Covenant Presbyterian Church stands at 819 Highway 314 in Fayetteville, Georgia, and is known for worship rooted in historic hymns and psalms, Bible-through-the-Bible preaching, and a family-centered Sunday rhythm. Its story began with eight families in Riverdale and a converted feed store, but the church that gathers in Fayetteville retains the spirit of a congregation built by word, prayer, and service. Covenant is a Presbyterian Church in America church and a means-of-grace congregation whose mission is to equip and encourage the saints to worship God and love and serve their neighbors.
A Riverdale Feed Store Becomes a Fayetteville Church
Covenant traces its beginning to the summer of 1976, when eight families, members of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, began meeting in the home of Hank and Beth Graham with Rev. Gene Hunt leading the way. Their aim was to start a church in the Riverdale area. Only about a dozen people attended the early gatherings, yet the early recollection is filled with enthusiasm for the Lord and prayer for direction.
After finding a former feed store in Midway Plaza Shopping Center, the families spent a month remodeling it. They applied $1,839 of a $2,000 loan, borrowed a piano and songbooks, and built a homemade pulpit. The first service was held in November 1976 at 8214 Georgia Highway 85. Summer heat was a persistent problem because the air conditioning could not keep up, and motorcycle engines racing outside the neighboring shop interrupted some services.
Covenant was officially organized in June 1977 with 59 charter members representing 27 families. On November 22, 1978, the congregation bought property on Highway 314 for $50,000. A groundbreaking followed in February 1980, and the building was dedicated to the work and service of the Lord on December 6, 1981, when membership stood at 167.
Growth continued to reshape the church. In 1998 the congregation broke ground for an education wing with Sunday school rooms, a foyer, and offices. When construction disrupted the heating and cooling systems, the church worshiped without its customary air conditioning during one summer and used kerosene heaters through the winter. Many members contributed skilled labor to the interior work, and the education wing was dedicated in October 2000. In April 1991, the purchase of Covenant House added about five acres, a pool, and a lake to the property.
Music and worship have been central to Covenant's growth. Sam Burch became director of music in 1982, and the church acquired its pipe organ in 1993. For a period beginning in 2002, Covenant ran distinct contemporary and traditional services, using a praise team in one and the pipe organ and Sanctuary Choir in the other. The church's schedule now centers on a single morning service committed to historic, traditional worship. The congregation marked a 10-year homecoming in 1987, 25 years of worship in 2001, and its 45th anniversary in 2022.
Pastoral transitions marked the church's development as well. Rev. Dale B. Welden served from 1988 until 2006, and Rev. Thomas Myers led Covenant from 2007 until 2011. Jamie Lambert has served as senior pastor since 2012. Through these changes, Covenant continued to emphasize the centrality of Scripture, prayer, and the means of grace in the life of the congregation.
Hymns, Psalms, Word, and Prayer
Covenant's convictions are explicitly Reformed and Christ-centered: the Bible is the Word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice; God is the Creator and sovereign ruler of the universe; Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only Savior from sin; salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; and the Holy Spirit enables believers to begin and continue the Christian life.
The church calls itself a means-of-grace church. It understands the ordinary means of redemption to be the Word, prayer, and the sacraments. Pastors and teachers are to be faithful in preaching and teaching Christ in all Scripture, the congregation is to remain in prayer for God's people and will, and the church is to administer Baptism and the Lord's Supper faithfully. In the church's teaching, Christ is the one who changes lives, while the church is responsible for planting and watering.
That theology leads directly to Covenant's mission: to equip and encourage the saints to worship God and love and serve their neighbors. The vision is for every member to glorify and enjoy God by serving him daily in the ways and with the means he provides. The church summarizes its confidence with the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism, grounding the people of God in the faithful Savior Jesus Christ and the certainty of salvation.
These convictions shape the service in concrete ways. Covenant is committed to singing historic, traditional hymns and psalms and generally preaches through books of the Bible rather than isolated passages. The church considers everything from the Call to Worship through the Benediction to be the most important activity of its week. The organ, the reading and preaching of Scripture, corporate prayer, and the congregation's participation all belong to that ordered worship.
