Our Story

CLPC started as a church plant of Covenant Presbyterian Church, PCA (Fayetteville, GA) in 1987 with several families meeting together for Bible study. As the core group of families grew, they met in temporary locations around Peachtree City and called Rev. Doug Griffith as their first pastor in July 1990. The growing congregation moved to our current location in the summer of 1991. Ground was broken for a new worship center in 2001, and it was dedicated in April 2002. By God’s grace, the burning of the mortgage was celebrated September 11, 2016.

Our church family is a wonderful blend of ages and life stages with diverse backgrounds and life experiences enjoying worship together that is joyful and reverent, blending traditional and contemporary elements, centered on the means of grace, which are God’s Word, the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and Prayer.

Mission and Vision Statements
Mission Statement of Carriage Lane

Carriage Lane Presbyterian, PCA is called by God to glorify Him. In response to His grace the church seeks to make disciples and equip them through: God-centered worship, gospel-centered preaching and teaching from the Word of God, helping believers to find their wholeness in Christ, and being a witness in word and deed to our community and the world.

Vision Statement of Carriage Lane

Our desire is to be a covenantal community training up gospel-centered disciples of Jesus Christ who see a lifestyle of worship as their highest goal and who are being equipped to serve and to extend the Kingdom of God to the Southside of Atlanta and the world.

Beliefs
Our Authority and Constituion

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and inerrant in all its original documents. It is our ultimate authority for faith and practice. We are members of the Presbyterian Church in America. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America, which is subject to and subordinate to the Bible, consists of its doctrinal standards set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith, together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and the Book of Church Order, comprising the Form of Government, the Rules of Discipline and the Directory for Worship; all as adopted by the Church.

