FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ATLANTA • ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Letter from the Senior Pastor Dear Friends, The year 2020 began with enthusiasm and excitement at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. After four years of planning, the Campus Master Plan was approved by Session and presented to the congregation. By February, a team was in place to begin to create a campaign strategy to meet the vision of this transformational and generational plan. Then, as we all remember, everything stopped. And the coronavirus shaped our lives in ways we never imagined. Ministry in a pandemic was not something we ever thought we would be doing. Even so, God has been faithful. I give thanks for the resources, personnel, and equipment we already had in place, which allowed us to deliver meaningful online worship, concerts, small groups, meetings, prayer, and large group gatherings without missing a beat. I see God’s faithfulness in the way our community ministries team and dedicated volunteers stepped up to befriend and meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. The financial generosity of the congregation has been overwhelming, helping us weather drops in other revenue while continuing to support ongoing ministries and new ones that emerged in
response to the pandemic. We welcomed close to 70 new members in 2020. We also saw new ministries emerge that invite us to listen, learn, and engage in critical conversations about race and our Christian faith, including Dinner and Dialogue, a new Artists in Residence program in partnership with Challenge the Stats, Leadership Conversations on Race, Christianity, and Culture for elders, staff, and ministry leaders, and the opportunity to share our campus with Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, the only historically Black seminary in the PC(USA). The year 2020 was challenging in so many ways, and yet, ministry continued among and through us. Our ministry as a community expanded and evolved in response to our spiritual, emotional, physical, and practical needs. I could not be more grateful for our Session, staff, Ministry Leaders, and our entire congregation for the ways in which, by God’s grace, we navigated these difficult days.
Blessings,
Tony Sundermeier Senior Pastor
Membership Statistics Membership, 1/1/20 Total: 1856 Members Jan 1
2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
1856 1889 1846 1809 1943 1932 2156 2187 2616 2599 2593 2587 2581 3107 3065
Membership, 12/31/20 Total: 1907 New Members Transfers
68 67 87 91 96 60 63 69 84 87 66 62 97 109 122
3 10 11 37 22 20 38 75 48 50 32 32 46 62 12
Deaths
Net Change
Membership
Moved to Inactive Roll
13 24 23 15 13 23 21 25 19 20 15 24 26 29 28
52 48 53 39 61 17 4 -31 17 17 19 6 25 28 82
1908 1922 1899 1848 2004 1949 2160 2156 2633 2616 2612 2593 2606 3135 3147
-1 -66 -10 -2 -195 -6 -228 0 -446 0 -13 0 -19 -554 -40
Members Dec 31
1907 1856 1889 1846 1809 1943 1932 2156 2187 2616 2599 2593 2587 2581 3107
Inactive Roll consists of members who had not worshipped or financially contributed to the church in a consecutive, twenty-four month period.
Worship Statistics 2020 In-Person Services (21 Sundays/Christmas Eve)
371
Annual Livestream Weekly Attendance (Multiplier 1.5 people per IP Address)
608
Average Attendance 2020
760
Easter Sunday Worship Christmas Eve Worship
1746 (Livestream Only) 1750 (Livestream and In-Person)
Baptisms
18
Weddings
7
Financial Statistics
2020
($ in thousands) Revenue Contribution Revenue Endowment & Trust Income PPP loan forgiveness $701,700) Other (Includes Release from Operating Reserves Total Revenue Expenses Care Communications Faith Formation Connections Community Global Mission Epiphany Session Commitments Worship Arts Property Management Administration Total Expenses Net Surplus
2020
2021
Actual Budget Budget $ 4,021 3,985 4,072 1,120 1,110 1,152 1003 579 192 - 255 273 6,144 5,929 5,689
220 763 631 14 502 228 6 118 643 29 1,175 919 5,248 896
$234 890 788 33 606 292 19 127 704 37 1,339 860 5,929 -
245 872 699 10 717 264 8 119 683 69 1,173 830 5,689 -