First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge: Downtown's Oldest Protestant Congregation

Two Centuries on a Downtown City Block

First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge sits at 763 North Boulevard, occupying the full block bounded by 8th Street, 7th Street, North Boulevard and Convention Street in the heart of downtown. Organized in 1827, it was the first Protestant church established in Baton Rouge, originally meeting at 4th and Florida Streets before moving to its present site in 1927. The complex today includes three main buildings: the Sanctuary with its bell tower, the Education Building and Dunham Chapel, all connected by the ministries that have grown up around them across nearly two centuries.

The congregation's motto - Deeper in Christ, Further Into the World - frames everything from Sunday worship to global missions. In 2007 the members voted to affiliate with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), and they participate in the life of the denomination at regional and national levels. The church is currently preparing for a milestone: its 200th anniversary, marked by a 2025-2030 Strategic Plan shaped by more than 600 members through surveys and focus groups.

Worship on Sunday Morning

Worship is the high point of life together at First Presbyterian, marked by praise, prayer, the celebration of the sacraments and the proclamation of the Word. On a typical Sunday, three services are offered:

• 7:45 am - Chapel Communion Worship in Dunham Chapel, a quieter, communion-focused gathering
• 9:00 am - Contemporary Worship in the Sanctuary, led by an instrumental and vocal team singing newer songs from writers such as Matt Papa, Keith and Kristin Getty, Matt Boswell, CityAlight Music and Phil Wickham
• 11:00 am - Classic Reformed Worship in the Sanctuary, joining the rich, majestic sounds of the pipe organ with choral and congregational singing drawn from the church's Reformed heritage

Sunday school meets between and alongside those services: the Tom & Jerry class gathers at 9:00 am, and a full Sunday school hour for all ages begins at 10:10 am. Several times a year the three morning services are combined into one.

The current sermon series walks through the Gospel of Luke, with passages posted in advance on the church's media library so worshipers can read ahead. Both the 9 am and 11 am Sanctuary services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page, with archived services available for later viewing. Bulletins for each Sunday are posted before the services.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding - Proverbs 3:5 - is the verse the congregation has featured on its welcome page, signaling the centrality of Scripture in all that follows.

Discover First and a Place for Newcomers

Visitors who want to learn more are invited to Discover First, a four-part series that meets during the Sunday school hour. Topics cover the church's story, what it believes, what it means to be Presbyterian, and how to become a member. Anyone exploring membership or simply curious about the congregation is welcome to attend. The Director of Community Life, Emily Viguerie, follows up with anyone who fills out a visitor card, and a wide range of community groups - many meeting in homes, others at the church - offer a path into deeper fellowship. Most groups take a break in December and January, then reconvene in February to study Gerrit Dawson's annual Lent guide.

A Campus on the Move: Strategic Plan and Master Plan

Two long-range documents shape the next chapter at First Presbyterian. The Strategic Plan 2025-2030, built around the 200th anniversary, organizes the church's ministry around its motto: going deeper in Christ through discipleship, prayer, teaching and care, and going further into the world through local and global mission, generosity and witness.

The Master Campus Plan, adopted by the Session in early 2026, takes the strategic priorities and asks how the physical campus can better serve them. Developed over 2025 with architects and planners from Tipton Associates and shaped by input from more than 400 responses and 72 participants, the plan focuses on what staff and members describe as better stewardship of existing space rather than new construction. Key priorities include creating clearly defined entry points, improving accessibility and campus navigation, expanding spaces for connection and hospitality, enhancing safety and security, and increasing parking and traffic flow. A volunteer committee chaired by Scott Bardwell shepherded the work.

Senior Pastor Search

The congregation is also in transition at the pastoral level. Gerrit Dawson, who served as Senior Pastor for twenty years, retired at the end of April 2026 and now holds the title of Pastor Emeritus. Scott Graham, previously Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care and Prayer, has stepped into the role of Interim Senior Pastor while a Pastoral Search Committee chaired by Brett Furr seeks the next settled Senior Pastor. The church's Church Information Form, strategic plan and other materials are posted for prospective candidates.

