Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.
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BALLANTYNE | feature LEFT: Located in the church's cemetary is Craighead Rock, named for "Son of Thunder" Alexander Craighead, who used it as a pulpit. BELOW: This cherry table in the church foyer was the original communion table. The church's 152-year-old sanctuary and its nearly 250-year-old cemetery are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. traffic change, make Presbyterian Church "a refuge, a quiet place apart in the middle of hustle and bustle of modern life," says Senior Pastor Walt McCanless. The Church's Origin "How did a small country Most of the shutters on the sanctuary's triple-hung windows are original. congregation of almost 900 and is very involved in mission and service work. The church's 152-year-old sanctuary used for worship services and its nearly 250-year- old cemetery, also in use, are 34 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Providence Presbyterian is one of the oldest structures in South Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The solemn church grounds, tucked away thanks to a 1994 church manage to flourish for over 200 years?" asks Nathan Gilbert, Providence Presbyterian church historian. "The fact that the church is still here is based on a lot of luck — and well, God's providence. For most of its history, it was a backwater church serving a small farming community." The church survived trying times, including the Revolution, Civil War, World War I and II and desegregation. Colonial- era Providence parishioners worshipped in a tent, and today CELEBRATING TEN YEARS 2000-2010 parishioners occupy one of the region's oldest buildings. Perhaps the church's name influenced its longevity. "Providence is deeply woven into Presbyterian theology, along with predestination," says Gilbert, a native Charlottean. "Providence still stands, proving God's plan will not be thwarted by any powers acting in direct opposition." From 1725-1768, an estimated 200,000 Irish Protestants — most of them Presbyterians — arrived in America through New York and Philadelphia. Known in Northern Ireland as the Ulster Scots, the Scotch-Irish migrants gathered in "societies" to worship God, and headed south. According to church history, FALL 2010