For the Glory of God and the Good of Athens
Redeemer Presbyterian Church sits on the corner of Pulaski and Broad in the heart of downtown Athens, Georgia, within walking distance of the Classic Center and the University of Georgia campus. A century ago the brick building on that corner housed a Firestone tire shop. Today it holds a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America, and the church's own statement of purpose runs across the top of every page: "for the glory of God + the good of Athens." That single line captures Redeemer's identity in two phrases.
Redeemer takes both parts seriously. The congregation gathers around historic Christian worship and Reformed teaching on Sunday mornings and throughout the week, and it turns that worship outward into the city through mercy ministries, church planting, and steady involvement with the university. A first-time visitor walking up to the building on a Sunday will find a 10:30 a.m. worship service, an hour of Sunday school for every age beforehand, a full nursery running in parallel, and a steady calendar of community life spilling out from there across the rest of the week.
From a Living Room to the Old Firestone Building
Redeemer began in 1996 as a small Bible study gathered in someone's living room. From those modest beginnings the congregation moved to the historic Firehouse on Prince Avenue, then to the Fire Hall at the Classic Center, and finally settled into the old Firestone tire building on Pulaski and Broad that still serves as home. Three decades later the church family has grown far beyond what those first living-room walls could hold, and the building now accommodates Sunday worship, Sunday school for every age, a full nursery, youth gatherings, men's and women's ministry events, weekday Bible studies, and a campus ministry that draws students from across the university.
The decision to remain at this downtown location, rather than move to the suburbs, has shaped Redeemer's identity. The Session and congregation voted to renovate the existing Pulaski Street property rather than relocate. That vote launched the Pulaski + Broad Capital Campaign, a three-year effort to raise two million dollars for an upgraded entrance, an expanded nursery, additional gathering space, and improved accessibility throughout the building.
Sundays at Redeemer
Sunday is the heart of the week at Redeemer. Sunday school meets at 9:15 a.m., with classes running in parallel across the building for adults, college students, youth, and children. The nursery welcomes children from newborn through pre-kindergarten during Sunday school, and rooms are set aside for every stage from infants through walking toddlers, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and fours. A recurring Inquirer's Class is offered for anyone curious about what Redeemer believes and what church membership involves, and it meets without any obligation to join.
At 10:30 a.m. the congregation gathers for worship. The service follows the historic Christian liturgy and preaching, with the choir and worship team leading congregational singing and a brief children's sermon or children's bulletins available for younger attendees. Infants through three-year-olds are cared for in the nursery during the service. Four-year-olds join a "Prep for Worship" class midway through the service, leaving with their parents after the hymn that follows the tithes and offerings. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade sit with their parents in the sanctuary, where coloring sheets and crayons are available on the back wall for those still getting used to a longer service.
Worship is shaped by the Trinity Hymnal and the church's Reformed convictions, but the music ministry also weaves in newly arranged hymns and original songs. A regular rotation of instrumentalists and singers leads the congregation each week, and an instrumental piece called "Special Music" is played during the offertory. Communion is celebrated as a family meal of the church, and the Session has prepared a written position paper to help parents walk with their children through what it means to come to the table. Sermons are recorded each week and are available through the church's podcast feed and YouTube channel, so anyone traveling or homebound can keep up with the teaching.
Kids, Youth, and the Family Team
Children's ministry at Redeemer is organized as one continuous journey from the nursery through twelfth grade, with the staff working intentionally as a single Family Team. Jill Brannen, the Children's Ministry Director, oversees ministry to children in kindergarten through fifth grade, while Jessica Simon serves as Nursery Director and Wes Andrews leads ministry to youth and families. The three areas collaborate on teaching, seasonal events, and a shared philosophy that treats parents as the primary disciplers of their children.
