In June of 1923 the church purchased the triangular piece of property, on which it currently stands, for $7,500. The lot included a house which was “to be used as a manse and the site for a church building or for such other purpose as might in the judgment of the officers and members seem expedient for the best interest of the Church.” The congregation wanted a building of its own and help had been promised by the Union Presbytery; some of the leaders of the Presbyery felt, however, that Fountain City was too small a community in which to invest the money needed to do this, and help was delayed.

Some of the extension leaders of the extension leaders of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (so-called Southern Church) heard of this and believed rather that a church in Fountain City had great possibilities. This led the new congregation to vote to petition Union Presbytery for transfer to the Knoxville Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the United States on June 18, 1927, and on July 18 the transfer was approved. There were certain stipulations; namel, that Knoxville Presbytery would maintain the work in this community, assist in providing a building without delay and repay some $2,500 previously advanced by Union Presbytery. On August 9, 1927, all the aforementioned conditions were accepted by Knoxville Presbytery and the transfer was complete. The Fountain City Presbyterian Church USA had become the Fountain City Presbyterian Church US.

The Rev. Dr. D.M. Larson, Home Missions Superintendent for Knoxville Presbytery, served as supply pastor until January 22, 1928, when the Rev. Fred S. McCorkle began his pastorate. In September of that year, ground was broken for the construction of a church building; although the did not make significant progress until spring of 1929, “that open hole in the ground lay there on the hillside through a long winter as a silent but effective witness that Fountain City Presbtyerians had made a beginning and seriously expected to erect a church building”

Fountain City Presbyterian Church was also expanding outwardly. The outreach program in Halls became no longer a mission project but an organized church in the fall of 1949. Sixty-one members of FCPC transferred to the new church, thus becoming charter members of Cross Roads Presbyterian Church.

On February 16, 1956 Dr. Don R. Brandon became the pastor.

The new Education Building was completed in January 1959.

In 1964 the church called its first Director of Christian Education, Nancy David; she was succeeded in 1970 by Mr. Charles L. Bailey Jr. and he, by Beth Abrams. Shirley Hitchins became DCE in the summer of 1977.

Dr. Brandon retired from active ministry in early 1978 and he and his wife, Dottie, remained in Fountain City. The Brandon Theological Fund was established by the Women of the Church in his honor and continues to this time.

On October 1, 1978 Dr. John L. Davis, II (Jack) became our pastor. Soon after Jack began his ministry, the church decided it must increase the staff in order to meet the new demands of the coming decade. In 1981, Rev. Ralph Lufkin, a retired member of the Presbytery, came to help with the visitation ministry and out-reach. Susan Lloyd moved from part time to full time secretary, Shirley Hutchins continued as DCE and Cindy Ricker joined the staff as the assistant to Susan in January 1982.

In 1998, thirteen members of FCPC’s 75th Anniversary Committee put together a booklet entitled, “Seventy Five Years.” It was noted in that booklet that in 1922, Mr. N. D. Barrows, an elder from Second Presbyterian, was aware of a need for a Presbyterian church in the Fountain City area.  He started a Presbyterian Sunday School, and eventually met with local residents to organize the church as church members now know it– officially founded on April 8, 1923.

The last 25 years of Fountain City Presbyterian’s 100 years began in 1998.  At the time, the Senior Minister, Dr. Jack Davis, had just retired. The staff included an associate minister, Dr. Tom Ballard; two secretaries, Cindy Ricker and Sharlyn Bollinger; a Director of Christian Education, Brenda Logan; Associates for Senior Care, Dr. Bill and Dorothy Wadsworth; Choir Director, Harry Hall; Organist, Joyce Hall; Youth Director, Alfred Huffaker; Superintendent of Buildings, Terry Rouse; Acting Treasurer, Marianne Nichols; Librarian, Paula Rhea; and Child Development Center Director, Tracy Sands.

Many staff changes would take place before the church became 100 years old.  Some positions would be eliminated while some would be added or changed.  By 2023, there would be only one minister position, the Senior Minister.   Instead of two secretaries, there would be a Communication Director (Jaclyn Beeler) and Financial Secretary (Tammy Reed), the Director of Christian Education title would change to the Christian Education and Missions Director (Lyn Oakley). However, the Associates of Senior Care position (the Wadsworths), the librarian position (Paula Rhea), and Superintendent of Buildings position (Terry Rouse) would be eliminated. There were other changes to come.  The Presbyterian Women who had always met monthly, would cease to be.  Another significant change would be that instead of having Deacons and Elders, the Diaconate was eliminated so that now, there are only Elders.