That theology is lived rather than merely stated. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are to be administered faithfully because, in Covenant's teaching, both sacraments point to what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do to redeem his people. The Word is to be preached and taught, prayer is to shape the life of the congregation, and the church holds that only Christ changes lives. This is why the church places such weight on the whole order of worship rather than on any single element of the service.
Sunday at 9:45 and 11:00
Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m. and runs until 10:45 a.m. with classes for all ages. Morning Worship begins at 11:00 a.m. The pastor and staff, church officers, and members of Covenant Presbyterian Church invite visitors to join a caring, friendly congregation worshiping through song, prayer, and the hearing of the preached Word. The church is at 819 Highway 314 in Fayetteville, and its telephone number is 770-460-9451.
Children are welcome in worship. For children ages zero to three, the nursery is available during the service. A parent whose child becomes restless can also use the training room, a semi-soundproofed space with a window into the sanctuary and a speaker that carries the service into the room. The lobby has comfortable chairs and speakers as another place to listen. Foyer resources include children's books and notebooks with pens or crayons for drawing or note-taking, allowing children to participate in family worship.
Sunday sermons are livestreamed through the church's YouTube sermon channel. Recordings are also available there, and a separate collection covers 2015 through 2024, preserving years of biblical teaching and the congregation's hymn-and-psalm worship.
The church also provides a contact form for questions about Covenant or members of its ministry team. Tithes and offerings can be made through online giving or by mail.
Every Age Has a Place in Sunday School
Sunday school is organized around adult and youth classes and a combined class for children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Adult and youth classes are studying The Book of Hebrews, a study focused on perseverance in Christ, Christ's superiority to every type and sign in the Old Testament, and his identity as the great and final high priest. Another class considers Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom S. Rainer, exploring why churches decline and how a congregation can remain healthy and gospel-centered.
The combined children's class meets in the Stillman Center and uses First Catechism: Beginning Discipleship in the Christian Faith. A class includes singing, prayer, a Bible story, catechism, and snacks. The aim is not only to transfer information but to begin discipleship, grounding children in the Christian faith at a level suited to their age. Mary Clark, the children's ministry director, helps coordinate this work and has long served in nursery, Sunday school, children's church, and camp ministries.
The broader children's ministry rests on a simple conviction: children are a blessing from the Lord, parenting is a joyful calling, and the church should come alongside parents as supportive partners in ministering to children. Families are encouraged to keep children with them in worship rather than treating worship as an activity for adults alone.
Youth Sunday school also runs from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., with fellowship events forming part of youth life. The church treats this gathering as a place to teach, challenge, and prepare young Christians to live out their faith in the world beyond the classroom. Youth resources address Scripture, parenting, family devotion, discovering God's will, and the wise use of technology.
Parents and Children Learning Together
Resources for families are chosen to support life in the Word and community. Suggested parenting material includes Parenting by God's Promises in book and audio forms. Story resources include The Bible Wise series, The Biggest Story, The Christian Focus Story Bible, The New Children's Bible, Famous Bible Stories, The Biggest Story ABC, The Little Hands Story Bible, and the Family Worship Bible Guide. Picture books by R. C. Sproul and Ed Welch round out the collection, and families without a Bible are invited to ask for one.
The children's ministry emphasizes that the best resources are the Word of God and the people of God. Parents are encouraged to share joys and struggles honestly and to find grace, hope, and help in Jesus without trying to minister alone. Many of the recommended titles are available in the church library, extending Sunday's teaching into weekday family reading, conversation, and prayer.
Those who work with children are asked to read and sign Covenant's Code of Conduct. Nursery volunteers also complete a background check, a protection course, and the church's child-protection requirements. This practical care for children matches the church's insistence that worship is for the whole family and that parents and the congregation minister to children together.