The Sunday school hour reaches every age. Toddlers hear simple Bible lessons with songs and crafts. Preschoolers learn through storytelling and play. Elementary classes move through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, with teachers guiding students through the overarching story of redemption. The children's ministry also runs Vacation Bible School each June, an intergenerational highlight for the church and a major community outreach event for families across Athens. Throughout the year the Family Team organizes Father/Son Campouts, Mother/Daughter Days, Father/Daughter Nights, and Mother/Son Nights, all designed to build a sense of belonging to the body of Christ before children graduate out of elementary ministry.
Safety is taken seriously. Every adult volunteer who works with children completes both a national background check and training in a child-safety curriculum designed to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse. The new Pulaski + Broad renovations will centralize the nursery into a single secure wing with one access door and security locks.
RPCYouth is the ministry to students in sixth through twelfth grade and is treated by the church as a vital extension of its overall mission rather than a separate program. The church's stated philosophy is that students in this age range are full members of the congregation. Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. takes a more theologically in-depth look at specific books of the Bible. Sunday evening large group runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and includes games, dinner, worship, teaching, and small groups led by adult mentors. The youth also participate in a parent-child rhythm called the Timothy Project, a series of lunches designed for high school students and young adults who are sensing a possible call to vocational ministry.
Throughout the year, RPCYouth runs retreats, mission trips, summer camps, and family gatherings that bring parents and students together. Highlights include the annual fall retreat to a Christian camp in the North Georgia mountains, a winter backpacking trip on the Chattooga River for ninth and tenth graders, a spring middle school campout at a farm outside Athens, summer mission weeks in the Tennessee mountains through Bridgemont Camp, and an annual All-Family Picnic that kicks off each ministry year.
College and Young Adults
Redeemer's college ministry flows through two channels. The church itself hosts a College Lunch Series on Sundays after worship, where students get to know a Redeemer family in their home over a free meal. Each month a different family hosts, and the gatherings are open to undergraduate and graduate students alike. The college ministry also runs a Homebase pairing program that matches students with church members for casual meals, coffee, walks, and game nights throughout the semester, giving students a way to feel known in a smaller circle.
The church building also serves as the meeting place for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at the University of Georgia. RUF is a campus ministry affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America, and it gathers in the Redeemer sanctuary on Wednesday nights at 7:30 p.m. for a large group meeting of worship, teaching, and fellowship that runs about an hour and fifteen minutes. RUF-International, a related ministry focused on international students, partners with Redeemer and other area PCA churches to welcome scholars from around the world, encourage them to explore the way of Jesus, and equip Christian internationals for kingdom service.
Medical Campus Outreach (MCO) is a parallel ministry for students at the UGA medical campus. MCO meets for a Bible study on Monday nights at 7:30 p.m. and exists to train future healthcare providers to bring the hope of the gospel into their future practices.
For those in their twenties and thirties, whether single, married, in graduate school, or working, Redeemer Young Adults (RYA) hosts monthly gatherings that include grill-outs at the pastor's home, sushi nights, pickleball tournaments, murder mystery parties, cereal nights, and supper clubs. The RYA Welcome Grill-Out each fall serves as an easy on-ramp for newcomers to meet other young adults and several of the church's pastors. RYA also co-hosts occasional potlucks with the 55+ group in the church, bridging generations over shared meals.
Men's, Women's, and Community Life
Men's ministry at Redeemer centers on prayer and fellowship. On the last Tuesday of every month, men gather in the sanctuary for Men's Morning Prayer at 6:15 a.m. Doors open at 6:15 and the men pray together until 7:15. There is no signup; men simply show up. Throughout the year, men's ministry also includes an annual Men's Retreat at North Georgia Christian Camp in Clarkesville, periodic "After Hours" gatherings at a farm in Bogart for pastor-led discussion and Q&A, and summer small groups that meet in homes across the area.
Women's ministry is led by Kristin Sigalas and aims to give every woman the opportunity to know Christ personally, love Him deeply, and extend His kingdom in her home, church, and community. The women's ministry organizes Bible studies that meet on different days of the week to accommodate working women and mothers, an evening Table Night supper series where women share a meal and hear testimonies from sisters in the faith, and the popular Taste and See event that opens each ministry year. A monthly email distribution list keeps women informed of upcoming studies, events, and service opportunities.
