THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF DANVILLE
WHO WE ARE
We are men and women, girls and boys, young and old, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, married and divorced, gay, straight and transgender.
We are doctors, nurses, lawyers, educators, government employees, non-profit employees, artists, musicians, outdoors people, business owners and active retirees.
We are lifelong Presbyterians and newcomers to the Reformed faith, liberals and conservatives, moderates and just about anywhere in between.
We are people who gather together to worship God each week, who seek to follow Jesus Christ in our daily living, and who, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are foolish enough to believe we can make a difference in this world.
We are Christians. We are Presbyterians. We are ready and waiting to welcome you into this vibrant community of faith.
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Our purpose is to glorify God as:
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A joyful community of Christ’s disciples
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A servant people who express God’s love in our community and the world
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A nurturing fellowship which fosters forgiveness, hope, and spiritual growth through education, caring support, and sharing of gifts.
WHat presbyterians believe
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
God
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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
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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
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We believe that Baptism is one of two sacraments instituted by Christ. 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
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David Rice organized Presbyterians in and around Danville into what was known as Concord Church in 1784. 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.
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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.
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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. Following two unsuccessful attempts, the two Danville Presbyterian congregations voted to reunite in 1969, 100 years later.
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 a generous gift from Dr. Robert Weaver in June of 1999, the installation of a new Taylor and Boody organ was completed.
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In May of 2019, the Reverend Caroline M. Kelly was installed as the first woman to serve as pastor/head of staff.
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In April of 2019, the Session voted to relocate the Robert Logan Confederate monument from the section of the church's property known as McDowell Park. The monument was erected in the park by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Kate Morrison Branch, in 1910, after the church deeded the park to the City of Danville. In preparation to expand and renovate the church in the 1990s, the city deeded the park back to the church. In December of 2021, the monument was removed by the UDC and relocated to a private museum in Mead County, Kentucky.
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
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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
Director of 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.
Caroline Kelly
Pastor/
Head of Staff
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 dog named Lux. 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.
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Bryan Lohr
Director of Music Ministries
Bryan Lohr grew up in Stoystown, a small town along the Lincoln Highway in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. Bryan has been serving as a church organist since the age of 11, with his early studies on the instrument beginning at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. He holds degrees in music from The Juilliard School and Carnegie Mellon University. As a student, Bryan served for three years as organist for First Church of Religious Science, New York City, then meeting each week in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. From 2005-2016 he served as Organist and Director of Music at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Somerset, Pennsylvania. While with the United Church of Christ, Bryan was active in the national setting of the denomination, serving on the board of directors of the UCC Musicians National Network and as General Synod Organist. In 2016 Bryan accepted a call to lead the music ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Cumberland, Maryland and now has relocated to Kentucky. Bryan is an insatiable reader, devoted foodie, and avid traveler.
Jennifer Earle
Church Accountant
Jennifer Earle is a non-profit accountant with over 25 years of experience, working for various organizations in the US and overseas. She is also the financial officer for Trinity Episcopal Church.
Besides being a lover of numbers and statistics, she is passionate about food and feeding all in the community. Jennifer is the Executive Director of Grace Café and the Board Treasurer for One World Everybody Eats.
When she isn’t working, she loves traveling with her children, cooking, reading, gardening and a good cup of tea.
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 2024
Kristen Fulfer, Budget & Finance
Carrie Gilbert, Membership
Preston Miles, Facilities & Grounds
John Rodes, Budget & Finance
Class of 2025
Sara Egge, Personnel
Bill Garriott, Worship & Music
Eric Smith, Personnel
Peggy Tudor, Personnel
Class of 2026
Martha Boyd, Membership
Tressa Brown, Facilities & Grounds
John Erwin, Worship & Music
Don Porter, Budget & Finance
The Board of Deacons
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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 and elect a moderator from among themselves.
Class of 2024
Brad Fulfer, Caregiving
Fran Halloran, Caregiving
Shan Kihlman, Caregiving
Mary Trollinger, Moderator
Class of 2025
Rhonda Green, Hospitality
Kathy Howells, Local Mission
Lynn Peck, Hospitality
Jane Preston, Caregiving
Class of 2026
John Davis, Hospitality
Rebecca Miles, Local Mission
Frank Russell
Gayle Waddell, Local Mission​