Third Presbyterian Church

Third Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church located at 617 22nd Street South, at the corner of 7th Avenue South. It is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Third Presbyterian was organized on July 11th, 1884. The church began with 31 charter members and was served by four supply pastors between 1884 and 1888.

The following year, one of the visiting pastors was a young student from Princeton University, James Alexander Bryan. He would later become known to virtually everyone in Birmingham as "Brother Bryan." In 1891, under Brother Bryan's leadership, the church acquired property on 6th Avenue South and 22nd Street South and erected its first building - a frame structure which was destroyed by fire in 1901. The congregation would continue meeting in a tent, without missing a service, until the present church building was constructed a block down the street on the corner of 7th Avenue. Brother Bryan would continue to serve the church and the city for 52 years until his death on January 28, 1941.

References

• Blakely, Hunter B. (1953) Religion in Shoes; Brother Bryan of Birmingham. Richmond, VA: John Knox.
• A Short History of Third Presbyterian Church 1884-2004; pamphlet arranged for Third's 120th Anniversary service

External link

• 3rd Pres Website
• Brother Bryan on Wikipedia
• Brother Bryan statue at Birminghamart.org