Community Groups are the small-group backbone of the church. The groups meet weekly in homes across the Athens area, share a meal together, study the Bible, and pray for one another. Each group is led by a trained lay leader who receives ongoing support from the pastoral staff. Groups are organized by neighborhood and stage of life, and most groups include some form of childcare or are set up to welcome children into the evening. The groups typically begin in mid-September and run through the academic year, with members encouraged to switch groups if a better fit comes along.
Redeemer also runs a Potluck + Prayer gathering on the first Sunday of every other month. The church provides the main dish and drinks, and members bring sides and desserts. After dinner the congregation spends an hour praying together, with the rhythm designed to build deeper relationships across the whole church family.
Worship Through Music
Music is taken seriously at Redeemer, both as a craft and as a ministry. The music ministry is led by Matt Osburn and draws on the Trinity Hymnal as well as newer hymn writers and original compositions. The church sings a mix of historic hymns, newly arranged settings, and songs from contemporary hymn collectives such as Indelible Grace Music, Red Mountain Music, and the Hymn Collective. Each Sunday during the offertory the Redeemer musicians present a Special Music piece, ranging from instrumental solos to congregational favorites, and the recordings are shared online.
The music ministry welcomes new musicians and singers into the rotation, and the church publishes recordings of services and special events for the congregation and broader listening audience. Lessons + Carols is a special Advent worship service held each December, featuring congregational singing, choral pieces, and Scripture readings. Live recordings of the service are released each year.
The Pulaski + Broad Campaign
Because Redeemer chose to remain at its downtown location, the building itself has become a focus of ministry. The Pulaski + Broad Campaign is a three-year capital campaign to raise two million dollars for renovations to the property at 165 Pulaski Street. The plans, drawn up with the church's architect and engineering firm and put under contract with Milestone Construction Co., call for a reimagined main entrance, an expanded nursery with a single secure access point, three infant rooms and four toddler rooms, an enlarged indoor lobby with conversational seating clusters, additional classrooms, and improved flow and accessibility throughout the building.
The renovation also addresses the practical needs of a growing children's ministry, with new space designed to accommodate roughly fifty percent more children than the current building can hold. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with substantial completion set for August of that year. Until then, Sunday services continue in the existing building, with minor adjustments to parking and pedestrian flow during construction. Members and friends of Redeemer are invited to give above and beyond their regular tithes to support the campaign, with pledge cards and online giving options available.
Serving the City of Athens
Redeemer's vision statement is to be "a church for the city of Athens," and the church lives that out through a steady rhythm of mercy ministries and partnerships. Each month the church sends two teams to Our Daily Bread, Athens's community kitchen, to prepare and serve breakfast on the first Wednesday and lunch on the first Thursday. Volunteers from Redeemer join with other churches and community members to feed Athenians facing homelessness and extreme poverty.
The church also partners with Downtown Ministries, an outreach that grew out of Redeemer's own mission work. Downtown Ministries began in 2003 with a volunteer-led youth football team and has grown into a multi-faceted ministry that includes Downtown Academy, a fully accredited K-5 Christian school, plus sports leagues, a community kitchen, and volunteer programs that engage more than four hundred volunteers each year.
Redeemer also supports Chosen for Life Adoption Ministry, which mobilizes volunteers from local churches to come alongside foster and adoptive families; China Outreach Ministries, a UGA-approved campus ministry that befriends and serves Chinese students and scholars at the university; and a growing partnership with international students through RUF-International. Mission trips are part of the church's rhythm as well, including international short-term trips and a summer youth mission week in the Tennessee mountains with Bridgemont Camp.
The Session also oversees a Church Advocacy Group that provides an impartial avenue for members in crisis to seek additional support beyond their assigned elder. The group follows the biblical restoration practices outlined in Matthew 18 and Galatians 6 and includes members with professional backgrounds in social work, law, education, and pastoral care.
