National Presbyterian Church - Notable Milestones

Notable Milestones

Over the span of more than two centuries, the National Presbyterian Church or its antecedents have sponsored, hosted, or participated in a long list of events of historic interest. The church’s library and archives are replete with books, manuscripts, and photographs documenting occasions such as these:

1. Anti-slavery speeches by Frederick Douglass - During the pastorate of the Reverend Dr. Byron Sunderland, Senior Minister at The First Presbyterian Church, the abolitionist Frederick Douglass was looking for a site within the city of Washington to give some speeches regarding the abolitionist movement. When Dr. Sunderland heard of the difficulty Mr. Douglass had in securing another location for his speech, he asked the Session if the church might host the famous orator. The Session was divided; some members of the Session resigned and a number of parishioners even left the church. However Dr. Sunderland prevailed, saying that it was better to err on the side of justice and Christian values. Mr. Douglass gave his presentations.

2. First radio station broadcasts in Washington, D.C. - On December 22, 1921, the federal government issued a commercial broadcast license to The Church of the Covenant, the predecessor of The National Presbyterian Church. Station WDM went on the air on January 1, 1922, broadcasting the Sunday morning worship services at 833 kHz. (The broadcast transmitter is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.)

3. Attendance of President Harry S. Truman at the consecration of The National Presbyterian Church – On October 15, 1947, clergy throughout the denomination and the city of Washington converged at the Covenant-First Presbyterian Church for a dedicatory service to establish that church as The National Church of the Presbyterian denomination. Senior Minister Dr. Edward L. R. Elson gave the honor of unveiling the plaque to the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman.

4. Baptism of President Eisenhower – When he became President, Dwight D. Eisenhower expressed an interest in joining The National Presbyterian Church. On February 1, 1953, Dr. Elson baptized the new President. After the baptism, the President and Mrs. Eisenhower occupied a pew that would become habitual for them for the next eight years.

5. Performance by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - A number of special programs and activities were organized to celebrate the opening and the move to the new church site in 1970. One of these programs was a concert of sacred music composed and performed by jazz maestro Duke Ellington and his orchestra.

6. Visit by Queen Elizabeth II – In 1957, President Eisenhower invited Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of England, who were in the United States for a state visit, to join him and Mrs. Eisenhower for a worship service at The National Presbyterian Church.

7. Presentation by Mother Teresa of Calcutta - In 1983, U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield, a friend of Senior Pastor Dr. Louis Evans, Jr., told him of Mother Teresa’s upcoming visit to the United States. Dr. Evans’ wife Colleen Townsend Evans arranged for Mother Teresa to speak at a scheduled Forum on women in the church.

8. Visit by the President of South Africa – During a state visit to the United States, the President of South Africa, Mr. F. W. de Klerk, attended worship services at The National Presbyterian Church with the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands. Following the service, the President and his party were invited to meet the Session of the church and provide remarks on the status of apartheid in South Africa, which he later helped bring to an end.

9. Participation of national leaders in television programs – The Reverend Dr. Lowell Russell Ditzen was designated as the new Director of The National Presbyterian Center when the National Church opened. During the years of the Center’s operations, Dr. Ditzen invited a number of national leaders to participate in discussion programs on world events, which were broadcast on the church’s television program "Religion and the World". Participants included leaders such as The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Reverend Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

10. Interview with former hostage and Presbyterian minister, the Reverend Benjamin Weir – Shortly after his release by Shiite militants in Lebanon in 1985, The Reverend Benjamin Weir, who became Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was interviewed on national television to explain his captivity and subsequent release. As the national church for the denomination, the church was selected as the appropriate venue for this historic event.