WHat presbyterians believe
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
God
We believe in the Triune God who is manifested to us as:
God the Father --
the creator of all things.
God the Son --
the incarnational presence of God in the world.
God the Holy Spirit --
the giver and renewer of life that empowers us to faith and action.
The Church
We believe the church is composed of the community of believers who by the
power of the Holy Spirit continue Christ’s ministry of love and reconciliation in the world.
Baptism
We believe that Baptism is one of two sacraments instituted by Christ.
We believe that it is a rite of entrance into the church and a sign and seal of God's grace.
Who are the Presbyterians?
We are followers of Jesus Christ.
We are Protestant, tracing our origin to John Calvin in Switzerland and John Knox in Scotland.
The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word for elder.
OUR HISTORY
David Rice, in 1784, organized Presbyterians in and around Danville into what was known as Concord Church. The Presbyterian congregation moved in 1831 to a “New Meeting House,” the nucleus of the present home of The Presbyterian Church of Danville, at the corner of Main and Fifth streets.
The Reverend Dr. John C. Young was the most influential of Danville ‘s Presbyterian clergymen during the first half of the Nineteenth Century. He was not only a Pastor of the Danville Presbyterian Church, but also President of Centre College between 1834 and 1853 and served as Moderator to the General Assembly in 1853.
A second Presbyterian Church was built on Danville’s Third Street in 1853 to accommodate increasing numbers of Centre College students and a segment of the local Presbyterian population.
Four years after the Civil War ended in 1865, the national body of the Presbyterian Church divided. The congregation of the Old First Church attached itself to the Presbyterian Church, U.S., while the Second Presbyterian Church remained with the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. A hundred years later, and following two unsuccessful attempts, the two Danville Presbyterian congregations voted to reunite in 1969.
When the two local congregations joined, the original location of The Presbyterian Church in Danville was chosen as the site for the reunited church. In 1995, recognizing the need for more space as the programs for the church continued to grow, the congregation voted to enter into an extensive renovation and expansion program. In June 1996, the congregation moved back into its beautifully restored Gothic sanctuary and expanded church facility. As a result of the generous gift of an anonymous donor, in June of 1999, the installation of a new Taylor and Boody organ was completed.
Now, The Presbyterian Church in Danville, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church USA, looks ahead to its future as it continues to proclaim God’s word through mission and service.
Meet our staff
Amy Wilson
Director of Children and Family Ministries
Amy Wilson is a PK and a life-long Presbyterian, so it’s no wonder she is on staff at The Presbyterian Church of Danville! Amy married Shane Wilson in 2003 and moved to Danville, where she took a job in development and parent programs at her alma mater Centre College. In 2011, she left to stay at home with her two sweet boys, Benjamin and Michael. Amy and Shane joined the church in 2009, and Amy was excited to join the staff in August of 2015 to work with the children of the church. Her husband continues to work at Centre College, and Benjamin and Michael attend the Danville Independent Schools. In her free time, Amy likes to read, cross stitch, watch Hallmark movies, and volunteer at school.
Sean Gladding
Interim Associate for Christian Formation
Sean Gladding is a pastor, storyteller, community gardener, backyard chicken keeper and youth soccer coach. His passion is (re)introducing people to the Big Story being told in the Bible, and exploring how to embody that Story in our neighborhoods. His family live, love, work and play in the MLK neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky. He is the author of The Story of God, the Story of Us (IVP, 2010); TEN: Words of Life for an Addicted, Compulsive, Cynical, Divided and Worn-out Culture (IVP, 2014); and A View from the Margins (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2019). Visit his website at https://seangladding.com.
Nicole McCusker
Administrative
Assistant
Nicole is a Danville native who graduated in 2011 from Campbellsville University with a double bachelors degree in History, Political Science and Homeland Security. At Campbellsville she worked as an Administrative Assistant and was a member of Phi Alpha Theta. She previously worked for the State of Kentucky as a Correctional Officer and was promoted to Administrative Specialist II within her most recent years. She and her husband, Donald, share two beautiful children, a daughter, Evelyn,
and a son, Michael.
Susan Shewmaker
Interim Organist/Pianist
Keith Amburgey
Facilities Manager
Keith has returned to the Danville area after spending his elementary and high school years here. He previously worked in Warehouse Management. In 2007 he went to the University of North Carolina, graduating in 2011 with a double major in Supply Chain Management and Management of Information Systems. He enjoys the great outdoors and time on his small farm with horses and rescued mules.
Rev. Caroline M. Kelly
Pastor
Caroline is a lifelong Presbyterian and a native Southerner, raised with a passion for UVA basketball, sweet tea, and social justice.
She is a graduate of Davidson College, Wake Forest University School of Law and Columbia Theological Seminary.
She is married to Jim Mooney, an Atlanta native, who spent most of his career as a landscape contractor before becoming a truck driver.
He is a Triumph motorcycle aficionado, a history buff and a keen listener. Caroline and Jim are the parents of two young adults,
Kevin and Olivia, who live and work in Atlanta. Caroline and Jim share their home with a loveable foxhound named Lucy. Together, they enjoy biking, gardening, and cooking. Caroline is interested in creating participatory worship that engages people of all ages and backgrounds in an encounter with God as well as connecting our identity as followers of Jesus with our daily lives.
Meet our LEaders
The Session
The Session is composed of 12 ruling elders, elected by the congregation to join with the pastor(s) in overseeing the congregation’s life and making policy decisions. Each ruling elder serves a three-year term.
Class of 2021
Jim Boyd, Personnel
Mary Covell, Membership
Alice Davis, Adult Formation
Roger Hartner, Facilities
Peggy Tudor, Personnel
Class of 2022
Greg Caudill, Finance
Susan Matherly, Personnel/Youth
Eric Smith, Nominating
Class of 2023
John Lacy, Covid-19
Jim Moore, Clerk
AJ Strauch, Stewardship
Patsi Trollinger, Worship/Music
The Board of Deacons
The Board of Deacons is composed of 12 deacons, elected by the congregation to lead the congregation’s service both within and beyond the community of faith: “to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress.” Deacons serve a term of three years each.
Class of 2021
Joel Boitnott, Caregiving
Scott Johnson, Moderator
Beth Leahey, Caregiving/Hospitality
Charlie Martindale
Class of 2022
Elspeth Cobb, Caregiving/Hospitality
Kathy Howells, Local Mission
Casey Tibbles, Caregiving
Adam Wade, Caregiving
Class of 2023
Kathy Miles, Secretary &
Local Mission
Karen Moore, Caregiving
Bo Smith, Global Mission