NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One downtown church congregation dates back much further than any of us were around to see. It's a familiar sight, and now, it's celebrating a major anniversary in a very appropriate way.
"My favorite thing to do is come by early on a weekday morning, and you can hear the bustle of the city outside and just feel the quiet of this room," said Gina Tek, sitting in Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ.
"We know that each window has a symbol in the top that represents something from the Bible," she continued, looking at the stained glass. "The pews are original from 1894."
If you want to talk history, Tek has it. Her congregation has just turned 170-years-old.
"This is David Lipscomb, the founder of Lipscomb University," Tek said, motioning to a picture. "He was one of the first elders of the congregation."
That congregation went by several names way back then and met a few blocks from the current site. Tek shared the current building is from 130 years ago, originally Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
"In 1900, there were only 700 toilets in Nashville," she said. "We had two of them!"
Well, it is history.
In 1920, the current congregation moved in.
"They officially become Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ," Tek said.
Over the many decades, a lot has changed. A picture taken outside the church shows a picnic from before when the interstate arrived and made it the bustling intersection we know now. One thing has not changed.
"It was always intended to be a community resource," Tek said. "On Sundays, we have about 40 marginally housed members of our congregation that attend here."
One of them is Cameron McClurge.
"I've been living unhoused about a year-and-a-half now," McClurge said.
"We work with Metro Office of Homeless Services," Tek continued. "Now, we have a very large clothing room that we give each Sunday if they need it."
Also important to the church is finding people work.
"The unhoused members of the community have a variety of backgrounds and records and health problems that can keep them from having full-time positions," Tek explained.
To celebrate 170 years of this congregation is a homecoming weekend. It included a Friday morning job fair for the unhoused.
"I'm hoping to do construction," McClurge said. "I've been doing construction since I was 12-years-old."
Tek is the board chair of the Preserve Lindsley Avenue Now non-profit and has seen a lot of maintenance of what's original to the building. Perhaps nothing is as much a connection to the past as a mission to help people like McClurge.
McClurge read the text on a tattoo on his forearm.
"When Jesus spoke to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'"
"Is that your favorite verse?" I asked him.
"That, in particular, is my favorite one," McClurge answered.
"This is the work we've been given to do," Tek said. "This is our stewardship for today."
Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ is holding a fall festival Saturday, Oct. 11 from 11am to 1pm. Sunday will have church services and a homecoming salute.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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