First Congregational Christian Church
First Congregational Christian Church is a historically African-American congregation located at 1024 Center Street North. It was founded in 1882 by graduates of Talladega College, which, in turn, came into being through the efforts of the American Missionary Association. First Church presently holds membership in the United Church of Christ denomination. The Rev. Dr. Rodney Franklin is the current pastor; the Rev. James L. Myers is pastor emeritus.
First Church played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement as a meeting place for both white and African-American activists and protestors, one of the very few congregations in the city that did so; the Rev. Harold D. Long was pastor at the time. Perhaps its most prominent member was famed attorney Arthur Shores, whose nearby residence was destroyed by a bomb planted by anti-integration vigilantes. The church building, constructed in the 1950s, did not sustain any damage from violence, however.
Several First Church pastors and laypeople have served with distinction on national boards of the UCC.