What's ahead for old first church

the long version

This book is about the Old First Churches in the central business districts of American cities. The term Old First Church refers to a church characterized by a downtown location, members who are drawn from many sections of the city, and varied programs of activities that appeal to a wide range of people. More often than not, the name First (First Baptist, First Presbyterian, First Methodist, etc.) was chosen because it signified the first congregation of a particular denomination to be organized in the town. The material presented here is the result of a three-year study of more than three hundred downtown congregations in over one hundred cities across the country.