First Presbyterian Church of Nashville

What First Presbyterian Church of Nashville does

First Presbyterian Church of Nashville is a 501(c)(3) Presbyterian congregation founded in 1814, making it one of the oldest churches in Nashville, Tennessee. The church operates from a 65+ acre campus at 4815 Franklin Pike containing 250,000+ square feet of building space, including an 800-seat Sanctuary and a 100-seat Stanford Chapel. It is governed independently by a Session of elders with no parent organization, affiliated denominationally with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The church's mission is articulated as "to know Christ and to make Him known" through worship, education, and service.

The church runs a diversified ministry platform spanning worship services (Sunday 8:30 and 11:00 a.m., plus YouTube livestream), age-tiered Christian education (Nursery through Confirmation using The Gospel Project curriculum, plus Adult Sunday School with ten distinct classes), the FPC Music Academy (private instruction in voice, piano, violin, organ, and guitar), Recreation Ministry (children's soccer and pickleball), congregational care (Stephen Ministry, grief services, the columbarium with 1,140 spaces), Presbyterian Women circles, and pastoral services (weddings, baptisms, funerals). Oak Hill School, founded in 1961 as a church outreach, operates as a PreK-6 independent Christian school serving approximately 530 students and is included as a wholly owned subsidiary relationship. BookMarks Bookstore operates on-site on Sundays.

The revenue model is donation-driven, anchored by annual member pledges (average approximately $8,500 in 2024, with average gift slightly above $7,500 across all contributions). Auxiliary revenue comes from Music Academy tuition ($540/semester for 12 half-hour lessons or $45 per individual lesson), children's soccer registration ($170-$295 based on age and timing), gym rental ($100/hour plus potential $25 cleaning fee), bookstore sales, and columbarium reservations. The church also operates an endowment and planned giving program (the James I. Vance Society) and processes stock gifts via Wiley Bros. Outreach to the broader community is conducted through From Within Counseling and an annual all-church retreat at NaCoMe Camp & Retreat Center in Pleasantville, TN. Marketing and member communication use a multi-channel approach: the church website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, the MyFPC email portal, the mailed "First News" newsletter, and personal invitation.

Name

First Presbyterian Church of Nashville

Legal name

First Presbyterian Church Nashville

Website

https://fpcnashville.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1814

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Presbyterian Church of Nashville is a 501(c)(3) congregation founded in 1814, offering worship, Christian education, music lessons, recreation, counseling, and outreach to Nashville-area families on a 65+ acre campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (61), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Early Learning Academies (EDACADAH), Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Christian education programs
• Early childhood education
• Church music academy
• Community recreation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First Presbyterian Church of Nashville provides weekly Protestant worship services in its 800-seat sanctuary and 100-seat Stanford Chapel, Sunday school and adult Christian education, a Music Academy for vocal/instrumental instruction, recreation programs including soccer and pickleball, and Oak Hill School, an early-childhood education program for young children of members and the Nashville community. The organization is staffed by approximately 46 employees and supported by member volunteers operating across a 65+ acre downtown Nashville campus.

