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The Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church is the oldest and largest of the Protestant
denominations. Centered in the Triune God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and
the authority of the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Church affirms Christian
living as a joyful and thankful response to God's grace and forgiveness in Jesus
Christ. The Holy Scriptures are regarded as the "swaddling clothes" of our
Lord through which God addresses and calls each one of us into a loving
relationship with Himself and with all people. The church is the visible
manifestation of God's love for the world as the Body of Christ. Fellowship and
worship in the Church puts us within listening range of God's Word of
forgiveness and guidance. As persons who have received evidence of God's
love through Word and the Holy Sacraments, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit
to share Christ in proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel to one another
and our community.
In our demonstration of the Gospel, we celebrate the privilege of being the
serving hands of Christ in our work, homes, and community. Lutherans are
among the largest providers of social services in the United States in its
operation of schools, hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, refugee settlement,
job placement and adoption services. Serving 2 million persons a year in
the U.S. in over 3000 communities delivering three billion dollars in services
annually. In every state in the U.S., people find nurturance, hope and
healing through the witness of Lutherans demonstrating the love of Christ for
the world.
History of Peachtree Road Lutheran Church
Prior to World War II there were relatively few
Lutherans in Atlanta. At the end of the war in 1945 there were four Lutheran
congregations in the area – three were affiliated with the United Lutheran
Church in America (ULCA) and one was a member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri
Synod. But the picture changed rapidly after the war. Many young men had been
sent all over the U.S. and around the world and they met and married women from
other places, many of whom were Lutheran. And the booming economy brought an
influx of new people. The time was ripe for the establishment of new Lutheran
congregations. Between 1948 and 1955 six new congregations were begun in the
Atlanta area, including Peachtree Road Lutheran Church.
A survey was made of the Buckhead – North Atlanta
area in 1947 and it was determined that there was a good potential for the
establishment of a new congregation. It was at the northern limits of the city
and was primarily a residential area. The Buckhead business district was
composed of a few blocks at the intersection of Peachtree and Roswell Roads. A
large farmhouse sat on the present site of Lenox Square. Peachtree Road was
primarily residential from Buckhead to a small business area and post office at
North Atlanta, now the site of the Brookhaven MARTA station. In 1948 the Board
of American Missions purchased the property at the present location (Peachtree
and Narmore) and sent a Mission Developer, Dr. Charles E. Fritz, to the area in
early 1949.
The first service for the new congregation was
held in The Hall, an upstairs facility near the Buckhead Theater on May 1, 1949.
There were 54 adults and seven children present. The congregation was formally
organized on May 29, 1949 with 55 confirmed and 20 baptized members. Ground was
broken for the first unit of the church on October 1, 1950. The congregation
continued to meet in The Hall until the new church was dedicated on September
16, 1951. As the congregation grew, there was a need for additional classrooms
and a new educational building was completed in 1958. In 1968 the mortgage was
burned and in 1971 a remodeling project substantially increased the size of the
sanctuary and provided a new pipe organ.
The congregation grew and prospered until the
1970s when the demographics of the area changed. Residential areas were replaced
by commercial developments and the membership moved further into the suburbs. In
the early 1980s the Educational Building was no longer needed and was rented to
a Jewish Day School.
In January, 1984 the present minister, Rev. Kirk
Bridgers became pastor of the congregation. Under his leadership the Educational
Building was reclaimed and a Kindergarten and Day School was established. In
1988 a major building program was undertaken in which the Educational Building
was rehabilitated so that it could be used for licensed day care. A connector
building and tower were constructed integrating the facilities of the two
original buildings.
Today, although the congregation is small, it is
generally made up of a group of older, retired adults and a group of dedicated
younger professional people. One of the main outreach missions of the
congregation is a first-rate Pre School which is accredited by the NAEYC
(National Association for Education of Young Children).
Although there are now more than forty Lutheran
congregations in the Atlanta area, it is interesting to note that of the six new
congregations established between 1948 and 1955, all have had similar
experiences – excellent growth and later gradual decline in membership due to
changing demographics. Two have moved further out into the suburbs, two merged
with other congregations and moved to the suburbs and one no longer exists. Only
Peachtree Road Lutheran Church continues to be a viable congregation in its original location.
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