| First Presbyterian Church of Jackson | |
| Fullname: | The First Presbyterian Church of Jackson |
| Imagealt: | A picture of the church from the street |
| Pushpin Map: | Mississippi |
| Coordinates: | 32.318°N -90.178°W |
| Location: | 1390 North State Street, Jackson, Mississippi |
| Denomination: | Presbyterian Church in America |
| Previous Denomination: | Presbyterian Church in the United States |
| Churchmanship: | Evangelical, Reformed |
| Presbytery: | Mississippi Valley |
| Seniorpastor: | Rev. David Strain |
| Logosize: | 150 |
The First Presbyterian Church is a historic congregation currently housed at 1390 North State Street in Jackson, Mississippi. It was founded in 1837.[1]
First Presbyterian Church is the largest Presbyterian church in Mississippi and a flagship and founding congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. Its communicant membership is over 2,500.[2]
With 3,100 members, it has become the largest Presbyterian congregation in Mississippi and one of the largest in the United States. It has played a significant role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), and the congregation has remained one of the flagship congregations of that denomination.[3] Its pastor at the time of the PCA's establishment in 1973, Rev Donald Patterson, was Chairman of the Steering Committee for a Continuing Presbyterian Church and preached at the inaugural PCA General Assembly.[4]
The church played a significant role of establishing the Winter Theological Institution in 1962, which became Reformed Theological Seminary.[5]
In the 1950s and 1960s, FPC excluded black people from the sanctuary.[6] The church published a statement of repentance over this in 2016.[7] The minister and some members of FPC were very influential in the 1992 formation of Mission Mississippi, an ecumenical racial reconciliation initiative. Soon afterwards, however, there was a backlash against the organization within this congregation, dues to the church's historic resistance to the civil rights movement.[8] [9]
Ligon Duncan served as Senior Pastor from 1996 to 2013.
The congregation adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith.[10]
The church describes itself " A steadfast witness to historic Reformed Christianity for over 175 years".
It is a member of the Mississippi Valley Presbytery.[11]