First United Presbyterian Church

Church History

At the approach of the Civil War, about thirty Negroes were worshipping from the balcony in the congregation of First Presbyterian Church. After the Civil War, the congregation experienced racial unrest due to the worship situation. During the same period, the Northern Presbyterian Church had begun to send missionaries down south to assist in the education, evangelization and Christianization of the recently emancipated slaves. The Negroes of First Presbyterian Church, being dissatisfied, left the congregation and established the Colored Presbyterian Church of Charlotte in 1866.

In 1869, the congregation purchased a wooden Lutheran church on the corner of Seventh and College Streets, in downtown Charlotte. The membership grew to 125 persons. In 1895, upon the approval of the Catawba Presbytery, the church's name was changed to the Seventh Street Presbyterian Church of Charlotte.

In 1911, a petition was presented to the Presbytery to organize a church in the Second Ward section of Charlotte . The church was organized on April 30, 1911, with 17 members, and became known as Brooklyn Presbyterian Church. Due to the city's urban renewal program in the Brooklyn area of Charlotte, the Brooklyn Presbyterian Church had to consider relocation. This brought about the organization of the Merger Committee to study and plan the unification of the churches. In 1967, the merger resulted in the combination of the Seventh Street Presbyterian Church and the Brooklyn Presbyterian Church to form First United Presbyterian Church. Reverend Ezra J. Moore was the church's first pastor.

Reverend Moore served the church from 1967 to 1975. Reverend Raymond Worsley assumed the pastorate on November 1, 1977. Reverend Worsley retired in 1991. In 1994, the congregation approved the selection of Rev. Dr. Gregory Marc Busby, Sr., who is currently serving as pastor.

Mission Statement

First United Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a community of believers bound in faith through Jesus Christ. We have been called to demonstrate God's love through worship, service, education and Christian nurture to the ever-changing Charlotte community and to all persons seeking God's wholeness.

Church Slogan
“A church community of believers bound in faith through Jesus Christ.”