Baptism
Weddings
Memorial Services
Memorial Gifts
Baptism
Baptism is the sign and seal of God’s grace and new life through Christ. The sacrament signifies the faithfulness of God, the washing away of sin, rebirth and adoption into the covenant family as children of God.
As Baptism reminds us of who and whose we are, our response to that Good News is to enter into a covenantal relationship that binds us to Christ and to one another. Just as those to be baptized are asked questions of faith (or in the case of infant baptism, parents are asked), the congregation also claims its responsibility for nurturing the newest member. Bound as one, we walk together on this journey of faith as a people called and equipped by God for worship, learning and service in Christ’s name.
A baptism at Central is celebrated with the congregation during our 11:00am Sunday morning worship and involves children from our congregation, as well as church members.
To learn more about baptism at Central Presbyterian Church, please contact Linda Massengill.
Weddings
The wedding ceremony is a service of worship in which the church celebrates marriage as a gift of God. For the two primarily involved, it is a moment of deepest commitment, each to the other and both to God. All are welcome to be married at Central.
Our Facilities
Central Presbyterian Church has been the site of many weddings, and we are honored that so many couples have chosen to start their new lives together here. Central’s historic sanctuary building (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) provides a beautiful setting and its location in close proximity to the downtown interstate system makes for easy access.
For smaller, more intimate weddings, Central’s Rand Chapel is the perfect setting.
Rand Chapel is a handsome example of English Gothic architecture. A visitor to the chapel will recognize the buttressed walls, the tall windows, the use of pointed arches, both inside and out, and the exposed timbered ceiling structure as typical features of this style.
For more information about Central’s Sanctuary or Rand Chapel, please contact Becky Battle.
Policies
If you are interested in having your wedding at Central, please be aware that there are certain requirements and guidelines that couples must meet before their ceremony can be held in our sanctuary.
Basic requirements include:
- A Central pastor must officiate at the wedding, though a co-officiant of the couple’s choice may also participate.
- Premarital counseling classes are required.
- Regular attendance at Sunday worship is expected prior to the wedding.
- All parties involved, including the photographer, must abide by the policies stipulated in the wedding guidelines.
- Central’s wedding coordinator will provide all fee information.
- Once a wedding is approved, a Wedding Request Form, along with a refundable deposit of $200, is required to confirm the date on the church calendar. The wedding coordinator will provide all necessary forms.
- Non-member wedding dates may not be confirmed more than nine months in advance.
- The wedding fee structure and date confirmation policy is based on your membership status at the time you submit the Wedding Request Form. Joining the church after the Wedding Request Form has been submitted does not change your membership status for the wedding.
For inquiries about Central’s sanctuary or Rand Chapel, please contact Becky Battle.
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Memorial Services
Just as the church embraces us throughout our lives, so too does it stand ready to embrace us in death and to support those who grieve. Funerals and memorial services are important forms of worship for the community of faith. For more information about funerals and memorial services at Central, please contact Linda Massengill.
Central’s Memorial Garden
Throughout our lives as Christians, the church ministers to our needs. We are baptized in the church, nurtured by its teachings, and are fulfilled by service in its mission. At the end of our lives, we find comfort in knowing that the church provides interment and/or memorialization on consecrated church property.
It is in the spirit of closing the circle of ministry from birth to death that Central Presbyterian Church has created a memorial garden north of Rand Chapel. The garden provides a well-maintained and consecrated site for the interment of ash remains and memorialization of church members and their families.
Interment
Ash remains may be interred within the garden in biodegradable containers or scattered in the burial area. Specific details of interment are left up to the family and clergy.
Memorial Plaques
The name of each person memorialized in the garden, including date of birth and death, is placed on an individually cast bronze nameplate. Nameplates of all memorialized are affixed to a bronze plaque located inside the garden.
Application
All members of Central Presbyterian Church and their families are eligible for interment in the Memorial Garden.
Click here to download an application.
Email Linda Massengill for additional information.
Memorial Gifts
To give a gift to Central Church in memory of a loved one, please click here.
