A century of change, indusivity & worship
Virginia-Highland Church celebrates milestone anniversary
By Donnell Suggs
The exterior walls of Virginia-
Highland Church hold messages
that immediately separate this place
of worship from most of its Atlanta
peers. One sign beautifully draped
in the colors of the LGBTQ+ rainbow
flag, reads “A Just World For All,”
while another reads in part, “At
This Church, We Believe Black Lives
Matter.”
Between those signs, sits a multi
colored piano with a popular quote
from civil rights leader Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. “Hate cannot drive
out hate, only love can do that.”
The piano is casually played by
neighborhood children and adults
throughout the day, said Jeff Ayers,
director of worship for the church
since 1995. “They drop by and play it
all the time.”
In the sanctuary, there is another
sign: “Virginia-Highland Church, an
Inclusive Community of Faith.”
And that is how Ayers, Pastor
Matt Laney, and the church leaders
want it “One hundred years means
we’ve survived change,” Ayers said
with a broad smile. “We have lost a
lot of Intown churches in the last
decade.”
A Community Parish
Virginia-Highland Church sits
just off Virginia Avenue in the
heart of the neighborhood with its
broad steps welcoming community
members of all faiths inside. The
church, which was established in
1923 and moved to its current home
in 1950, has been affiliated with
United Church of Christ since 2002.
The church left the Southern Baptist
Convention 30 years ago.
“Good morning from Virginia-
Highland Church where Black Lives
Matter, women’s reproductive rights
matter, and children are seen and
heard,” Ayers proclaimed at a recent
Sunday service.
“It’s a real
blessing and a
gift to be at this
historic milestone
considering how
far this church
has come,” said
Laney, who has
been pastor for five
years
Despite
its location,
Laney said its
congregation is
from all over North
Georgia. “A number of congregants
come to service from as far as
Athens, Lawrenceville, Lilburn,
Smyrna and Stockbridge,” he said.
Michael Jackson, a member of
the church’s parish council lives in
Kennesaw and said he encourages
the church to continue connecting
not only with people in Georgia but
across the country.
That said, being a spiritual home
in the heart of Virginia-Highland
means a lot to Laney and Ayers. “We
hope that we are a part of the center
of community life, even more so
during these times,” said Laney.
“During the beginning of Covid,
the church went totally online via
Zoom and Facebook Live,” Ayers
said. “It just feels much more
worshipful to be in the community
and be together.”
The recent Sunday service
this reporter attended had a
multigenerational, multiracial
congregation led by Candace Rowell,
who was filling in for Laney. Rowell
is on track to be ordained in the
United Church of Christ - something
that would not be possible under the
roof of many southern churches.
All Inclusive
Virginia-Highland Church leans
towards inclusion, not only in who
can serve the public from the pulpit,
but also in what they can talk about.
During Rowell’s service, she invited
children to come up and help lead
breathing exercises. The kids closed
their eyes and thought of positive
things while breathing in through
their noses and out through their
mouths. The entire congregation
joined them.
Later in the service, as part of the
All Saints Day celebration, there was
a video montage of people who died
this year - Angela Lansbury, Betty
White, Queen Elizabeth II, Sydney
Poitier, Leslie Jordan, Dan Reeves
and Vince Dooley. The victims of the
mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas were
also included in the montage, as well
as local members of the church and
community. As a violinist played
over the montage, the congregation
wept.
During Communion, a gluten-
free option for the bread was offered
to guests who preferred it. “So all
can feel welcome,” said Ayers.
The future past 100 years
Following Sunday service there
was a community meeting to
further inform congregants about
plans beyond the 100th birthday
celebration. A countdown clock sits
near the lectern keeping track of the
days, hours, and minutes until the
church officially turns 100.
There are plans to begin a
fundraising campaign in order to
raise $1.5 to $2.5 million for interior
and exterior renovations on the
church and add staff.
“This church is capable of
pulling this off,” said church
member Janis Edwards, a member of
the visionary team. “It’s been a long
process and I believe there’s some
divine inspiration in it.”
Rev. Faye Codding, a member
of the parish council, added that
the church will be looking to hire
an associate minister, community
liaison, and social media manager in
the near future as part of the future
plans.
“One of the gifts this church has
is to be able to employ these people
right out of college,” said Ayers. “I
remember those jobs [in churches]
were very rare if you were gay.
That’s the gift we have here.”
10 ATLANTA SENIOR LIFE | December 2022
AtlantaSeniorLife.com
