & Mrs. J. Swanton Ivy, Sr. of Central Presbyterian also responded to Thompson's challenge by offering Mr. Robinson's class an old farmhouse in a peach orchard on the Watkinsville Road. (Hwy 441) as a meeting place for an outpost Sunday school chapel. Renovations began and the first Sunday School was held on Easter Sunday afternoon, April 1, 1945. Because the renovations were far from complete, those attending were seated in the farmhouse yard on pine planks laid over sawhorses and on old nail kegs. Thirty-eight people attended that first day with 14 members of Central including the Robinson and Ivy families. The other 24 were from the community and included members of the Gunter, Lee and Ward families. Friendship Chapel was nationally recognized as the first outpost chapel Sunday School begun in response to General Assembly's 1945 challenge.
On April 18, 1947. 71 persons from Friendship Chapel petitioned for a church charter. The petition was granted on June 8, 1947, and the congregation of Friendship Presbyterian Church came into being.
In 1952, the current sanctuary building was erected with only the basement finished. The congregation worshipped in the basement until the sanctuary was completed in 1957 in time for the tenth anniversary of the church. The old Chapel/farmhouse building was moved to the rear of the sanctuary building and renovated for Sunday School classrooms until it was torn down in the late 1980's.
In 1966 the new educational building was completed and the Friendship Presbyterian Preschool began with an enrollment of 15 students. In January, 1988, the first activity was held in the new Friendship Room that connected the Sanctuary building with the educational building. Renovations to the exterior of the sanctuary included the new
steeple in 1997-98 at the same time interior changes were made in the Fellowship Hall. As the twentieth century closed, Friendship prepared for the new century with a major renovation to the sanctuary including the installation of the bell carillon, pipe organ and a stained glass window.
The buildings reflect the exterior growth of our beautiful campus, but the true growth is reflected in the lives of its members and the vital part this church has played in the lives of the congregation, friends and community. The sense of friendship, family and fellowship has been a hallmark of Friendship Church.
The very fabric of our lives together is marked by the rituals of communion, baptisms, weddings, youth activities, countless dinners and fellowship. We follow the church year from Advent wreaths, Chrismon trees, candlelight Christmas Eve services to the Easter Sunrise services.
Some of the ministries of Friendship that have been important through the years include: our commitment
*to the children through Christian education, youth work, preschool, scouts;
*to continuing adult education with Sunday School, small group studies, Presbyterian Women circles and Men of the Church;
*to the worship service through the music program with the choir, bells, pipe organ and through the proclamation of God’s Word and Love;
*to outreach of the church to the community through ACTS, Athens Homeless Shelter, Friendship Preschool, Boy Scouts, Relay for Life;
*to missions through the Mexico house building mission and special offerings, support of Hoyt & John Knox Miller families in Africa, Louise Miller in Korea & Charles Alexander in Brazil and many others.It is upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and the commitment of Christ in the Reformed tradition that is reflected in the history of Friendship Presbyterian Church. It is on this foundation that the present and future ministry of Friendship Presbyterian Church will be built. As bonds of love and fellowship have joined us together in Christ, may Friendship Presbyterian Church always be a family of faith showing God’s love to all.
Ministers at Friendship Cook W. Freeman 1947-1952 C. Phil Esty 1953-1959 William H. Beckmann 1959-1963 Claude I. Allen 1963-1967 Hoyt Miller Interim Ray A. Howe 1968-1976 Frederick W. Widmer Interim C. Lee Wilson 1976-1982 Harry Fifield Interim William C. Mounts 1984-1999 Joe Reggin 2000-2005 Jim Pippin Interim Marianne B. Turner 2007-2011
