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First Presbyterian Church, 918 N. Main St., High Point, will celebrate its 150th anniversary and dedicate its new Family Life Center on Sept. 13.

The church organized Sept. 3, 1859, with 11 members and a church on English Street.

More than eight years ago, church members started discussing the church’s future needs and, in January 2008, the decisions from those discussions began taking shape with a new Family Life Center, offices and renovations of the old building.

“First thing that became very obvious was the need for a new fellowship hall,” said the Rev. Ken Broman-Fulks , who came to the church eight years ago, just after talks about facility needs began.
Before the new construction and renovations, the church’s fellowship hall could hold only 150 people. With the new Family Life Center — a gym-like space — the church can host 350 people for fellowship dinners.

“We couldn’t have dinners but once or twice a year, and we took a chance and had them outside,” Broman-Fulks said.

The church also recognized that the needs of younger families weren’t being met.

“When they saw the ministries weren’t there, the facilities weren’t there, they wouldn’t stay,” he said.

To meet those needs, new groups for children and youth were set up.

The third need was for additional space to host various ministries and outreach programs for the community.

The Family Life Center and the addition of seven classroom spaces have alleviated that concern.

Blood drives and health fairs can be held in the Family Life Center, and classes and outreach, such as World Relief’s English-As-A-Second-Language course, can be held in the new classrooms.
And the church is still considering new ministries and offering space to other community programs, such as a basketball camp, a medical clinic and an after-school program for first- and second-graders.

Growth and change is nothing new to the church. After the church family outgrew its location on English Street, a second church was built in 1896 at South Main and Green streets. A manse was built next to it in 1901.

But, once again, the church grew, and a new site was needed.

The first service at the church at North Main Street and Parkway Avenue was held April 1, 1928. The Educational Building was built in 1952 and still houses the weekday kindergarten program and Sunday school classes.

The church also helped establish other churches throughout its history. Church members help establish Randolph, Crestwood and Forest Hills Presbyterian Churches and mission churches, such as Macedonia.

The church also organized the Westminster Fellowship at High Point College, now High Point University.

The church’s membership is 975.

“I’m tremendously excited about the beautiful addition,” Broman-Fulks said of what he calls the Scottish Gothic architecture. “People keep saying over and over again how seamlessly the new addition fits in .”

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth. seagraves@news-record.com