What We Believe

First Presbyterian interprets Scripture through the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, in the modern language edition, and lives under the EPC motto: In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.

The Essentials of the Faith affirmed at First Presbyterian include:

• One God, sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Jesus Christ, the living Word, who became flesh through the Holy Spirit and the virgin birth, died on the cross for our sins, rose bodily on the third day, ascended to heaven and now serves as our High Priest and Mediator.
• The Holy Spirit, who convicts, draws, indwells, gives new life, empowers, instructs and seals believers for the day of redemption.
• Salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, by which God credits his righteousness to those who trust in Jesus.
• The Church as the body of all who, through saving faith and the sanctifying work of the Spirit, are united to Christ - finding visible expression in local congregations where the Word is preached in purity and the sacraments are administered with integrity.
• The personal, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead and to consummate history.
• The Great Commission, calling every believer to proclaim the gospel, make disciples of all nations, and live in self-denying love and service.

Children's Ministry: So Loved, Kingdom Kids and Joyful Noise

Children are at the center of the church's life. The Children's Ministry, led by Director Candace Walker, reaches from infancy through fifth grade and aims to bring kids deeper into Christ and further into the world alongside their families.

Sunday morning check-in happens at computer stations at the "So Loved" entrance or in the Kingdom Kids area of the Sanctuary lower level - identifiable by the two suits of armor standing guard by the doors. Families new to the church are greeted by a hallway greeter and given a curriculum resource, The Gospel Story Bible.

Programs run as follows:

• So Loved - nursery care for children six weeks to three years, open from 7:30 am to 12:15 pm across all three worship services and Sunday school. Located near the 8th Street entrance on the first floor.
• Children's Church - for four-year-olds through kindergartners during the 9 and 11 am services. Children are dismissed at the greeting time and escorted to Dunham Chapel, then picked up in the So Loved hall after worship.
• Sunday School for 4-year-olds through Kindergarten at 10:10 am in the So Loved hall.
• Kingdom Kids - Sunday school for 1st through 3rd grade in the bright, lower-level Kingdom Kids space.
• Quest Preteen - Sunday school for 4th and 5th graders.

Joyful Noise Choir, the children's music ministry led by Assistant Director of Worship Lauren Honea, gathers children in two divisions - Lower Elementary (K-2nd grade) in the Kingdom Kids classroom and Upper Elementary (3rd-5th grade) in the second-floor choir room. Rehearsals are Sunday evenings from 5 to 6 pm and focus on developing a heart for worship through singing Psalms and bringing Bible stories to life.

Parents can sign up for text and email updates through the Children's Ministry office and can volunteer for an hour or so in So Loved or with elementary-aged kids by emailing the childhood team. The Train Up Parenting Series and a curated reading list - including works by Jill Garner, Chip Ingram, Kevin Leman, Paul David Tripp and Tedd Tripp - are shared with parents as resources.

Youth Ministry: Middle School, High School and Confirmation

Led by Associate Pastor Colton Underwood, the Youth Ministry seeks to equip young men and women to graduate confident in who God has made and called them to be. A team approach also involves Director of Middle School Youth Daniel Croskrey, Youth Discipleship Assistant Rachel Underwood and Administrator Jessica Saffell.

Middle School - On Sunday mornings, 7th and 8th graders gather at 9:00 am in the Youth Room for coffee and hot chocolate followed by a lesson and discussion. The Sunday Night Youth Group for both middle and high schoolers meets from 5 to 7 pm at rotating homes. Each year, 6th graders enter a Confirmation class called The Top 35 Bible Passages: The Verses You Can't Live Without, which prepares them to make a public profession of faith. Students complete at least 20 Sermon Notes sheets across the year.

