Who We Are
Get to Know Our Leadership
& Our Church
Leadership, History, Denomination,
Facilities & Annual Reports
ABOUT US
Get to know First Presbyterian Church of Athens.
Our Staff
First Presbyterian is served by a faithful and talented staff.
Dr. Ryan Baer
SENIOR PASTOR
(706) 543-4338 x 201
Email Ryan
The Rev. Whitney Booth Lockard
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
(706) 543-4338 x 205
Email Whitney
The Rev. Margaret Davis
PARISH ASSOCIATE
(706) 543-4338 x 203
Email Margaret
Dr. John Coble
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC & ORGANIST
(706) 543-4338 x 216
Email John
Mrs. Kim Ness
DIRECTOR OF YOUTH MINISTRIES
(706) 543-4338 x 207
Email Kim
Mrs. Natalie Bishop
DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
(706) 543-4338 x 212
Email Natalie
Mrs. Elaine Johnson
DIRECTOR OF WEEKDAY SCHOOL
(706) 543-4338 x 215
Email Elaine
Mrs. Lucy Bell Johnson
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
(706) 543-4338 x 202
Email Lucy
Mr. Paulo Santos
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
(706) 543-4338 x 217
Email Paulo
Ms. Jennifer Adams
CHURCH ACCOUNTANT
(706) 543-4338 x 204
Email Jennifer
Mrs. Marcy Fabris
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
& WEEKDAY SCHOOL
(706) 543-4338 x 214
Email Marcy
Mrs. Charlotte Chromiak
CHILDREN’S MUSIC ASSISTANT
(706) 543-4338
Email Charlotte
Our Session
In the Presbyterian Church (USA), the session is the council or governing body of the congregation. It is composed of those persons elected by the congregation to active service as ruling elders, together with the pastor (who is the moderator) and associate pastor. It has responsibility for governing the congregation and guiding its witness to the sovereign activity of God in the world, so that the congregation is and becomes a community of faith, hope, love, and witness.
The Session oversees all aspects of the church primarily through seven commissions: Administration & Finance, Congregational Care, Education & Discipleship, Fellowship & Evangelism, Mission & Outreach, Matthew 25, and Worship & Music.
Current Session
ELDERS/Commission
Below is a complete listing of the Current Session by Elder Name, Commission and graduating class years. Click here to see a list of all Commissions and their members.
Class of 2023
Sarah Bryan / Matthew 25 Commission, Chair
Judy Burch / Fellowship & Evangelism Commission, Chair
Kent Burel / Worship & Music Commission
Rod Canfield / Education & Discipleship Commission; Weekday School, Chair
Mark Hopkins / Mission & Outreach Commission, Chair
Matt Jones / Fellowship & Evangelism Commission
Keith Oelke / Administration Commission; Finance Committee; Nominations & Elections Committee, Chair
Class of 2024
Shannon Brooks / Mission & Outreach Commission
Phyllis Crowell / Administration Commission; Finance Committee, Chair
Denise Horton / Administration Commission; Personnel Committee, Chair; Nominations & Elections Committee, Vice Chair
Paul Lee / Education & Discipleship Commission, Chair
Sharon Logan Neff / Matthew 25 Commission
Bruce Middendorf / Worship & Music Commission, Chair
Randy Riner / Fellowship & Evangelism Commission
Chuck Toney / Fellowship & Evangelism Commission
Class of 2025
Lindsay Griffeth / Congregational Care Commission
Angela Hunt / Education & Discipleship Commission
Dan Nadenicek / Matthew 25 Commission
Karen Phillips / Fellowship & Evangelism Commission
Ethelyn Simpson / Worship & Music Commission
Jeffrey Trapnell / Administration Commission; Personnel Committee
Pat Tritt / Congregational Care Commission
John Turner / Mission & Outreach Commission
Pat Waldrip / Clerk of Session; Matthew 25 Commission
History: How Our Building Has Grown with Our Mission
The Presbyterians of Athens, Georgia were organized into a congregation on Christmas Day, 1820 under the leadership of Dr. Moses Waddel. At the time, this area was in Hopewell Presbytery, Synod of South Carolina. The original church building was erected in 1828 and was located at the main entrance to the University campus on Broad Street.
Erected in 1855-56, the present building was remodeled in 1906. An educational wing was added in 1965. Several treasured pews (deacons benches) from the original building are still in use in various rooms and offices. The pews in the present sanctuary are made from lumber taken from the John White plantation and vary in length to accommodate the families of the original occupants. The Tinsley-Stern Building was acquired in 1992.
Construction began on our new Building Project in February of 2009. This $10.4 million project has added dramatically to our church’s facilities and has also renovated existing portions of our building. The new addition and renovation was officially opened during Celebration Weekend, September 10-12, 2010.
