Germantown Presbyterian Church has anchored faith in the Memphis suburb of Germantown, Tennessee, since 1838. Two Sunday morning services, a Sunday evening service in the historic Evans Chapel, a full week of Christian education, an unusually large special-needs ministry called PEACE, and a long-running preschool all share the campus at 2363 South Germantown Road. The church's motto, "Connecting, Growing, Caring, Sharing," reflects a busy congregation whose worship feeds into a wide range of mission, fellowship, and care programs.
From Evans Chapel to the Present Campus
Germantown Presbyterian was organized on March 24, 1838. Its first building, Evans Chapel, was erected in 1851 and served as the congregation's only house of worship for 136 years. The plain but beautiful clapboard structure, the oldest public building in Germantown, survived the disruptions of war and yellow fever. In 1951 the chapel was moved a few yards and turned to face east. A new sanctuary in a colonial design was constructed in 1987, and in 1996 the south building was added, housing the Germantown Presbyterian Preschool, the Activity Center, and classrooms. Today, the Memorial Garden columbarium sits in the courtyard between the sanctuary and Evans Chapel, where evening worship still meets.
Sunday Morning in the Sanctuary
The Sunday rhythm centers on two morning services in the sanctuary at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m., with Sunday School for adults, youth, children, and special-needs classes meeting at 9:40 a.m. in between. The 11:00 a.m. service is livestreamed. Childcare is provided during both morning worship and the Sunday School hour. Guest and accessible parking are marked on the Arthur Road side and on the Germantown Road side of the sanctuary, with additional accessible spaces near the preschool entrance. Greeters are stationed near the entrances, and members are quick to help first-time visitors find their way. Dress at GPC ranges widely, from polo shirts and slacks to suits and sport coats for men, and from slacks and dresses to suits for women. Coffee is available in Warren Hall and in the upstairs Sunday School fellowship area before the Sunday School hour.
Evening Worship in Evans Chapel
In the late afternoon the focus shifts back to Evans Chapel, where the Evening Bible Study gathers at 4:00 p.m. in the second-floor classroom and a smaller, more intimate Evening Worship follows at 5:00 p.m. The evening service is described by the church as a relaxed gathering cherished by attendees for its close-knit community and heartfelt worship. Pastor Mike Lyle leads the Bible study, and Chris Cardona serves as the Evening Worship Director and Musician. Together, the two services in the sanctuary and the chapel give the congregation a way to mark the day in both a larger and a quieter setting.
Music at GPC
The Music Ministry exists to glorify God and inspire the congregation through choir, special performances, and annual events. Alex Benford serves as Director of Music and Organist, and William Skoog leads the choirs. Karen Schowalter Cooper coordinates the children's choirs, giving younger singers a way to grow into the music life of the church. Jerold Teachey, now Director of Music Emeritus, helped shape the program over many years. The choirs sing in the morning services, and the program as a whole uses music to create an atmosphere where everyone can encounter God's presence.
GPC Kids and the Nursery
Children's ministry is led by Director of Kids Ministries Mattie Hoff and Associate Director Angie Richardson. The nursery, staffed by experienced and trained caregivers, serves children from birth through age 3 between 8:30 a.m. and noon, and is most easily reached through the south entrance marked "Germantown Presbyterian Preschool." After the Time with Younger Disciples in the sanctuary, children ages 3 through kindergarten head downstairs for their own faith formation. Elementary-age children, 1st through 5th grade, gather in The Well for a large-group time of music, skits, memory verses, and lesson-based games before breaking into grade-level small groups where teachers lead them through the day's lesson. On Friday evenings several times a year, the church hosts "Next Level: Parents' Night Out" for infants through 5th grade, with dinner, games, crafts, and movies so that parents can enjoy a kid-free evening. A Christmas Extravaganza version of the Parents' Night Out is held on a Saturday morning in December.
