Eastminster Presbyterian Church has stood along Asheville Highway in East Knoxville since 1953, a fixture on a busy corridor that links the city to the Great Smoky Mountains. For more than seventy years the congregation has welcomed visitors with a handshake and a smile, taught generations of children and youth in its Sunday School, and quietly extended help to neighbors who need a meal, a coat, or a second beginning.
From a School Cafeteria to a Sanctuary on the Highway
The story begins on October 7, 1951, when Eastminster was organized under the sponsorship of First Presbyterian Church. One week later, 106 charter members gathered for the first time in the cafeteria of Chilhowee Elementary School. The little congregation met there for nearly two years before moving to its present home on September 13, 1953. Initial services were held in what is now the Lillian Hill Chapel while the sanctuary was being built; the sanctuary was completed in 1956.
Rev. Arthur Field, Jr., became the first full-time pastor in 1952, followed by Rev. William Smith III in 1958 and Dr. Richard Love in 1965. In 1969 the Session called Rev. A. Hubert Rust to be the next pastor, and his long tenure launched many of the programs that still define Eastminster today, including the Wednesday night dinners and the FISH ministry for feeding the needy. When Rev. Rust retired in February 1987, the congregation named the newly erected fellowship hall in his honor. The hall still bears his name: Rust Fellowship Hall.
Rev. Dr. Frank Sells followed in 1987 and built the Council system that gives members a real voice in leadership and missions. Dr. Chris Carlson, who arrived in 1994, led the effort to fund an outdoor pavilion. After an interim season under Rev. James P. Hall (1999-2001) and Rev. David Maude (2007-2009), the Rev. Dr. Sean White accepted the call in August 2009 and continues to serve as pastor.
In February 2016, the church disaffiliated from the Presbyterian Church (USA) and joined the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The name on the signage was updated to Eastminster Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and the building and traditions have continued much as they always have.
Sunday Worship and Sunday School for Every Age
The Sunday rhythm at Eastminster is unhurried and intergenerational. Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m., and members will point new faces to the right room. The nursery and Pre-K class care for the youngest; the Primary class (kindergarten through third grade) meets in Room 107; the Junior class (fourth and fifth grades) gathers in Room 113; the middle school and high school class meets in the Chapel; and the Christian Living Adult Class convenes in Room 105, also called the Library. There is also a Late Comers Sunday School class for those who arrive a little behind the clock.
At 11:00 a.m., the congregation gathers in the sanctuary for a traditional service. Voices rise in hymns of praise and adoration, the adult choir sings traditional favorites along with some contemporary songs of worship, and the preaching opens by the teachings of God's Word. The atmosphere is meant to give the Holy Spirit room to stir while God speaks to the heart. The whole service is also shared on Facebook so that members who are traveling, homebound, or simply unable to attend can still worship alongside the gathered congregation.
Children's Church is offered during worship for the younger set, and a nursery is staffed during both the Sunday School hour and the worship hour. Missey Hurd serves as the Children's Ministry Coordinator and is the friendly bridge between the church office and every parent looking for the right class.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Eastminster's Wednesdays are a long-running tradition that grew up under Rev. Rust and has stayed at the heart of the church. The Rust Fellowship Hall fills with the sounds of conversation at 5:30 p.m. as families sit down to a casual supper together. After the meal, children are released to their classes and adults head to Bible studies led by experienced teachers. The Wednesday night program follows the public school calendar, beginning in August and running through May.
At 7:30 p.m. the Adult Choir rehearses, and a nursery remains available so choir parents can sing without worry. For women in the church, the Women of the Church Circle meets mid-week as well; circles gather at different times and places and are open to women of every age who want Christian fellowship alongside Bible study.
A weekly Prayer Group meets Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the library, and on the second Monday of each month, the Saving Grace Lunch and Devotion gathers at noon in Rust Fellowship Hall, giving the congregation another rhythm of prayer and shared meal.
Missions: Around the Block and Across the Sea
Eastminster describes itself as a church that cares for its people, cares for the community, and reaches out to the world. That third phrase has always been taken seriously here. Locally, the congregation has built long-running partnerships with Saving Grace, a ministry to women working through addiction and other struggles; Angelic Ministry, which reaches the homeless, the recently released from incarceration, and others in need; community schools, where the church helps meet the needs of children; and the Congolese refugee community in Knoxville, walking alongside newly arrived neighbors.
Globally, the church actively supports missions in Morocco, India, Finland, and London, and has responded as doors have opened in Uganda and other places. The Mission and Outreach committee, which is led by members of the Session, keeps the whole church informed of needs and opportunities as they arise. Missey Hurd, who also serves as Director of Communications, regularly shares these mission moments with the congregation.
What Eastminster Believes
The church's core beliefs are stated plainly on its materials. Eastminster confesses faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; in the virgin birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus; and in the existence of heaven and hell. Members affirm that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that God extends forgiving mercy toward repentant sinners. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the Christian life moves forward through justification and sanctification.
Worship is described as grounded in the teaching of God's Word and in the expression of praise to God. Fervent prayer is treated as a genuine power in the life of the believer. For those who want a fuller statement of faith, the church points to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church's "Essentials of our Faith."
The People Who Lead and Make Music
Rev. Dr. Sean White has served as pastor since 2009. Before his call to Eastminster, he served as Associate Pastor at Fountain City Presbyterian and as Chaplain with St. Mary's Residential Hospice. Sean and his wife Tiffany were married in 1996; they are graduates of Carson-Newman University and have two children, Natalie and Caleb. He believes the local church sits at the center of God's redemptive plan and that the advance of the Kingdom depends on the church's vibrant witness.
Music has long been a hallmark of Eastminster's worship. Pam Minnich, the Minister of Worship and Music, is a Knoxville native and graduate of Central High School. She studied Music Theory and Composition at the University of Tennessee and has published compositions for keyboard and handbells. Pam was instrumental in founding the handbell choir at Eastminster and began playing for church services at fourteen. Lynn Bennett, the Assistant Minister of Worship and Music, has sung in church since childhood and has been part of the music ministry since 2016; she also sings for a local Jewish congregation. Together they direct the adult choir that is described as a wonderful complement to the rest of the service, and they are always glad to welcome new voices.
Visiting Eastminster
Visitors are warmly welcomed, and the church has thought carefully about the practical details. From the west (downtown), take I-40 east to the Asheville Highway exit (Exit 394), turn right, and continue about 1.5 miles; Eastminster will be on the left after passing under the walk-over bridge near Chilhowee Intermediate School. From Seymour or South Knoxville, take Governor John Sevier Highway east to Asheville Highway, turn left, and continue 2.2 miles. From Halls or north Knoxville, take I-640 east to I-40 east to Exit 394, and turn right.
Ample parking is available in both the front (Asheville Highway) and rear (Holston Drive) lots. The front lot is the better choice for anyone with mobility issues, because the surface is flatter and the entrance is easier. The handicap entrance sits just to the left of the bell tower and opens to a handicap elevator. Reserved handicap spaces are marked in the front lot closest to the building, and an overflow gravel lot sits just to the right of the main front lot.
The church office is reachable at (865) 522-2244 and eastminsterepc@gmail.com. The Facebook and Instagram feeds carry weekly sermon videos, photos, and announcements for anyone who wants to keep up between visits.
Eastminster Today
Eastminster remains a fixture on the East Knoxville landscape, known for caring for its people, caring for the community, and reaching out to the world. The Wednesday night suppers still bring families to the table, the choir still fills the sanctuary with traditional hymns, and the church family still looks for new ways to follow where God leads.