A Library for Learning at Every Stage
Beyond scheduled classes, the church library gives adults, youth, and families access to books and audio resources for study at home. Titles address biblical interpretation, church life, Christian character, parenting, family devotion, and technology. The collection is not limited to one age or one kind of question; it supports children hearing Bible stories, students examining doctrine, parents guiding a household, and adults looking for help in the life of the church.
Covenant also identifies the Westminster Standards and the Book of Church Order as theological resources. These materials place the local congregation within the Presbyterian Church in America's confessional framework, while the theology of ministry centers the church on the Word, prayer, and the sacraments. The combination is significant: the church does not treat study as an optional addition to worship, because teaching God's Word, praying for God's people, and administering Baptism and the Lord's Supper are all part of its appointed ministry.
Women Serving, Youth Following
Women's Ministry is built around Bible study, food ministries, and special events that give women opportunities to connect, study, serve, and fellowship as they grow in relationship to Jesus. Three ministry areas each have a team leader who seeks to involve interested women. Peggy Hutcheson coordinates this ministry. She has also worked with Susan Hunt on Leadership for Women in the Church, a book emphasizing the exercise of women's God-given gifts in the life of the church.
The youth library includes the Reformation Study Bible, Parenting by God's Promises, the Family Worship Bible Guide, Just Do Something for questions of God's will, and 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You for wise use of technology. A careful biblical treatment of the Bible's teaching about homosexuality is also included. These resources accompany the youth Sunday school and fellowship rhythm of study, challenge, service, and community.
Covenant's worship team includes Sound Coordinator Mark Dirickson and accompanists Daniel van der Hoek and Peter van der Hoek. Daniel plays piano and also plays in the morning service at times. Peter plays organ and piano regularly and prepares the weekly livestream. Their work continues a tradition of strong musical worship that began with director of music Sam Burch and organist Marty Alexander, while the sanctuary's 1925 Austin pipe organ remains a defining part of the building.
The women's ministry follows a three-part pattern of studying, serving, and fellowshipping. Food ministry and special events give that pattern a practical dimension, while Bible study anchors it in the Word. Peggy's own service as chair of the Christian Education Committee, leader of Children's Church, president of the WIC Council, and church historian reflects the church's broader emphasis on women using their gifts in service to others and to the congregation.
Missions in Atlanta and Around the World
Covenant has supported missionaries for more than 40 years. Its mission partners have worked in neighboring Atlanta, counties across the southeastern United States, universities in the United States, and communities in North, Central, and South America, as well as Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The church regards support of local and foreign missions as a crucial part of its ministry because those partners proclaim the gospel, form disciples, and help people worship God, pray, use their gifts, and share resources.
That outward shape grows from the church's understanding of the Great Commission. Covenant's missionaries are partners in carrying the good news of Jesus Christ's birth, death, and resurrection to those who hear and obey it. The goal is not simply assistance but the making of disciples for the glory of God. In its early history, the fledgling church also received help from Mission to North America when Rev. Hunt became its full-time pastor, a partnership that reflected the same conviction from the beginning.
The Missions Committee reviews supported missionaries and possible new partnerships each year under its policy handbook, then recommends funding to the Session for budget approval and authorization. Members can participate in that work through prayer and financial partnership. The church connects missions support with the theology of creation: people offer their time, talents, and resources so the gospel can be proclaimed and neighbors can be served.
Giving can be made online or by mail to the church's post office box. Covenant frames such giving as a cheerful partnership in the gospel, emphasizing that each person should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion.
The 1925 Pipe Organ and the Stillman Center
The sanctuary's musical centerpiece is the pipe organ, built by the Austin Organ Company in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1925 for a church in New Orleans. It was purchased from Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Atlanta and installed at Covenant in 1993 by member Bob Weaver, who volunteered his services. A new console was added in 2007, also under Weaver's direction. For decades, that instrument has anchored services built around historic hymns, psalms, and the congregation's singing.