Product overview

First Presbyterian Church of Nashville offers a comprehensive suite of ministries and programs centered on worship, education, and community service. The church operates on a multi-program platform model consisting of: Sunday worship services (8:30 and 11:00 a.m.) with livestreaming; Children & Families Ministry spanning nursery through confirmation; Adult Sunday School with multiple class formats; Presbyterian Women circles; FPC Music Academy providing instrumental and vocal lessons; Recreation Ministry including soccer and pickleball; the Oak Hill School outreach (PreK-6th grade Christian education); Online Giving and Planned Giving programs; Congregational Care including funerals, weddings, and the columbarium; BookMarks Bookstore; and the First News newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly traditional Presbyterian worship services open to members and the broader Nashville community, conducted in the church's main sanctuary and smaller Stanford Chapel.
• Christian Education (Sunday School and Adult Classes) Sunday school and adult Christian education classes covering biblical literacy and Presbyterian faith formation for congregants of all ages.
• Music Academy Vocal and instrumental music instruction program offered through the church's Music Academy for members and Nashville-area participants.
• Recreation Programs (Soccer and Pickleball) Community-based recreational sports programs, specifically soccer and pickleball, hosted on the church's 65+ acre downtown Nashville campus.
• Oak Hill School Early-childhood education program (preschool) operated on the church's campus, serving young children of members and the broader Nashville community.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oak Hill SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1961Oak Hill School was founded in 1961 as an outreach of First Presbyterian Church. It is a coeducational, nondenominational, independent school serving approximately 530 students in PreK through sixth grade. The school offers quality Christian education based on values of personal integrity, academic accomplishment, and spiritual foundation. Dr. Walter Courtenay, visionary pastor of First Presbyterian Church and founder of Oak Hill School, established the school with the philosophy that 'A Christian education imparts knowledge and builds character.'
• NaCoMe Camp & Retreat CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe church holds its annual All-Church Retreat at NaCoMe Camp & Retreat Center located in Pleasantville, TN (3232 Sulphur Creek Road, Centerville, TN 37033). The retreat offers outdoor activities including swimming, archery, and boating, plus worship, talent show, and campfire s'mores. Located 90 minutes outside Nashville.
• From Within CounselingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an outreach ministry of First Presbyterian Church. From Within Counseling provides counseling services as part of the church's congregational care and outreach programs.
• Wiley BrosminorOthersWiley Bros is a financial services firm referenced for stock gifts to the church. When making stock gifts, members are directed to contact Carsen Rooney at Wiley Bros with account details: Pershing LLC, DTC 0443, Account 6H6-034018, First Presbyterian Church Nashville.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Christ Presbyterian Church Nashville: A large Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) congregation in Nashville with a similarly broad ministry portfolio including worship, education, and outreach. Same denomination tradition and same city, making it the closest head-to-head comparable for member recruitment and program design.
• Highland Presbyterian Church (Lancaster, PA): A Presbyterian (USA) congregation with comparable worship, education, and recreation programming; explicitly referenced in FPC Nashville's leadership background. Functionally similar in ministry model and denominational alignment.
• McKendree United Methodist Church: A historic downtown Nashville United Methodist congregation with comparable age and heritage, offering worship, education, music, and outreach ministries. Direct peer for Nashville mainline Protestant families.
• St. George's Episcopal Church Nashville: A historic mainline Protestant congregation in Nashville with similar service programming, music ministry, and outreach. Comparable as a heritage mainline peer competing for similar demographic segments.
• Westminster Presbyterian Church Nashville: A historic Presbyterian (USA) congregation in Nashville with comparable heritage, worship programming, and adult education offerings. Direct denominator peer competing for the same Presbyterian affiliated members in Nashville.

Regional players

• Otter Creek Church: A large Nashville-area non-denominational church running multiple campuses and a recreation-focused family ministry. Comparable in ministry breadth and family programming emphasis; competing Nashville congregation for unaligned members.
• Christ Community Church Nashville: A nondenominational Nashville church with comparable family ministry, music programs, and community engagement. Competes in the same metro area for active faith-minded families.

Others

• Oak Hill School (peer reference) - Currey Ingram Academy: An independent K-12 school in the Nashville area with comparable academic and character-development mission. Relevant peer for benchmarking Oak Hill School as a faith-based independent K-6 education platform.

Broad incumbents

• Cross Point Church Nashville: A large multi-campus Nashville church with strong digital streaming, children's programs, and contemporary worship. Comparable in scale and digital outreach, though more contemporary in worship style.
• Brentwood Baptist Church: One of the largest Baptist churches in the Nashville area with extensive campus facilities, multiple ministry programs, and a school (Brentwood Academy). Comparable in scale and ministry breadth but operates under a different denominational tradition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@firstpresbyterianchurchofn9785/streams
• Facebookfacebook.com/FPCNashville
• Instagraminstagram.com/fpcnashville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-presbyterian-church-of-nashville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Presbyterian Church of Nashville