Decatur Presbyterian Church (Georgia) is capping off the celebration of its bicentennial by celebrating a successful capital campaign.

An initial goal of $3.5 million has already been raised and the “super goal” of $4 million is currently at $3.85 million and within reach by the time of the official celebration of the congregation’s 200th year in October.

“Our highest objective is to get 100% participation from everybody in the church,” says ruling elder Scott Overcarsh, chair of the finance committee and recent capital campaign  chair for the congregation.

He estimates 90-95% of the congregation has committed funds to the capital campaign along with many other community friends and “sons and daughters” of the church who want to see its ministries continue and thrive.

More than an update or redesign for the good of current members, the church’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Todd Speed, sees the campaign and the bicentennial as an intertwined commitment to serving the community for generations to come.

“The congregation is celebrating being here at the heart of Decatur and being the heart of the Decatur community,” he says. “[The church is] integral to the Decatur community, including helping to initiate Agnes Scott College, helping bring Columbia Theological Seminary to Decatur, and starting 17 churches in the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. It’s that real sense of leadership that’s affected the broader community.”

A previous capital campaign that raised funds for necessary physical plant upgrades fell short of its goal, saddling the congregation with $1.4 million in debt. With the goal of retiring that debt and renovating the sanctuary and fellowship hall, in addition to budgeting for needed repairs, the campaign’s $3.5 million seemed a lofty goal at first.

“It’s harder to convince people to give toward paying off debt,” Overcarsh says. “But the fact of the matter is, we have to pay interest on that debt every month, and that’s money we could be using for ministry.”

Prior to the official launch of the capital campaign in March 2025, Overcarsh and Speed talked with long-time members and previous capital campaign donors to build momentum. A series of leadership meetings through February introduced the plans and the campaign’s needs to others in the church. By March 1, when other congregation members were invited to make their pledges, the campaign had already raised nearly $2 million in seed money.

Throughout March and April, the capital campaign committee spoke in church services, distributed information in the bulletin and newsletter, made calls and visited homebound members, and held a series of small group meetings to educate the congregation on the needs and plans.

By May 18, 2025, more than $3.6 million had been committed to the campaign and pledges keep coming in. In early June, the church officially retired the debt from its previous loan. As part of the campaign, the church committed 10% of received funds to local and world mission.

“I’m really pleased with the session for having the courage to commit 10% [to mission], and then with the congregation for going along with it,” Speed says. “That’s pretty exciting.”

Overcarsh waxes philosophical about the longevity the church has shown – 200 years is a long time for any institution to still be in existence by American standards.

“Our church has been around for a 10th of the time the Christian church has existed – since Jesus came out of the grave,” he says.

“It kind of shortens that timeframe because in my mind… When you think about it, it’s just not that many years relative to the span of time that we can put our hands around in today’s world. It helps you get a sense of what’s been happening and what is possible.”

One of the key motivators for Overcarsh to get 100% involvement from members, is giving people the satisfaction of knowing they contributed to the future of the church.

“A year and a half from now we’re going to introduce our church to the new look, the renovated sanctuary, the new fellowship hall, and some of the other things we’re going to do,” he says. “And I would hate for anybody that’s actively involved in our church to come on that Sunday and feel like they missed out on the opportunity to be a part of it. I want them to feel like they’re a part of the reason why the church is able to do what it’s doing. It doesn’t matter how big your gift was.”

And it’s this sort of faithful giving that Speed recognizes as a core trait of the congregation.

“Our core group is definitely committed, resilient, faithful,” he says. “That impresses me all the time. This church has never let me down when it comes to some need or some campaign or something we need to address; they have all the leadership we need. They’ve never disappointed me.”

Overcarsh echoes this sentiment, praising the congregation for their leadership and ideas and willingness to pursue the larger goal. While the campaign addresses some immediate needs, he knows the reason many are giving is so that future generations of those in Decatur and around the world will benefit from the church’s third century of ministry.

“I wish I was 40 so I could see what the next 40 years is going to be like at this church.”