High School - A Tuesday Night Bible Study runs from 6:30 to 8:00 pm August through May, focusing on topically relevant, Scripture-rooted study. Sunday Night Youth Group runs from 5 to 7 pm at rotating homes, and Sunday school meets in the Sanctuary Basement classrooms (Middle School in Room 10, High School in Room 12).

Volunteers serve as Sunday school teachers and group leaders, hosts for events, and trip and retreat chaperones.

Adult Ministry: Women's, Men's, The Bridge and Prime Time

The Adult Ministry umbrella covers several communities designed to deepen adult friendships and faith.

The Bridge Young Adults - the church's ministry for ages 18-26, led by Associate Pastor Darin Travis. The Bridge meets Wednesday evenings for Bible study and fellowship at Jacob Struppeck's home, and on the first Wednesday of each month gathers in Dunham Chapel at 6:30 pm for music, prayer and time together.

Men's Ministry - the men of First Presbyterian share three annual multi-generational events (a BBQ, an LSU watch party and a skeet shoot), a once-a-year retreat, Bible studies and Forge Groups - small, deeply committed groups of men who meet monthly for accountability and prayer. Weekly and bi-weekly Bible studies run on Mondays at 11:30 am at Drusilla Seafood (a long-running group of 60-somethings), Thursdays at 7:00 am in the Church Library (led by Darin Travis, mostly 40s and 50s), Thursdays at 9:00 am at the home of Dale Weiner (led by Rick Spiller, a long-running group of 60s and 70s), and Fridays at 6:30 am in Education Building 301 (led by Darin Travis, mostly 30s and 40s). Forge Groups are formed through a placement process.

Women's Ministry - led by Director Jaime Carnaggio, this ministry nurtures women as they grow deeper in Christ and further into the world through studying God's Word, partnering in prayer and gathering in intentional fellowship. Weekly Bible studies run in fall and spring (and a special study in July) on Tuesdays at 8:00 am in the FPC Parlor (with childcare available by request), Wednesdays at 6:30 pm at the home of Suzie Thompson, and Thursdays at 9:30 am in the Education Building Room 202 (with a Zoom option). Circles, monthly fellowship groups meeting September through May, study a book of the Bible together and gather in homes, restaurants and the church. The current 2026-2027 Circle study is Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul by Michael Kruger. A biennial stay-treat (a weekend retreat) is offered each fall - the most recent focused on Romans 8 under the theme More Than Conquerors.

Prime Time - formerly the Fun After Sixty Crowd, this group of couples and singles enjoys excursions, good food, laughter, educational programs and other social events.

Adult Sunday School

Adult Sunday school classes meet between the 9 am service and the 11 am service, allowing parents to drop their children at their own Sunday school and head to a class of their own. Several ongoing classes include:

• Perspectives - 9:00 am in Education Building Room 202, led by Dr. Kevin McCarter, exploring doctrine, apologetics, linguistic studies, philosophy and art.
• Crossroads - 10:10 am in Sanctuary Building Room 219, led by Dan Zito and Vince Gilcrease, focused on practical Christian living and unity.
• Kingdom Builders - 10:10 am in Sanctuary Building Room 220, led by Dr. Ryan Dickerson with fellowship, coffee and homemade treats.
• Leader Training - 10:10 am in Education Building Room 202, an overview of church history, theology and polity from the Westminster Confession, using the EPC training guide, taught by a rotation including Pastor Scott, Darin, Colton and a Ruling Elder.

Prayer Ministries

Prayer is woven through the church's life, and several specific ministries support it. Led by Associate Pastor Scott Graham and Laura Shaw:

• The Prayer Room, to the left of the elevator near the Reception Room, is staffed by an elder after the 9 am service for personal prayer.
• Prayer Partners - an intercessory prayer group meeting Friday mornings from 6:30 to 7:30 am, with emailed requests faithfully lifted up.
• Experiential Prayer - contemplative prayer stations drawing on the five senses and Scripture, used during Advent and Lenten mid-week services and other meaningful times.
• Inner Healing Prayer - a confidential ministry led by Scott Graham and a trained partner that brings the Triune God's presence to bear on past traumas or current difficulties.
• Contemplative Prayer Group - a quiet hour of guided silent prayer based on Scripture and the Sunday sermon, meeting September through May on alternate Monday mornings from 10 to 11 am.
• Spiritual Conferencing - groups of two or three meeting for deeper spiritual conversations.