By 1998, the church was ready for a new minister– that person was Reverend  Max Reddick.   Pastor Reddick began his ministry in 2000, bringing with him his wife, Meg, and two children, Madeline and Knox.  A short time later a third child, Lucy, was born. Church members quickly were endeared to this young family.  Some years after Pastor Reddick and Meg divorced, he met and married Amy Dale.  Three full-time Associate Ministers served the congregation: Reverend Tom Ballard (1993- 2000),  Reverend Sharon Carter (2001-2003) and Reverend Sean White (2003-2009).   Reverend  Ron Thomas (2009-2010) and Reverend Darrell Baker (2011-2015) served as part-time associates.  After 2015, Pastor Reddick served as the only minister until he left the church in 2017.

The church’s next pastor, Reverend Dr. Andy Morgan, was called to FCPC in 2019.  Preceding Pastor Morgan was bridge interim Reverend Ann Brunger (for 3 months), and long-term interim Reverend Gradye Parsons (2017-2019). Pastor Morgan’s family included his wife, Sarah, and a son, Robert and later another son, James.  Reverend Sarah Morgan, Pastor Morgan’s wife, was (and is) a minister at Second Presbyterian.  

It was during Pastor Morgan’s ministry that the pandemic changed how the church operated.  Adhering to the advice of public health officials, the Session voted for members to wear masks when attending church services.  Streaming church services online became an option for the first time. The church staff worked from home with Pastor Morgan sometimes coming to the church at odd, late hours, working into the morning.  He said, “From the perspective of a pastor, it’s hard to imagine a circumstance any more difficult than what our congregation navigated during the pandemic years.  In spite of the presence of bitter partisanship in our culture, I am so grateful that our church remained connected and strong.  During that time, I witnessed tireless church members working to connect our church in new and challenging ways.  I saw the way church leaders leaned on prayer to guide them and was encouraged that the strands of love for Christ and one another  kept our faith family together.”   Dr. Morgan left in 2023.  

Music Director Bob Eubanks came to the church in 2003, following Bob Chambers, who had replaced Harry Hall.  Organists and pianists who have served in the last 25 years include Matt McCurry, Todd Spangler, Krista Heilmier, George Hill and Nancy Wells.  Janice Hickman, with the help of the late Louise Turner, had directed Junior High church musicals from 1967 until 2004.  Donna Hager, Angela Bell, and others directed children’s pageants for many years.  Also, during this time, there was a volunteer hand bell choir. Later, scholarship were offered to college students to sing in the church choir.

New missions were added during the last 25 years: ministries in Belize, Central America, Family Promise (the church, along with other area churches offer food, beds, and fellowship to families who are temporarily homeless), a mentoring program at Fountain City Elementary, the continued construction of Habitat houses (14 completed houses from 1993 to 2021), and construction work on the Gulf coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (70 plus persons traveled to the Gulf to work during a five-year span).  The church worked with Samaritan’s Purse to sponsor a shoe-box ministry for many years at Christmas (shoeboxes filled by individual church members with necessities and treats for children in third world countries).  Wanda Dye continued the blanket ministry that was started in 1968 by Ruth Wallace; a handmade blanket is gifted to every new baby.  Grandma’s Pajamas consists of women who meet on Wednesday mornings at the church to sew pajamas, dresses, shorts, etc.  These garments are delivered to area missions and hospitals as well as to children in Belize.  A care bag ministry was started during the pandemic by the Congregational Connections Team as a means of giving the homebound more connection to the church; these bags contain devotional materials and treats and continue to be delivered by volunteers.   The homebound also receive home communion administered by Session members.  GriefShare, a support group for grieving church and community members, was begun in 2021. 

Four adult Sunday School classes are active and  popular. Two teachers hold  records of having taught the most years:  Janice Hickman has taught the Good News class for 55 years, and Carol Smith has taught a children’s class for 58 years. Both are still teaching.  Daytime and nighttime bible studies meet weekly, as well as a weekly men’s prayer breakfast.  W.O.W. (Welcome on Wednesdays) has continued to offer food, fellowship, and a study of various topics during most of the year.