The new facilities include increased space for the Music Ministry; a larger narthex for greater fellowship; connecting space with ease of access to worship, fellowship, and educational activities; and additional on-site parking. New amenities for education include expanded classroom sizes, additional security for children, a safe traffic entrance and exit during the week for Weekday School children and on Sunday Morning, and the transformation of our old Fellowship Hall into a Children’s Ministry Suite. Youth have their own space, named “The Pit” (a name which they chose themselves), which includes areas for classes and fellowship, in addition to an outdoor amphitheater. Facilities for our involvement in the Family Promise of Athens have been added, including showers in the basement. The new facilities also include a new Super Classroom, complete with projection equipment, which will be the main meeting area for our Session meetings and other large meetings. A brand-new kitchen and beautiful new Fellowship Hall round out this project, giving us more space to bring the congregation together in fellowship.
The First Presbyterian Church of Athens, Georgia
A BICENTENNIAL HISTORY
1820-2020
This book, 382 pages in length, presents a serious, scholarly account of this historic and vital church accompanied by a collection of attractive, reader-friendly inserts, sidebars, and illustrations that tell intriguing, inspirational, sometimes even provocative stories to capture both the history and the heart of the oldest church in the city of Athens.
Format: 8.5” x 11”, hardcover
Price: $55
“Next to the history of the University, the history of the Presbyterian Church comes nearest to being the history of Athens.”
—William Sylvanus Morris, Strolls about Athens, 1912
Two ways to order A Bicentennial History:
1) ORDER ONLINE: Complete the online order form, then make the payment here (choose “Bicentennial Book” under “Select a Fund” with the amount of $55 per book.)
2) MAIL-IN ORDER: Download and print the form available below and mail with your check total ($55 per book), to the Church Office:
First Presbyterian Church of Athens, 185 East Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601
If you need assistance ordering A Bicentennial History, please e-mail or call the church office at (706) 543-4338.
Matthew 25
In January, the Session voted to become a Matthew 25 congregation, an initiative of the PCUSA focused on building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. Click here to read statements from members of our church about what this new opportunity means to them. To learn more about Matthew 25, click here.
The Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with denominational offices in Louisville, Kentucky, has approximately 2.3 million members, more than 10,000 congregations and 14,000 ordained and active ministers.
Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him.
Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: they adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members. As far back as 1837 the General Assembly declared that the church, by its very nature, is a missionary society whose purpose is to share the love of God in Jesus Christ in word and deed and with all the world. Witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world, Presbyterians engage in mission activities, seek to alleviate hunger, foster self-development, respond to disasters, support mission works, preach the gospel, heal the sick, and educate new generations for the future. In partnership with more than 150 churches and Christian organizations around the world, the missionary efforts of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) involve approximately 1,000 volunteers and compensated personnel.
Presbyterians Today, the award-winning magazine of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is published 10 times a year (monthly except for combined issues in January/February and June/July).
To learn more, see:
Presbyterian Church Resources and Presbyterian Church History.
FACILITIES: First Presbyterian Church of Athens
Church Entrance and Sanctuary
Main Church Entrance on East Hancock Street: First Presbyterian Church of Athens
The Sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Athens
Church Atrium
Atrium Exterior on East Hancock Street: First Presbyterian Church of Athens
Atrium Interior
Fellowship Hall
Church Interior Lounge Areas and Courtyard
The Bride’s Room
The Bride’s Room
The Parlor
Our Peaceful Courtyard
Members of the church and the greater Athens, Georgia community may inquire about First Presbyterian Church of Athens facilities and property use by contacting the office.
Usage Policies and Request Forms may be accessed, below:
Spotlight on Matthew 25
“I am thrilled that the Session has approved the motion for First Presbyterian of Athens to become a Matthew 25 church! In a time of so much pain, suffering, and devastation, our community of Athens needs our help now more than ever. For me, becoming a Matthew 25 church is FPC Athens being not just a church institution, but a church movement. It is the whirling, swirling wild child that is the Holy Spirit spilling out of our sanctuary on Sunday mornings and filling Hancock Avenue with the sunshine that is hope. It is the empathy the lifts off the pages of the Holy Bible and floats into the air and into our lungs, giving us life and vitality. It is taking that life and vitality within ourselves and giving it to others who are without. It is telling a single mother that there will be food in the refrigerator. It is allowing a small child to receive necessary medical care. It is saving a family from losing the roof over their heads. Becoming a Matthew 25 church is taking the love in our hearts, the hope in our veins, and the progress in our mind and walking in the steps of Jesus Christ himself. While FPC Athens has been a presence in the community for a very long time, this next step as a Matthew 25 church makes our actions and presence more intentional. We are a congregation of big hearts and creative minds and I am proud and excited to see how we can spread the love of Christ throughout Athens.”
– Courtney Pittman