Hope Presbyterian Church
Encyclopedia
The Hope Presbyterian Church is an Evangelical Presbyterian megachurch
in Cordova
, a district of Memphis, Tennessee
. Dr. R. Craig Strickland is the Senior Pastor. His catchphrase is "If you're looking, there's always Hope." It describes itself as a "church for the unchurched".
A 2008 survey by Outreach Magazine
ranked it 86th in size in the USA based on average weekly attendance of 7,500.
The $26 million worship center, which took 16 months to build, added 125000 square feet (11,612.9 m²) to the existing 210000 square feet (19,509.6 m²) worship center.
The original plan had been for a $50 million auditorium with 5,500-seats and a 76 feet (23.2 m)-tall building with a bell tower that would reach to 180 feet (54.9 m). That plan was abandoned after protests from local homeowners.
The center built under the revised plan was opened in time for a series of candlelight Christmas services at which total attendance was expected to be 20,000.
The church sponsors the Boy Scout Troop 338.
In March 2008 church volunteers started work on renovation of the nearby 114-unit Cedar Court apartment complex, which the church had bought and was upgrading to provide affordable housing in the area as part of an urban outreach ministry.
In 2010 the church started running Sunday Lunches where singles could meet in a more wholesome atmosphere than bars and clubs, with unexpected success.
This was a continuation of a drive to attract young people looking for a nontraditional church, seen as the future of the church.
, David Crowder Band
, Brandon Heath
, Building 429
, Todd Agnew
, Family Force 5
, House of Heroes
, Decyfer Down
, Dave Barnes
, Haste the Day
, The Devil Wears Prada
, Chris Tomlin
and TobyMac
.
In August 2008 the church staged a concert in memory of Isaac Hayes
, who had recently died, which was attended by the Rev. Jesse Jackson
.
Other notables included U.S. Representative Steve Cohen
, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh.
The church was widely criticized for agreeing to host the concert, since Hayes was well known as a Scientologist. The church defended the event, saying it was a tribute rather than a memorial, and it was for the entire community.
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
in Cordova
Cordova, Tennessee
Cordova is a community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Cordova lies on Memphis' northeast side, north of Germantown, and northwest of Collierville....
, a district of Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Dr. R. Craig Strickland is the Senior Pastor. His catchphrase is "If you're looking, there's always Hope." It describes itself as a "church for the unchurched".
A 2008 survey by Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Vista, California. It focuses on activities of growing churches and is non-denominational.It is a periodical from the organization Outreach, Inc...
ranked it 86th in size in the USA based on average weekly attendance of 7,500.
Facilities
In December 2007 the church opened a major extension, added 5,000 seats to its capacity with state-of-the-art audio-visual facilities.The $26 million worship center, which took 16 months to build, added 125000 square feet (11,612.9 m²) to the existing 210000 square feet (19,509.6 m²) worship center.
The original plan had been for a $50 million auditorium with 5,500-seats and a 76 feet (23.2 m)-tall building with a bell tower that would reach to 180 feet (54.9 m). That plan was abandoned after protests from local homeowners.
The center built under the revised plan was opened in time for a series of candlelight Christmas services at which total attendance was expected to be 20,000.
Programs
The church runs a youth football program for first- through sixth-graders.The church sponsors the Boy Scout Troop 338.
In March 2008 church volunteers started work on renovation of the nearby 114-unit Cedar Court apartment complex, which the church had bought and was upgrading to provide affordable housing in the area as part of an urban outreach ministry.
In 2010 the church started running Sunday Lunches where singles could meet in a more wholesome atmosphere than bars and clubs, with unexpected success.
This was a continuation of a drive to attract young people looking for a nontraditional church, seen as the future of the church.
Concerts
The church often lets its auditorium be used for concerts. Performances between November 2008 and July 2010 included LecraeLecrae
Lecrae Moore is an American Christian Hip Hop artist signed to Reach Records, the record label that he co-founded. Thus far Lecrae has released five solo studio albums, and his latest Rehab: The Overdose was released on January 11, 2011...
, David Crowder Band
David Crowder Band
The David Crowder Band is a six-piece Christian Modern Worship band from Waco, Texas.-Band history:The band began when David Crowder, from Texarkana, Texas, realized that almost half of the students at Baylor University were not attending church...
, Brandon Heath
Brandon Heath
Brandon Heath is a contemporary Christian musician from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released three studio albums: Don't Get Comfortable , What If We and "Leaving Eden" . He is best known for the No. 1 "I'm Not Who I Was" and "Give Me Your Eyes". He was nominated four times at the Dove Awards of...
, Building 429
Building 429
Building 429 is a Christian rock band signed to Essential Records. They were the Gospel Music Association 2005 New Artist of the Year. Their name is derived from a Biblical passage known as Ephesians 4:29, which, in the New International Version of the Bible, reads as follows: "Do not let any...
, Todd Agnew
Todd Agnew
Todd Agnew is a Contemporary Christian musician and songwriter.-Musical career:Agnew's best-known song is a version of the hymn "Amazing Grace" called "Grace Like Rain" that was featured on his first album, Grace Like Rain, released in June 2003. Agnew wrote this song with his friend, Chris Collins...
, Family Force 5
Family Force 5
Family Force 5 is a Christian crunk rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. They consist of Solomon "Soul Glow Activatur" Olds, Jacob "Crouton" Olds, Joshua "Fatty" Olds, Nathan "Nadaddy" Currin, and Derek "Chap Stique" Mount...
, House of Heroes
House of Heroes
House of Heroes is an alternative rock band from Columbus, Ohio. They were also known by the name No Tagbacks. They are generally considered to be Christian rock, though their lyrics are not always transparently Christian...
, Decyfer Down
Decyfer Down
Decyfer Down is a Rock band formed in 1999 and based in Morehead City, North Carolina. Up until 2002–the year that Chris Clonts joined the band–they went by the moniker Allysonhymn . Following Clonts' arrival they switched to the current name, Decyfer Down...
, Dave Barnes
Dave Barnes
Dave Barnes is an American rock-R&B-contemporary Christian singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee.-Early life:...
, Haste the Day
Haste the Day
Haste the Day was an American Christian metalcore band signed with Solid State Records that was formed in Carmel, Indiana 2001. Their band is named after a lyric in the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul." The band released their debut release, an extended play titled That They May Know You, in 2002,...
, The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada (band)
The Devil Wears Prada is an American metalcore band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed in 2005, they are currently signed to Warner Music Group...
, Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin
Christopher Dwayne "Chris" Tomlin is an American Christian Contemporary Music artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin also leads worship at many...
and TobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
.
In August 2008 the church staged a concert in memory of Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, who had recently died, which was attended by the Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
.
Other notables included U.S. Representative Steve Cohen
Steve Cohen
Stephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman....
, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh.
The church was widely criticized for agreeing to host the concert, since Hayes was well known as a Scientologist. The church defended the event, saying it was a tribute rather than a memorial, and it was for the entire community.