In 2010, our children in K-5th grades at FCPC started a chapter of Mission Possible Kids <MPK>.  MPK is a  nonprofit organization empowering kids to become agents of change in their own lives and the lives of others.  The MPK chapter package came with spy-themed top secret mission music, top secret handshake, t-shirts, mission completion stars, mission project ideas, balloons and a world map to mark the places our children touched. MPK made our children excited to work together to change the world and taught our children compassion, respect for self & others, leadership, expanded worldview, and teamwork through service projects.  MPK also included a bible verse with each mission to allow a biblical lesson to complement the mission helping our children grow in faith and learn to serve as a way to live their faith. Some of the “Top Secret Missions” included:  collecting nonperishable food items for Food banks including the FCMC; making gifts and cards for hospitals, homebound members, and orphanages; assembling kits/care packages for disaster relief, and homeless shelters; supporting US troops by making cards and bracelets; cleaning up trash in Fountain City Park; making fleece heart-shaped pillows for refugee children; planting dogwood trees on the lawn of FCPC in honor of Earth Day; collecting packets of vegetable seeds for our friends in Belize and making bandana buddies for the children of Los Tambos Government School.  At one time we had 50 students participating in local, national and international “top secret” missions.  After completing a mission, each child (“top secret agent”) received a mission star to add to their Mission Possible Kids t-shirt. Perhaps one of the amazing parts of this program that we learned, is when you get children involved in helping others and doing mission work you also get their parents involved in helping others and doing mission work.

The Youth members have continued to prepare and deliver food monthly to the homeless. Every winter, on a Sunday after church, the youth receives donations to fund this project from church members; the church members then enjoy the same menu of food that is served to the homeless. Among other activities, this group made their first trip to Montreat, North Carolina for conferences. Also, these young people continue a tradition in which the graduating seniors write and deliver their own sermons on Youth Sunday in May; the entire service is done by the church’s young people. A renovation under the chapel has provided a spacious private area for the church’s youth to meet for Sunday School, social events and other meetings. The area has its own kitchen and restroom.

The Davis Center continues to be a vital part of the church mission.  The church  includes the preschool in various ways: Invitations are given for church activities, coffee and danish are served periodically to the staff and parents of the preschoolers, and the ministers in recent years had Chapel Time for the school’s children.  The Davis children have also had Christmas pageants in the church.  Most recently, church members volunteered to prepare their playground for a major renovation.  Holiday and appreciation dinners were hosted for the Davis staff.  From time to time, families from the Davis Center have become members of the church family.

In recent years, the church solicited advice from consultants and others to help the church grow by getting to know each other better as well as welcoming visitors and new members and improving our processes. Helpful signs were hung around the church and in the parking lot;  diaper-changing tables were placed  inside restrooms, and rocking chairs were placed at the back of the sanctuary.  Bags containing materials for children were placed in the church, to be used, if desired, during Worship. It was during this time span that the church parlor was redecorated and designed to be more accessible as a hospitality room–hence the name, Greeting Room.  Small groups were formed.  A Friday night social time, called Second Friday, enables members to gather and socialize in a casual environment. Members started meeting every other Wednesday in the summertime to have a meal and socialize.  These summer outings, called Odd Wednesdays Out (OWO), continue.  Another social group that continues to meet is Presbyterian Pilsners, meeting once a month on Friday afternoons.  The Lunch Bunch meets monthly for lunch at various restaurants.

Any discussion of the church’s history would be incomplete without providing more information concerning the impact of the pandemic from 2020 thru 2022.  During the Lenten season of 2020, the Church was strongly encouraged by public health officials to discontinue in-person worship for the sake of health within the community.  For the first time in the church’s history, its doors were closed for many Sundays as COVID-19 raged.  In the beginning, the church joined with Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church to broadcast worship for those three churches.  Pastor Morgan preached several sermons from Sequoyah Hills’ pulpit as the church leadership sought to figure out what was next. There were several outdoor sermons.  It was decided that the church would procure equipment to broadcast on their own on Sunday mornings via livestream.  Generous anonymous members made donations to purchase the expensive equipment that was needed.  The church contracted with a local company to perform the complex installation along with Bob Eubanks and other volunteers.  The church began to stream worship services in July 2020.  After more than a year of online-only or outdoor services, the church began in-person worship services on Palm Sunday 2021.  Though frustrating, the pandemic era proved to be a creative era.  “The Helpers” were members who called each other to check in.  Thousands of dollars were raised by the church for important missions, including the Davis Center and Belize partners through a fundraiser called “The Edge of Our Fields”.  Lyn Oakley and the Christian Education Committee implemented VBS-in-a-Bag, delivering materials to individual homes to make VBS possible in trying circumstances.  Later Lyn and Pastor Morgan developed a project called the “Treasure Seeker’s Club”, providing Christian information in the form of a box of materials for parents and their children.

The mission for the church is the same as it was written 25 years ago: still striving “toward a high calling of service, witness, healing, and sharing.”  May we seek “a caring community of faith.”  May this community of faith experience a special togetherness in the place of worship that has sustained us for the last 100 years.

Session members in 100th year:

Teresa Brittain

Brian Cartledge

Susan Espiritu

Don Grogan

Mack Holland

April Lamb

Dana Lamb

Brett Miller

Thomas Rader

Paula Rhea

Tracye Robertson

Carl Snow

Clerk of Session:  Dan Rhea