Independent Presbyterian Church.

Independent Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...

 located on the Southside in Birmingham, Alabama. Initially started by a group of 25 following controversy over doctrinal issues within a local congregation, the church now has approximately 2400 members.

History

Independent Presbyterian Church was formed in 1915 in Birmingham, Alabama, after a popular and charismatic preacher at South Highlands Presbyterian Church, Dr. Henry Edmonds, was criticized by members of the Southern Presbyterian Church for having views that varied from the doctrinal standards of that denomination. The controversy was brought to a head when an article appeared in the Birmingham Age-Herald in which Edmonds was quoted as differing from orthodox Presbyterian theology on the subject of the inspiration of the Bible and of the substitionary Atonement of Christ. Before arguments were fully resolved, Dr. Edmonds withdrew from South Highland Presbyterian Church and with a small group of followers formed the Independent Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, Alabama. The first worship service was held at Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, Alabama, a congregation of American Reform Jews and a close friendship between the two congregations has existed ever since. During the early years, the church also held services in downtown Birmingham at local theaters, which services were attended by both whites and blacks and which ministered to the working class and the poor. The church was a proponent of the Social Gospel

Social Gospel

The Social Gospel movement is a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that was most prominent in the early 20th century United States and Canada...

 and was one of the first to establish programs for public health, child welfare and legal aid. Edmonds' pastorate spanned a difficult and turbulent time in the City of Birmingham. He was Chairman of the Alabama Commission on Inter-Racial Cooperation, a group dedicated to improving relations among the races, and took action to ensure a fair trial for the Scottsboro Boys

Scottsboro Boys

The Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenage boys accused of rape in Alabama in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial...

 .

Notable pastorates of the church have included John N. Lukens (1948-1966), and M. Scott McClure (1967-1996). The current Pastor is Dr. Conrad Sharps, whose tenure began in 2006.

Architecture

Although Dr. Edmonds had initially opposed the building of an elaborate church building, his attitude and that of the congregation eventually changed and in October 1922, the first phase of a neo-gothic structure on Birmingham's Highland Avenue. The facility was designed by the Birmingham firms of Warren, Knight and Davis, and Miller & Martin, and is in the English perpendicular style. The sanctuary itself was completed in 1926 and includes stained glass windows designed and manufactured by Nicola D'Ascenzo, noted artist and stained glass

Stained glass

The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...

 maker of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are said to be some of his finest work.

Ministries

One of the earliest ministries of the church was the establishment of the Children's Fresh Air Farm, which provided camping experiences to children of all backgrounds who would not otherwise have an opportunity to spend time in the country. The Fresh Air Farm was established in 1923 and continues to this day as a revamped summer learning program that furnishes tutoring and learning experiences to children of inner city schools. In 1978, as part of its ministries to older adults, the church formed the Kirkwood-by-the-River retirement community in Leeds, Alabama. The IPC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity, provides grants on an annual basis to both local and international groups for humanitarian and educational purposes. Other areas of focus include foreign outreach such as the Mwandi Missionary Hospital and School in Mwandi, Zambia, and the STARE program furnishing tutoring for second grade students in the Birmingham city schools.

Worship, Music and Fine Arts

The Religious Arts Festival, hosted by the church in February of each year, is in its 41st year and brings lecturers and musicians to Birmingham. The November Organ Recital Series, now in its 47th year, has brought talented organists to the city for recitals and choral performances. The church has commissioned and is in the process of installing a new 87 rank, five-division, three-manual pipe organ

Pipe organ

The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...

 manufactured by the Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Lake City, Iowa.The company was founded in 1974 by Lynn A. Dobson, who serves as President and Artistic Director. The company has produced over 80 instruments of a wide variety of sizes and restored a number of historic organs. ...

 of Lake City, Iowa, the first Dobson instrument in the State of Alabama, and one of the largest built by that company. Inaugural concerts on the new Dobson will occur in May 2012. Worship at IPC includes traditional worship, services for the liturgical year and periodic evensong

Evensong

The term evensong can refer to the following:* Evening Prayer , the Anglican liturgy of Evening Prayer, especially so called when it is sung...

.