Youth Ministry
The student ministry begins in sixth grade and continues through high school graduation. On Sunday mornings, students meet for small groups at 9:40 a.m. with a structured teaching plan so that a student will not hear a repeated message as they move through the years. Sunday night Youth Group meets at 6:00 p.m. in the middle school and high school rooms, with pickup between 7:45 and 8:00 p.m. Students share dinner, play games, hear an age-appropriate talk, and break into discussion with their peers. The ministry is led by Pastor Mike Lyle, who also serves as Acting Youth Ministry Director. Special events include a Middle and High School Fall Retreat at Hot Springs, Arkansas, a Christmas Lock-in on the church campus with laser tag, silent disco, and late-night activities, a Winter Retreat, and a summer mission trip that GPC youth take every other summer. Recent trips have included service in Puerto Rico and on the Gulf Coast.
PEACE: A Special Needs Ministry
The PEACE Program, directed by Jackie Williams, a former special education teacher of more than 20 years, is one of the most distinctive ministries at GPC. It welcomes children, youth, and adults with exceptional needs into Sunday School at 9:40 a.m. and provides extended care during the worship hour. Two weekday programs extend the welcome further. Amplify is a Tuesday afternoon music jam session from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the Activity Center, where participants play instruments or simply enjoy the music under Music Coordinator Jeffery Day. Friendship Circle gathers on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a bring-your-lunch time of worship, multi-sensory Bible lessons, crafts, and fellowship, with participants joining either in person at GPC or on Zoom. Quarterly Brunch Bunch gatherings, a summer Fishing Rodeo, an annual Dress Fest in March for Memphis Joy Prom, and the Fall Homecoming Ball in September round out the year, with breaks and quiet zones built in so that every participant can take part at their own pace.
Adult Sunday School and Small Groups
Sunday School options at 9:40 a.m. include Hits of the Ages, a mixed-age class that rotates through Old Testament, New Testament, Gospels, and Epistles; the Seekers class for older adults; Psalm 78 for parents of teenagers; Coffee and Conversations for parents of younger children, meeting in the Spiritual Life Center; Paula's Hearts and Hands, a women's class that combines Bible study with knitting prayer shawls and baby blankets; the new Firm Foundations class on core Christian beliefs; and a new Young Adult class for early adults and young professionals. The Compass three-week dinner series meets on Wednesdays during Lent, late summer, and Advent in Warren Hall, with a meal, fellowship, and guest speakers. The SONrise MENistries men's group meets on Friday mornings at 6:30 a.m. in Warren Hall for a $5 breakfast and Bible study, gathering around the dining table and then diving into the Word. A Thursday Morning Bible Study for women meets on the second and fourth Thursdays, a Men's Devotional Lunch Group meets twice a month at Amerigo's on Ridgeway Road, and the Read and Pray Book Club meets on the second Monday of the month from September through April in the Parlor. Presbyterian Women is a church-wide organization open to all women, meeting twice a month in circles and gathering as a larger group on the third Tuesday of every other month for a program, service opportunity, and meal. Through Threads of Love, members sew walker bags, bibs, pillows, scarves, dresses, and blankets for those in need, and through the Cooking Ministry they prepare frozen casseroles for shut-ins, Room in the Inn guests, and the UKirk campus ministries at the University of Memphis and Rhodes College.
The Spiritual Life Center
At 7599 Poplar Pike Road, just across from the main campus, the Spiritual Life Center houses three additional ministries. Spiritual Direction, led by Pastor Cindy Schwartz, offers confidential one-on-one and group sessions to listen for God's presence in everyday life. Schwartz holds a Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Mississippi, and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and has served as a pastor in several Presbyterian congregations. Grief Counseling, led by Bereavement Specialist Stephanie Wall, supports members, visitors, and non-members in Shelby County and North Mississippi through both a monthly Grief Support Group and individual appointments. Lifelong Learning rounds out the Center with classes and study opportunities for adults at every stage of faith, and a Spiritual Companions group meets monthly to explore how God is working in members' lives.
