Landmark Nashville Church
Dedicates New Building

by Evan Silverstein
For Presbyterian News Service

Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN, officially dedicated its new building on Sunday (June 3). Photo courtesy of Street Dixon Rick Architects

Sanctuary, cyber café among
features of rebuilt facility

Three years after fire gutted much of prominent Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN, the congregation officially dedicated its new $5.95 million building on Sunday, June 3 with worship and special events.

The 27,560-square-foot facility, which includes a new 380-seat sanctuary, replaces the original church built in 1940 on the corner of Belmont Boulevard and Graybar Lane that was destroyed by fire on Sept. 17, 2003.

Cause of the fire was never conclusively determined but believed to have been connected to bad wiring.

"We're very excited to be finished with our rebuilding program and look forward to developing the ministry God already has in mind for these spaces," said the Rev. Jim Kitchens, the church's pastor, who learned about the fire while en route from California to Nashville to begin his pastorate.

The 450-member congregation has been worshipping in its new sanctuary since December, but waited to dedicate the building until its custom-designed organ — built by four French-Canadian craftsmen — was installed late last month.

The congregation, which is more than 150 years old, had been worshipping in the church's multi­ purpose activity center, which was not damaged in the fire, until the new sanctuary opened in December.

Among the features of the new construction is a fellowship hall, Sunday school classrooms, youth and prayer rooms, children's worship area, and a cyber café complete with wireless Internet service, a coffee bar and casual seating area with couches and ottomans.

The Christian Education building, kitchen and the activity center were not damaged in the fire, Kitchens said.

Morning worship kicked off dedication activities with former Second church pastor the Rev. Steve Hancock preaching and liturgical dance by Kathryn Sparks, a professional dancer from New York City and daughter of the Rev. Ben Sparks, another former Second church pastor who also participated in the worship and dedication services.

There was lunch and tours of the new facilities, with concurrent blessings of the new spaces and later a dedication of the sanctuary. Kitchens said the new sanctuary retains the same architecture as the old, no stained glass windows, just simple.

Church members and visitors gathered later in the driveway in front of the steeple to follow Nashville bagpipe player Jay Dawson through the colonnade into the fellowship hall for the opening of the sanctuary doors.

The Revs. Kim Rodrigue and Stacy Rector, both former associate pastors at Second Presbyterian Church, also participated in the worship and dedication services that included the debut of an anthem specially commissioned for the occasion by interim choir director Greg Gunther.

After the dedication there was a concert featuring local organists Polly Brecht, Jeff Moles, Douglas Murray and Nancy Turner, who is the regular Second church organist.

"I'm happy to be in the new place. I'm glad it's over," said elder George Blue, a longtime Second church member. "I think we have got just a beautifully appropriate place for worship now."

Blue said he was astonished by the outpouring of assistance and support following the fire from churches small and large from all over the southeast and across the country.

"It was amazing the contributions people sent," he said.

When the church first burned everybody wanted to build an exact replica, Kitchens said. Eventually, however, church members decided to build with a more updated design, one that will take the church through its next 100 years.

"The new facilities are historically linked to the original church that was a beloved icon of the congregation and the surrounding neighborhood," said Baird Dixon, principal with Street Dixon Rick Architects, the Nashville- based firm that designed the new church building.

"The steeple is an exact replica and in the same location as the original, as is the steeple tower," continued Dixon, who worships at Second church. "Other links to our past are the high round windows, wood shutters on tall windows, white brick and colonnade."