Doctrine
  1. We believe the Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error. The Bible is the revelation of God’s truth and is infallible and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20)
  2. We belong to the Presbyterian Church in America denomination. Therefore, we adhere to the following documents as our constitutional and doctrinal standards which are subordinate to the Bible: The Westminster Confession of Faith, The Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and the Book of Church Order.
  3. We believe in the Holy Trinity. There is one God, who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Mt. 28:19; 1 John 1:1; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 17:5)
  4. We believe that all people are sinners and totally unable to save themselves from God’s displeasure, except by His mercy. (Ephes. 2:1-6; Rom. 8:5-8; Col. 2:13)
  5. We believe that salvation is by God alone as He sovereignly chooses those He will save. His choice is based on His grace, not on any human individual merit, or foreseen faith. (John 3:3-5; Ephes. 1:4,5,11; Titus 3:5
  6. We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who will trust in Him, alone, for salvation. (Is. 53:5,6; Gal. 3:13; Rom. 3:24,25a)
  7. We believe that God is gracious and faithful to His people, not simply as individuals but as families in successive generations according to His Covenant promises. (Ex. 20:5,6; Acts 2:39)
  8. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people and gives them the strength and wisdom to trust Christ and follow Him. (Titus 3:5; John 3:3-5; Acts. 1:8; Ephes. 1:13,14; 3:14-19; 1 Cor. 1:24,30)
  9. We believe that Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to judge all mankind and to receive His people to Himself. (Mt. 24:30,31; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Rev. 1:7-10; 20:12; 22:12-15)
  10. We believe that all aspects of our lives are to be lived to the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17)
The Church
  1. We adhere to the Presbyterian Church in America’s Book of Church Order in church governance, discipline, and worship.
  2. We believe God created the visible church to be the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on the earth. God gave the church elders and deacons as officers of the local church. These offices are to be held by qualified men. (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Acts 6:1-6)
  3. We believe Jesus instituted church discipline to be practiced by the local church. (Mt. 18, Gal. 6:1, and 1 Cor. 6:1-13)
Marriage and Sexuality
  1. We believe that God made human beings biologically male or female, therefore, these are the only two genders in humanity. (Gen. 1:27,28; Col. 3:10; Ephes. 4:24)
  2. We believe man and woman are created in the image of God and equal in value and status before God. (Gen. 1:27,28; Gal. 3:28; 1 Peter 3:7)
  3. We believe the Bible teaches a complementarian view of men and women and their roles within the family and church. We affirm that the Danvers Statement is a Biblically Faithful document. (Gen 2:18, 21-24; 1 Cor 11:7-9; 1 Tim 2:12-14; Ephes. 5:21-33; Col. 3:18-19; Titus 2:1-5)
  4. We believe that marriage is to be exclusively between one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Mt. 19:5; Ephes. 5:31; 1 Cor. 1:16)
  5. We believe sex was created by God to be celebrated and enjoyed exclusively within the marriage covenant. (Prov. 5:15-19; 1 Cor. 7:2,3; Heb. 13:4)
  6. We believe cohabitation, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all other forms of sexual immorality are violations of God’s commandments and therefore sinful. (Lev. 18:20-22; Ephes. 5:5; 1 Cor. 6:9,10; 1 Tim. 1:8-11)
  7. We believe once a person becomes a Christian, he/she is a new creature in Christ. Therefore, he/she is no longer defined by or under the power of former sinful identities, thoughts or practices. We believe sanctification involves the process of regularly putting on the new self in Christ and putting all sins to death. We affirm that the Nashville Statement is a Biblically Faithful document. (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:6,7,12-14; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Col. 5:3)
Sanctity of Life
  1. We believe in the sanctity of human life, therefore, homicide, abortion, suicide, infanticide, and senicide are violations of the sixth commandment and sinful. (Ex. 20:13; Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5; 1 Cor. 6:19,20)
  2. We believe all sins can be forgiven if there is repentance and trust in Jesus Christ and His work alone for salvation. (Luke 5:32; 24:46,47; John 6:40; 14:6; Acts 2:29; Rom. 5: 1,2; 10:9-13; Ephes. 2:8,9; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:25; 2 Peter 3:9)
CLPC Core Values
Doctrine
  • We believe the Bible to be inerrant, infallible, authoritative, and necessary for providing instruction and guidance for every aspect of the Christian life.
  • We believe in teaching reformed theology in a winsome way. Reformed theology glorifies God and brings greater assurance to believers.
  • We hold to the constitution of The Presbyterian Church in America: the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and the Book of Church Order. These documents remain subject to the Scriptures as the supreme authority.
  • Sound biblical theology is essential for healthy Christian growth and equips believers to live and handle the challenges of life in a sinful world.
  • We agree with and heartily embrace the official Vision and Belief statements of the PCA as it is stated on our denominational website.
  • We believe the preaching and teaching of the Scriptures, prayer, the sacraments, fellowship and worship are the means by which God has given believers to grow in grace. Programs and methods of ministry will be supportive of these means.
Worship
  • We believe mankind was created to worship God and that worship is our highest calling.
  • The believer is called to a lifestyle of worship giving glory to God in all thoughts, words, and deeds.
  • We seek to honor the Lord’s Day and to promote God-centered and Christ-honoring worship that contains a logical liturgy and presentation of the gospel. Our worship will be a balanced blend of the best and most scripturally sound contemporary and traditional hymns and spiritual songs, along with the singing of psalms.
  • We are committed to emphasizing the importance of family worship, and when there is a Christian father present, to equip him to be the sacrificial and loving spiritual head of his household.
Growth
  • We believe in the efficacy of prayer based on our Lord’s model prayer in Mt. 6:9-13. We believe both individual and corporate prayer must be an integral and active part of everything we do.
  • Christ and His gospel must be emphasized in every sermon and lesson. The gospel of justification by grace through the finished work of Christ alone is not only necessary for people to come to salvation, but also for believers to grow in sanctification. We are committed to the whole gospel with an emphasis on the doctrine of double imputation (to save and to sanctify.)
  • We believe the gospel of God’s grace and the believer’s union with Christ is the basis and motivation for Christian growth and ministry.
  • We are committed to see believers grow in worship, love, service, obedience and personal purity. This spiritual growth cannot occur in the believer apart from the daily applying of the benefits of union with Christ.
  • In fulfillment of our covenantal vows we are committed to a children’s and youth ministry that assists parents in the spiritual nurture of their children. The primary focus of these ministries will be on Bible teaching, scripture memorization, catechizing, discipleship, and outreach, in the context of fellowship and activity.
  • We seek to emphasize biblical stewardship as a part of Christian discipleship and growth. To be wise stewards of God’s resources we are committed to paying off our building loan and remaining debt-free in all future ministry projects.
Community
  • We believe the visible expression of the invisible church is the local church. Membership and involvement in the local church is essential for spiritual growth. The great commission has been given to the local church to fulfill.
  • We see the importance of every believer being involved in the community and fellowship of the church through Sunday school and small groups. We desire to promote a community of believers bound together in covenant through their fellowship with Christ and each other.
  • God has given believers spiritual gifts and natural talents to be used in the context of the local church to serve others. We are committed to seeing every believer and member of Carriage Lane find their spiritual gift(s) and using them in service to the Lord and His church.
  • Our desire is to be a church that ministers to believers of all ages and reflects the demographics of our community. We see the value and importance of people being taught and gathering according to age groups and stages of life, but we also see the biblical warrant for older, mature believers teaching younger believers. Therefore, when possible, we will promote multi-generational service, fellowship, and worship.
  • We are committed to unity and peace in the body of Christ. Therefore, we will pray toward this end and seek the fruit of the Spirit found in Gal. 5, and the qualities of agape love found in 1Cor. 13. We will seek to treat each other as God has treated us – with mercy and compassion. We are committed to building loving relationships characterized by grace. We believe the Christian life is a life of continual repentance of sin and faith in the finished work of Christ. Therefore, we will keep short accounts in our relationship with God and each other. We will be quick to confess, forgive, and reconcile when there is conflict and sin.
  • We believe one of the important marks of a healthy church is church discipline according to Mt. 18:15-17. We believe that all believers should exercise loving church discipline with each other when necessary. The elders are committed to maintaining the peace and purity of the church and the restoration of erring believers through loving church discipline.
  • We believe the Scriptures teach a complementarian view of men and women and their biblical roles and responsibilities in the church and home; no position is inferior or secondary in nature. Therefore, we seek to promote and encourage men and women to use their gifts in their God ordained functions.
  • We fully endorse the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
  • We place a high value on leadership training. Therefore we will identify and develop future leaders of the church through instruction and mentoring.
Witness
  • We are committed to reaching our community with the gospel. We are committed to working with other like-minded evangelical churches toward this end.
  • We strive to equip believers at Carriage Lane to share the message of the gospel with their neighbors, and to reach out to them with deeds of love and mercy. We also seek to minister to the needs of our community through involvement and support of local mercy ministries.
  • We believe an important part of fulfilling the great commission is accomplished through church planting. We desire to plant at least one like-minded PCA church on the Southside of Atlanta every five years.
  • We strive to extend the Kingdom of our Lord to our area and to the world. Therefore, we will be a mission’s focused church committed to sending individuals and teams from within our body, and supporting other missionaries who will implement gospel ministry and support the growth of Presbyterian and reformed churches.

Officers And Staff