Arch Street Presbyterian Church is a historic

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

at 1724 Arch Street, located between the two Comcast skyscrapers in the

Logan Square Logan Square may refer to: * Logan Square, Chicago, a neighborhood on the north side of the city * Logan Circle (Philadelphia) or Logan Square, a park in Philadelphia **Logan Square, Philadelphia Logan Square is a neighborhood in Philadelphia. Bou ...

neighborhood of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Hoxie & Button, and built in 1855. It is a one-story,

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

style building with Greek and Roman elements. It features a

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

supported by four

Corinthian order The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...

columns and a coffered dome. ''Note:'' This includes It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1971.

History

19th and 20th centuries

Built in 1855, Arch Street Presbyterian Church (ASPC), was the "establishment" downtown Presbyterian church through the 19th and much of the 20th century. The architecture is neo-classic Greek revival style, a contrast to the modern Comcast Center skyscraper next door. The interior features ornate columns, a domed ceiling, and a massive organ. In the 1920s and 1930s, the church was a conservative bastion in the theological debates that rocked the Presbyterian Church and other mainline Protestant denominations. ASPC's head pastor during this period, Rev.

Clarence E. Macartney Clarence Edward Noble McCartney (September 18, 1879 – February 19, 1957) was a prominent conservative Presbyterian pastor and author. With J. Gresham Machen, he was one of the main leaders of the conservatives during the Fundamentalist–M ...

, engaged in a public debate with one of the leading modernist preachers, Rev.

Harry Emerson Fosdick Harry Emerson Fosdick (May 24, 1878 – October 5, 1969) was an American pastor. Fosdick became a central figure in the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy within American Protestantism in the 1920s and 1930s and was one of the most prominen ...

of New York City.

Vincent Persichetti Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (June 6, 1915 – August 14, 1987) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, he was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own wo ...

served as organist and choirmaster from 1932 to 1948. During the latter 20th century, the congregation dwindled as many members moved out of Center City Philadelphia.

21st century

By the early 2000s, the church had only a few dozen active members. However, the pews were packed on Sunday, January 28, 2007, when Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla worshipped at the church during their visit to the U.S. In 2008, the Presbytery of Philadelphia of the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

decided to attempt to revitalize the church. Rev. William Golderer, who is also the convening pastor of Broad Street Ministry, was recruited to lead the effort. The pastoral staff now includes Rev. Golderer, Head Pastor; Rev. Carla A. Jones Brown, Minister of Encouragement, Inspiration and Intercession; Rev. David Norse, Minister for Pastoral Counseling & LGBTQ Belonging; Rev. Anne Park, Minister for Executive Leadership; Rev. Mike Pulsifer, Minister for Outreach, and Dr. J. Donald Dumpson, Minister of Music. Dr. Dumpson comes from the African-American Baptist tradition, and he leads a music program that includes classical, traditional, folk, and gospel influences. The church now has growing attendance and membership of over 100, with a diverse racial and socioeconomic makeup. The church's current theology could be characterized as progressive and inclusive, with worship in the Reformed Protestant tradition. Programming includes a Sunday School for children during worship, outreach activities, a Deacons ministry, a "Good Book Club" (Wednesday lunchtime Bible Study), and "Church in the Alehouse" (a monthly meeting in a local pub to discuss issues of faith and life). The church hosts Arch Street Preschool, a weekday preschool operated by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The church's mission statement includes a commitment to " lcome and anticipate the presence of those new to faith, those longing for a deeper connection with God and neighbor, and those suspicious of the trappings of religion."

Gallery

West Arch Street Presbyterian Church, (Presbyterian, Old School), Philadelphia. South-east corner of Arch and Eighteenth Streets, by McAllister & Brother.png, Interior, . File:Buildings in Philadelphia - IMG 7505.JPG, Looking east from 19th Street, with the

Comcast Center Comcast Center, also known as the Comcast Tower, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia. The 58-story, tower is the second-tallest building in Philadelphia and in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania (after the Comcast Technology Center), ...

towering over the church.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Neoclassical architecture in Pennsylvania Churches completed in 1855 1855 establishments in Pennsylvania 19th-century Presbyterian church buildings in the United States Churches in Philadelphia Logan Square, Philadelphia Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Neoclassical church buildings in the United States