Saturday, January 10, 2009

Sixth Presbyterian Church of Washington

Sixth Presbyterian Church at 16th and Kennedy Streets NW

Moving forward with my series The Churches of 16th Street, this is the Sixth Presbyterian Church of Washington. Located at 5413 16th Street NW at Kennedy Street, this congregation has been ministering in the Nation's Capital for more than 150 years. While the church has a website, there isn't a lot of information about their history in the city. The congregation describes itself as a "welcoming, inclusive congregation of diverse cultures and talents ministering in the nation's capital."

Sixth Presbyterian: A congregation of inclusion

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder what the world would be like without churches?

Abe Lincoln Blogs
Abraham Lincoln's Blog

The Artful Eye said...

Oh my.. I was just thinking what Abraham Lincoln just mentioned in his post and then my next thought was how can there be so many churches and so many miserable people. I guess I've answered that question.

Virginia said...

As a fellow Presbyterian, I trust this congregation is indeed ministering to those in your city in need. I would venture there are a LOT in more ways than one.

Janet Kincaid said...

Abe: It's a fair question. On the one hand, there might be more peace in the world and less being done "in the name of God." (I often wonder what God thinks about everything He's supposedly endorsed or lent His name to without permission.) On the other hand, some people need religion to be reminded to "care for the widows and orphans" and to "do unto others as they would have others do unto them." It's a fine, fine line, isn't it?


Andrea: I also find it fascinating that there are so many religions and so many unhappy people. As a sociologist of religion, it especially fascinates me and I'm often curious about the effect of religions in the lives of individuals and on the social landscape. We've certainly seen plenty of ill-effects on a grand scale. It would be nice to see the positives on a larger scale.


Virginia: I hope so, too. I haven't attended this congregation, but perhaps I will. It's not that far from where I live. The one time I attended a Presbyterian service in Oakland, Ca., I was quite impressed. (But then again, I was taking it all in with my academic eyes, so I probably missed a lot of the deeper points.)

 gmirage said...

What a lovely composition! POstcard perfect!!!

Janet Kincaid said...

Mirage: Thanks! It's a quaint little church.