J Magazine Winter 2019
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“I would love for the city to recognize there are vital<br />
churches here in the heart of city. We have something<br />
wonderful to offer the citizens of Jacksonville.”<br />
Michael “Scott” Luckey, pastor of First Presbyterian Church<br />
He recommends a long-term lease,<br />
usually 99 years, that will give the church<br />
revenue while retaining ownership of the<br />
property. The paperwork has to be drawn up<br />
so the church’s nonprofit status is protected<br />
and to allow the lease to be transferred if a<br />
developer decides to sell. The church pays<br />
taxes on the income.<br />
For some churches, it means that the<br />
congregation will move to a new location<br />
while retaining ownership of the property<br />
that is redeveloped.<br />
“It takes a lot of courage by a congregation<br />
to relocate,” Lowrey said. “Faith isn’t<br />
just about God. It’s also faith in a place. The<br />
building becomes part of the faith. What<br />
happens is they give and give and give more<br />
money to the walls? Why would you worship<br />
walls? Why not find a cheaper place to worship<br />
and use the property for income?”<br />
In Downtown Jacksonville, Michael<br />
“Scott” Luckey, pastor of First Presbyterian<br />
Church, agrees that church is partly about<br />
faith in a place. First Presbyterian brands<br />
itself as “the church with the red doors.”<br />
The church celebrates its 180th anniversary<br />
next year and prides itself on being the<br />
“mother church” for other local Presbyterian<br />
churches like Riverside and South Jacksonville.<br />
Membership peaked at about 2,000 in the<br />
1940s and 1950s, and is now between 400<br />
and 500, Luckey said.<br />
Some families have been members for<br />
five or six generations, Luckey said. Members<br />
come from all over the city, including<br />
a few who live Downtown. But Luckey said<br />
he is hoping membership will rise as people<br />
move into the new Downtown residences.<br />
“I’m convinced Downtown has an<br />
exciting future, and we want to be part of it,”<br />
Luckey said. “From our vantage point, we’re<br />
here for the long term.<br />
“I would love for the city to recognize<br />
there are vital churches here in the heart of<br />
city. We have something wonderful to offer<br />
the citizens of Jacksonville. We want to be<br />
part of the greater story.”<br />
Luckey said churches are one of the few<br />
places where people of all social strata mix.<br />
“We have everyone from penthouse dwellers<br />
to the homeless. It’s an unusual mixture.<br />
We welcome and embrace and want to be a<br />
resource for all people.”<br />
Several times a year, First Presbyterian<br />
hosts a musical series, Music on Monroe,<br />
which has included concerts by a French pianist,<br />
a renowned harpist and a Renaissance<br />
music festival. And the church will be part<br />
of the inaugural Christmas in the Cathedral<br />
District on Dec. 4.<br />
The buildings have an assessed tax value<br />
of $2.5 million, but the congregation hasn’t<br />
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WINTER <strong>2019</strong> | J MAGAZINE 69
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