Requests can be submitted by prayer card placed in the offering plate or Prayer Box, by email, or through an online form.

Care Ministries

First Presbyterian takes seriously the call to walk alongside one another in difficulty. Care Ministries include:

• Pastoral Counseling - pastors work with individuals and families on focused life challenges, drawing on Scripture, prayer, anointing with oil and theological reflection. Referrals are made to the Baton Rouge Christian Counseling Center, located on the third floor of the church complex, or to licensed therapists as needed.
• Spiritual Direction - one-on-one intentional prayerful presence to help directees notice God's work in their lives. Two licensed Spiritual Directors are endorsed by the Session, and Scott Graham's doctoral work centers on direction and counseling.
• Inner Healing Prayer - the same confidential ministry described under Prayer Ministries.
• GriefShare - a 13-week, two-hour-per-session support program with video teaching and group discussion. Groups typically form twice a year.
• DivorceCare - a parallel 13-week program addressing anger, recovery, finances, family, depression and forgiveness.
• Homebound Communion and Hospital Visitation - pastors, elders and deacons bring the Lord's Supper and prayer to those who cannot attend worship, and offer prayer before surgery on request.
• Bereavement Ministry - a team that hosts and supports families during funerals held at First Presbyterian.
• Meal Ministry - meals provided to members experiencing illness, grief, the birth of a child or other trials.

Worship Arts

Music at First Presbyterian is shaped by Psalm 145:3-7 and Colossians 3:16 - proclaiming the greatness of God and singing his story. The Contemporary service is led by instrumentalists and vocalists performing newer songs by artists like Matt Papa, the Gettys, Matt Boswell, CityAlight Music and Phil Wickham. The Classic Reformed service blends the same Scripture-shaped goal with the rich, majestic sounds of the pipe organ. Chancel choir, handbell choirs and seasonal ensembles enrich the services throughout the year. Director of Worship Chris Phillips and Assistant Director Lauren Honea lead the music ministry; Steve Gustafson serves as organist.

Mother's Day Out & Preschool

The Mother's Day Out and Preschool is a ministry of First Presbyterian that serves children from six months through Pre-K. Director Whitney Weiner leads a program that meets Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 2 pm, with two-day (Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday) and four-day options, low child/teacher ratios, two full-time teachers per classroom, a resource officer and video surveillance.

The program runs late August through May, starting before Labor Day. An optional Stay and Play after-school program runs Tuesday through Thursday from 2:00 to 2:45 pm. Enrichment classes for children ages three and older who are potty trained include Soccer Shots, Tumbling Tigers, Tiger Tennis, TOT Basketball and King's Praise Creative Movement.

Curriculum blends Morning Meeting and Prayer, free and planned play, Circle Time with story and music, art/sensory/STEM activity time, weekly Chapel Time with Bible stories and songs, and outdoor and indoor play. The program also incorporates Manners of the Heart to foster character and respect. The Pre-K curriculum follows a modified version of the Louisiana State Department of Education's Pre-K Curriculum.

Missions: Local and Global

First Presbyterian takes seriously the call to partner in God's work locally and around the world. Lindsay Stratman, Missions Coordinator, and Laura Shaw help members navigate the church's network.

