What to Expect
When you first see our church facility sitting atop a hill facing Buford Highway, you may be struck by its unique Tudor style architecture and the tall steeple that reaches upward toward heaven. It is a lovely campus well-suited for people to gather for worship and fellowship.
As you approach the top of the entrance drive, you will find visitor spaces. There are also handicapped spaces in the front that allows for easier access to the sanctuary through the front doors. There is additional parking in the rear with building entrance up the stairs.
If you enter the building through the front doors of the church, you will be welcomed by our greeters. They will provide directions and answer questions. First time guests should stop by the Welcome Station in the lobby before or after worship service to pick up a welcome gift.
To see the order of service, go to announcements where you can view a recent Sunday bulletin. To view a video of a recent worship service, click here to access a video of a service on YouTube.
You will notice some people dressed in business casual attire and others even a bit more casual. All in all, we hope you find everyone to be friendly and welcoming.
What is Presbyterian?
The word “Presbyterian” is derived from the ancient Greek word presbuteros literally meaning “elder.” It makes sense, therefore, that Presbyterian churches are said to be ruled by laypeople in each congregation who have been elected to serve as Elders. The office of Elder exists in every Presbyterian congregation, and active members of all ages are eligible to hold the office, which a person serves for three consecutive years. A church without Elders is not Presbyterian.
Though Presbyterian pastors exert a great deal of influence upon the life of the congregation, it is the Session (the three elected classes of Elders currently serving) along with the Pastor(s) who make the big decisions and chart the course of church life. Presbyterians are thus shaped by church government that is representative in nature. Our church government is less “top-down” than that of many other Christian denominations.
While the word “Presbyterian” as a denomination of God’s people suggests far more than what is stated above, it is our form of government that gives us our name. Buford Presbyterian Church is a member congregation of the PC(USA) which is the main line of all Presbyterian denominations in the U.S. There are other denominations that consider themselves Presbyterian whether in name or in orientation, but the PC(USA) is the one from which most of the others have been formed.
BPC’s History
Founded in 1890 with 14 charter members, Buford Presbyterian Church previously stood on Main Street in downtown Buford, Georgia. The building was destroyed by fire in 1922 and replaced in 1925 with a sturdier brick building at 170 Main Street. During the 1920's the church grew to about 60 members and was supplied by students from Columbia Theological Seminary. Membership grew slowly and a full-time pastor was not called until 1973 when the Rev. Bill Crosland was installed.
In 1974 the Greater Atlanta Presbytery purchased the current 8-acre lot on Buford Highway in Sugar Hill, GA. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held on July 10, 1983, and the congregation celebrated Holy Communion in the new sanctuary on October 14, 1984. The building underwent re-modeling and enlargement including a new sanctuary and educational space in 1996-1997. We added additional facilities in 2003 including the Fellowship Hall and additional educational space.
Becoming a Member
There are three ways a person can join a particular congregation in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These three ways of joining are
Profession of Faith
Reaffirmation of Faith
Transfer of Membership Certificate
Profession of Faith is the way people join who have never been formally affiliated with any church before. It involves a time of discernment and consultation with a pastor or some mentor in the congregation. When ready, the person professes his or her faith in front of the church’s elected body of Elders and then in front of the congregation itself. Profession of faith occurs when questions to be answered in the affirmative are asked of the person by the pastor in order to “profess” their faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior. If the person has never been baptized before, the Sacrament of Baptism accompanies their profession. Presbyterian churches do not normally immerse people when we baptize them but “sprinkle” water on their heads instead.
Reaffirmation of Faith is for persons who have previously professed their faith and been baptized but have not had a committed affiliation with any particular congregation for a substantial period of time prior to their joining here.
Transfer of Membership Certificate is for those who are active members of other congregations at the time they join here. A request is made of the church they have formally been a part of to forward along their “letter” or membership certificate.
When people are being led to join our congregation, it is important to express this to one of the pastors and to have a discussion with them about what this may mean for their lives and how best to facilitate its occurrence.