Beliefs Rooted in the Reformed Faith
Redeemer is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America and stands within the historic Reformed tradition. The Session teaches that the Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, without error in matters of faith and practice. They affirm the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, the fallenness of all humanity through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and salvation by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
The congregation affirms the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms as faithful summaries of biblical doctrine. The Session has also published two formal position papers to help the congregation live out their convictions in practical ways: one on children coming to the Lord's Table and one on men and women in the church, articulating a robust complementarian understanding of Scripture and how it shapes ministry at Redeemer.
The church's summary statement of purpose runs through everything: "for the glory of God and the good of Athens." Worship and daily life are to be lived to the glory of God under the lordship of Jesus Christ, and that calling extends outward into the city, the university, and the world.
Leadership and Staff
Todd Lowery serves as Senior Pastor. A graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary, Todd joined Redeemer in 2016 after serving churches in Georgia and Louisiana. He served as Associate Pastor for six years before becoming Senior Pastor in 2022. He and his wife Josie have three adult children and three grandchildren.
Wes Andrews is the Associate Pastor for Youth and Family. A graduate of Clemson University and Reformed Theological Seminary, Wes joined the Redeemer staff in 2020 after more than twenty years of youth and family ministry. He and his wife Sage have four children.
Matt Siple served on the Redeemer pastoral staff for ten years before being commissioned to plant Immanuel Presbyterian Church, a new PCA congregation in Athens launching in the fall of 2026. Matt continues to be involved in Redeemer's ministry through the transition.
The church is governed by a Session of nine Shepherding Elders: Jeff Allen, Nick Brannen, Phil Brannen, Matt Farmer, Michael Hall, John McMullan, Eric Sewell, Greg Triplett, and Adam Yelton. The Diaconate consists of Bynum Boley, Adam Brown, Jeremy Cryder (currently on sabbatical), Andrew Gross, Stephen Hulsey, Micah Leonhard, Josh Mickey, Miles Peavyhouse, Jeremy Patat, Andy Simon, Todd Stichtenoth, and Edward Wilfong. Each fall the congregation nominates and elects new officers from among the members, following the biblical qualifications outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Supporting ministries are led by Jill Brannen (Children's Ministry Director), Morgan Gee (Youth Director), Dean Eidson (Youth Discipleship Director), Kristin Sigalas (Women's Ministry Director and Office Manager), Jessica Simon (Nursery Director), Matt Osburn (Music Director), Gracie Pilkenton (Communications Coordinator), Susan Snyder (Finance Director), and Chet Bennett (Building Supervisor). Two college interns serve with the youth ministry: Phillip Dekle (working with boys) and Katie Gregory (working with girls).
Planting Churches for the Kingdom
Redeemer describes itself as "Kingdom-focused, not Redeemer-focused." The church has been deeply involved in planting new churches in the greater Athens area, including Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in the Normaltown neighborhood of Athens, Oconee Fellowship Presbyterian Church in Watkinsville, and Resurrection Presbyterian Church on the west side near Bogart. The newest church plant, Immanuel Presbyterian, is being launched from Redeemer with weekly worship services planned to begin in the fall of 2026. Monthly core group meetings have been gathering at Princeton United Methodist Church to lay the groundwork for that new congregation.
The church believes that new churches are the most effective way to reach new people with the gospel, and the Session has committed to supporting these plants with prayer, finances, and people. Anyone sensing a call to church planting, or simply wanting to follow the progress of these new congregations, can connect through the church office.
Visiting Redeemer
Visitors can expect a warm welcome on Sunday mornings. Greeters and a visitor team are stationed to help newcomers find their way around the building, and a Parking Lot Social for kids occasionally takes place after worship. The church provides nursery care throughout the morning for infants through four-year-olds, and the building is set up for families with young children to settle in with crayons and bulletins while worship happens around them. A weekly email keeps members and regular visitors informed of upcoming events, studies, and service opportunities, and a podcast feed carries each week's sermon for anyone who wants to listen ahead or catch up later.