Global mission partners include:

• Global Transformation Ministries (Colombia) - church planting, a university and a crisis pregnancy home in Medellín, led by Brian and Katherine Miller
• Bethany Centre (Uganda) - a primary and high school with more than 750 students, founded by Peter Kiwanuka, a First Presbyterian attender during his LSU years
• The Smiles Foundation (Romania) - serving vulnerable children and families in state orphanages, hospitals and schools
• Mission Aviation Fellowship (Indonesia) - Brian and Heather Marx serving as a missionary pilot and guesthouse manager, supporting Bible translators and church planters in remote Papua
• Mission to the World (France) - Pete Mitchell leading church planting in Toulouse
• Field Life (Malaysia) - MacGregor and Ashley Magruder offering rest, coaching and spiritual direction at Tributary Retreat Center in Arkansas and around the world
• EPC World Outreach - Kevin and Jena Smith serving in the Middle East among Yemeni refugees
• EduNations (Sierra Leone) - 15 schools in six villages serving roughly 3,700 students
• ITEN, the International Theological Education Network, directed by Mike Kuhn, training leaders in Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Nepal and Eastern Europe
• The Philemon Project (Lebanon) - Robert Hamd's GROW Center serving migrant children, Syrian refugees and underserved Lebanese
• International Friendship Partners - matching internationals in Baton Rouge with First Presbyterian members
• Goodwill EPC - ESL outreach in North Macedonia and Central Asia

Local mission partners include:

• Abounding Love Ministries / Project STARS - youth academic and enrichment programs
• Angel Tree - connecting incarcerated parents with their children at Christmas
• Caring to Love Ministries - a crisis pregnancy center offering counseling and Christ-centered guidance
• Catholic-Presbyterian Apartments - affordable senior living supported through volunteer engagement and Bible study
• Christian Outreach Center - volunteer-driven programs and a grocery assistance program serving 135 households; volunteers gather Wednesdays from 9-11 am to unload the truck and pack grocery bags
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Front Yard Bikes - teaching youth bike mechanics, leadership and life skills
• Gardere Community Christian School - faith-based education; First Presbyterian has partnered with Kids Hope USA to mentor students there since 2019
• Habitat for Humanity
• Heritage Ranch
• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at LSU
• Lifeline Global / Malachi Dads Prison Ministry - supporting incarcerated fathers
• Littlest Angels
• Manners of the Heart - character and social skills programs
• McKinley Elementary School - partners for student reading and encouragement
• Open Air Ministries - outreach to the unhoused
• Providence Road - mentoring for underserved children
• rEcess - a monthly respite program at First Presbyterian providing one-to-one care for children with special needs
• The Sanctuary - a First Presbyterian church plant in Baton Rouge led by Evangelist Ron Hicks
• Young Life

Weddings at First Presbyterian

Weddings at First Presbyterian are held for active members and their children. The Wedding Coordinator, Sherry McKinley Tucker, schedules the date on the church calendar, arranges the initial visit with the officiating pastor and coordinates with soloists and organist/pianist. Pastor Scott Graham walks couples through pre-marital counseling, and additional counseling is available through the Baton Rouge Christian Counseling Center.

Fees include the basic required fee (Sanctuary: $1,000, Dunham Chapel: $800 - each with a $100 deposit) covering the wedding coordinator, organist/pianist, sound technician, security, building access and custodial services. A suggested honorarium of $300 for the officiating pastor is given directly to the pastor. Additional options include a sound technician at the rehearsal ($100), soloists ($150), Reception Room/Parlor ($350) and the Gym ($250).

The Foundation

First Presbyterian's Foundation, incorporated in 1981, receives and manages donations to supplement the church's ministry and mission outreach beyond the operating budget. Through wills, bequests, living trusts, charitable trusts and life insurance gifts, the Foundation conservatively invests to bless supported missionaries, fund church planting, augment worship, provide seminary scholarships and support global and local missions. Since 2010, the Foundation has granted more than $5 million to these causes, with $490,000 granted in 2024 alone.

Getting Connected

First Presbyterian keeps a full church calendar, monthly newsletters, a First Thoughts blog and a robust YouTube channel and podcast of weekly sermons. The Church Center app hosts the member portal, group chat, child check-in, event signups and online giving. Free parking is available on any of the surrounding streets or in the back parking lot off Convention Street. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and the church can be reached at 225.387.0617 or information@fpcbr.org.