About Us
Third Presbyterian Church is a welcoming and loving congregation that has a vibrant worship, education for all ages, fun and fellowship. We are deeply committed Christians that want to grow in our faith and help others deepen their relationship with God through worship, education, and outreach. We are not a fancy bunch! Come as you are, broken or whole or somewhere in between, everyone is welcome in our midst. We have a long history but are moving forward with the great commission of making disciples. Please join us.
We are a congregation that is on a spiritual faith journey. We appreciate our guests, friends and members, inviting everyone to participate in worship, ministries, and outreach projects.
Mission Statement
Third Presbyterian Church is a welcoming community of believers, seeking to do God’s Will, under the authority and guidance of Jesus Christ who calls us to:
Promote spiritual development of the community through service and outreach opportunities
Prepare members for discipleship through Christian education, Training, and spiritual growth activities
Provide care and support to those among us and around us through fellowship, friendship, and acts of compassion
What We Believe
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.
God comes to us in free and undeserved favor in the person of Jesus Christ who lived, died, and rose for us that we might belong to God and serve Christ in the world. Following Jesus, Presbyterians are engaged in the world and in seeking thoughtful solutions to the challenges of our time.
Presbyterians affirm that God comes to us with grace and love in the person of Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose for us so that we might have eternal and abundant life in him. As Christ’s disciples, called to ministry in his name, we seek to continue his mission of teaching the truth, feeding the hungry, healing the broken, and welcoming strangers. God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, giving us the energy, intelligence, imagination, and love to be Christ’s faithful disciples in the world.
More than two million people call the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) their spiritual home. Worshiping in 10,000 Presbyterian congregations throughout the United States, they engage the communities in which they live and serve with God’s love.
Our History
Third Presbyterian Church had its beginnings when First Presbyterian Church purchased a lot on Park Avenue in 1879 for the purpose of establishing a mission. A chapel was erected and a Sabbath was formed.
In 1884, the mission was organized as Park Avenue Presbyterian Church with 40 charter members. Within 12 years, the church formed 2 missions—the Patterson N.J. Mission and the Walton Chapel in the East Brambleton area of Norfolk. By 1927, the church established 3 more missions – the Baxter Avenue Mission, the Glen Rock Mission (later to become Calvary Presbyterian Church), and the Ingleside Mission (later to become the Squires Memorial Presbyterian Church).
In 1953, the church moved from its location near downtown Norfolk to its present location on Carlton Street in the suburbs. The congregation held worship services at Crossroads Elementary School until the church building was completed. In 1954, Norfolk Presbytery (now Presbytery of Eastern Virginia) approved the church’s name change to “Third Presbyterian Church.”
In 1964, member Grace Humphreys was the first woman elected to the position of Ruling Elder in Norfolk Presbytery.
In the mid 1980’s, a bell tower was constructed to house the Park Avenue Church bell. In 1984, the church celebrated its centennial anniversary; and in 2004, the church celebrated its 50th year anniversary as Third Presbyterian Church.