Counseling, Career Support, and Pastoral Care
Germantown Presbyterian hosts one of four Samaritan Counseling Centers in the Greater Memphis area. The nonprofit, ecumenical center is staffed by Rev. Rodney G. Spencer, a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor, and offers affordable mental-health care on a sliding scale. The Career Support and Networking Group, hosted at GPC for more than 15 years, meets on the second and fourth Monday evenings of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel Community Room to provide free, pro-bono support during job transitions, with hosts Mark McKee, Rob Mann, and Carlin Stuart. Friends in Christ, a home-visitation ministry restarted after the pandemic under Pastor Susie, pairs volunteers with the congregation's eldest members for monthly visits, calls, and notes. The church is governed by an elected Session of Elders and a Board of Deacons, with the Missions Leadership Team and Congregational Care Committee helping to carry the ministry forward.
Local and Global Mission
The Missions Leadership Team helps coordinate GPC's local and global outreach, with a focus on long-term, relationship-based partnerships. Locally, the church hosts Room in the Inn Memphis on the second Thursday of each month, providing food and overnight shelter to people experiencing homelessness through a network of more than 50 congregations. Other partnerships include Binghampton Christian Academy, a small Christian school serving Pre-K through 8th grade in the inner city, where GPC sponsors a class as prayer partners, mentors, and friends, and supports an annual book drive through the Ernest Mellor Library. The church also partners with STREETS Ministries, which serves youth at locations in downtown Memphis and Graham Heights; Project Outreach in Fayette County, which distributes food and clothing; and First Presbyterian's downtown soup kitchen, which serves about 150 hot meals every Sunday. Globally, the church partners with ministries in Mexico through the Cistern Ministry in Xpujil, where teams build 6,000-gallon above-ground cisterns for rural families, and in Northern Ghana in cooperation with the Upper Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
Preschool, Scouts, Pickleball, and the Memorial Garden
Germantown Presbyterian Preschool, under Director Jennifer Gentry, serves children from 9 months through Pre-K on a Monday-through-Friday schedule from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., August through May. The program includes music enrichment, Spanish, chapel and Bible time, and optional ballet, gymnastics, and soccer, all rooted in a Christian philosophy that emphasizes play, hands-on learning, and respect for each child's uniqueness. Cub Scout Pack 367 has been part of the GPC community for almost 30 years and meets on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m., while Boy Scout Troop 270 has been chartered by GPC since 2008 and meets on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Church Activity Center. Pickleball has become a popular fellowship offering on campus. The GPC Memorial Garden, dedicated in 2014, is a columbarium in the courtyard between the sanctuary and Evans Chapel, with wall niches, above-ground niches, and a memorial tablet available to members, their families, and others approved by the Memorial Garden Association.
Annual Rhythms and Pastoral Leadership
Annual traditions mark the church year. Fall Fest brings children and families to the campus for games, candy, and bouncy houses. Caroling sends teams from the church to retirement communities and homes in mid-December. A Chili Cookoff and Kids' Dessert Contest in late January raises money for charity. Trivia Night draws multi-generational teams. NaCoMe weekend in late April gathers the congregation at the NaCoMe Camp and Retreat Center in Pleasantville, Tennessee. Summer brings a Potluck Breakfast in June and a Potluck Lunch in July. The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Will Jones, with Pastor for Caring Ministries Rev. Susan Carter Wiggins, Pastor for Faith Formation and Acting Youth Ministry Director Rev. Mike Lyle, Lay Pastor for Senior Adults Tom Sauer, and Pastor for Spiritual Direction Rev. Dr. Cindy Schwartz, all working alongside the music staff and ministry directors to carry the congregation's life forward. In the words of the church, "In worship we remember the exciting truth that God is present not only in the world, but also in our lives. As we respond in worship to God's love and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, we are transformed and renewed by God's Holy Spirit."