American Church in Paris
American Church in Paris | |
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Église américaine de Paris | |
![]() Street view of the American Church in Paris from the Quai d'Orsay | |
48°51′44.0″N2°18′23.7″E/ 48.862222°N 2.306583°E | |
Location | Paris |
Country | France |
Denomination | Interdenominational |
Website | acparis.org |
History | |
Former name(s) | American Chapel in Paris |
Founded | 1814 |
Dedication | 1931 |
Architecture | |
Style | 15th century Gothic |
Groundbreaking | March 1, 1926 |
Completed | September 6, 1931 |
Specifications | |
Capacity | 600 (main level), 100 (balcony) |
Clergy | |
Senior pastor(s) | Rev. Dr. Paul Rock |
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TheAmerican Church in Paris(formerly theAmerican Chapel in Paris) was the first American church established outside the United States. It traces its roots back to 1814, and the present church building - located at 65 Quai d'Orsay in the7th arrondissementofParis,France - dates to 1931.
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Temple_protestant_de_l%27Oratoire_du_Louvre_2.jpg/300px-Temple_protestant_de_l%27Oratoire_du_Louvre_2.jpg)
In 1814, American Protestants started worshiping together in homes around Paris and at the Oratoire du Louvre temple.[2]The first American sanctuary was built in 1857, on rue de Berri.[3]
The American Church in Paris was then, as now, an independent interdenominational fellowship, for all those adhering to the historic Christian tradition as expressed in theApostles' Creed.It served both theAmerican expatcommunity, and a wide variety of other English-speaking people from different countries and denominational backgrounds.
Today
[edit]The American Church, or ACP,[4]continues to minister to many Anglophone Protestants in Paris, with multicultural programming, and a congregation coming from some 40 nations and 35 Christian denominations.
The congregation is led in worship by the senior pastor, associate pastor, youth pastor and a retired guest pastor who handles weddings.[citation needed]Its staff is also diverse in terms of background and denomination. It is run by a church council represented by a committee ofministriesnamely: Communications, Community Life, Christian Education, Development and Property, Finance andStewardship,Human Resources, Membership andEvangelism,Mission Outreach, and Worship andMusic.The building hosts two bilingualnursery schools,a variety oftwelve-step programrecovery groups,fitnessclasses,kung fu,basketball leagues, a free concert series, and an ad board for housing and job opportunities. Many more community-based services are housed in the church building.
The closestmétrostation isInvalides
Gallery
[edit]- The church spire and theEiffel Tower
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The distinctive green spire of the American Church in Paris in front of the base of the Eiffel Tower
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The Eiffel Tower with the church spire on the right from thePont Alexandre III
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A close-up view of the spire from theInvalides bridge,with the Eiffel Tower in the background
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The spire, center, as seen from theInvalides bridge
- Views of the Church
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The church entrance from Quai d'Orsay
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The courtyard, with the parish house on the right and the sanctuary on the left
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The altar and organ
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Interior
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Cochran 1931,Chronological record.
- ^"L'Eglise de l'Oratoire Saint Honoré ou du Louvre".Oratoire du Louvre(in French). n.d.Retrieved14 February2015.
- ^Cochran 1931,Chapter V.
- ^"Welcome to the ACP — A Beacon on the Seine since 1857".The American Church in Paris.Retrieved1 December2022.
Sources
[edit]- Cochran, Joseph W. (1931).Friendly Adventurers a Chronicle of the American Church of Paris (1857-1931).Paris: Brentano's.ASINB000J0NSKA.Archived fromthe originalon September 12, 2018.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)