The 1981 sanctuary was joined by the education wing in 2000, creating dedicated rooms for Sunday school, offices, and a foyer that serves as a practical arrival point for families. The addition brought together spaces for worship and Christian education rather than treating them as unrelated activities. The library, classrooms, and church offices also support the church's commitment to teaching the Word throughout the week.
Covenant House and its five acres, lake, and pool expanded the grounds for church and family activity. A pavilion near the lake was later named in memory of Arnold and Ola Dooley and is used by church families and ministry outreach. The Dooley Pavilion and the larger property reflect the conviction that hospitality, recreation, and service can serve the church's life together.
Covenant's concern for people beyond its own congregation has included a monthly worship ministry begun in 2013 for people living at Christian City, a retirement and assisted-needs facility in Union City. The service was created specifically to meet the worship needs of older adults and people with assisted needs, showing the church's willingness to carry worship beyond its own sanctuary.
The Family Life Center was dedicated in 2019. It contains a full-size, high-school-regulation basketball and volleyball court and a fellowship hall with seating for 280. In 2021, the Session renamed it the Stillman Center in honor of Jack and Judy Stillman after more than four decades of Jack's service as treasurer, groundskeeper, and building committee chair. The multipurpose space gives the church a practical place for gatherings, sports, and service to the community.
Pastors, Teachers, Musicians, and Long-Service Members
Senior Pastor Jamie Lambert has led Covenant since 2012. He joined the staff in 2003 as director of student ministries, completed the inaugural class of Metro Atlanta Seminary, and earned a Master of Divinity in 2010. Covenant called him associate pastor and minister of youth that year. He was licensed to preach, ordained to the gospel ministry in the Presbyterian Church in America in 2011, and called as senior pastor in February 2012 before his formal installation that August. He is the church's fourth full-time pastor.
The ministry team extends well beyond the pulpit. Mary Clark directs children's ministry after years of service in nursery, Sunday school, children's church, pioneer classes, and camp ministry. Peggy Hutcheson coordinates women's ministry. Mark Dirickson coordinates sound, and Daniel and Peter van der Hoek serve as accompanists; Peter also prepares the weekly livestream. Elder Kevin Nichols has preached for the congregation. These roles reflect a church whose teaching, music, care for children, and leadership are carried by a varied group.
Long-serving members have also shaped Covenant's life. Jack Stillman began as treasurer in 1977, maintained the grounds, chaired two building projects, and continued in those roles for more than four decades. The church renamed the Family Life Center for him and his wife, Judy, and declared him treasurer emeritus. Patricia Oberg, a pianist from 1983 until her retirement in 2014, and organist Marty Alexander, who began in 1996, likewise gave decades of music to worship. Their service illustrates the recurring theme in Covenant's history: ordinary members using their time and abilities for the work of the church.
The pattern of service is collaborative rather than centered on one personality. Lambert leads the congregation, Clark directs children's formation, Hutcheson organizes women, Dirickson oversees sound, and the two accompanists support the music and livestream. Long-service members extend that collaboration into church governance, property, treasury, and worship. Their stories make clear that Covenant's strength has often come from people quietly serving in the same work for decades.
A Means-of-Grace Congregation in Fayetteville
Covenant's life can be summarized through recurring practices rather than a single large program: gather for Sunday school and worship, teach children and adults in the Word, pray, sing historic hymns and psalms, administer Baptism and the Lord's Supper, support missionaries, welcome children and older adults into worship, and use the church's buildings for ministry. The mission statement names the aim plainly: equip and encourage the saints to worship God and love and serve their neighbors. The vision is for every member to glorify and enjoy God by serving him daily in the ways and with the means he provides.
At 819 Highway 314 in Fayetteville, Covenant Presbyterian Church remains a congregation shaped by historic worship, sustained biblical teaching, intergenerational ministry, and long service to its neighbors. Its roots in a Riverdale feed store and its sanctuary, classrooms, family life center, grounds, and library form one continuous story of a Presbyterian Church in America church seeking to make the means of grace visible in worship and service.