First Metropolitan Community Church

Website: www.firstmcc.com

Services: 11 a.m.

Worship Style: Contemporary

Average Sunday Attendance: 150

Minister: Rev. T. Paul Graetz, senior pastor

Denomination Affiliation: Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

Mission statement:

"First Metropolitan Community Church is a progressive community of faith with a message of compassion, inclusion and empowerment."

History:

The church is celebrating its 40th anniversary, having opened in Atlanta in 1972 in a movie theater in Virginia-Highlands. In the early 1990s, members moved into the current location, the same building where "The Sound of Music" debuted in Atlanta.

Pastor's path:

In ministry more than 30 years, Graetz has served congregations in Kenya, Tanzania, India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Holland, the Bahamas and Mexico as well as the U.S. He was licensed in 1978 as an Assemblies of God pastor and transferred his credentials to the Metropolitan Community Churches denomination in 1992. He served as senior pastor of All God's Children MCC in Minnesota from 1993-2000, before joining First MCC in Atlanta in July 2000.

The pastor attended Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, ND, with post graduate studies at North Central University in Minneapolis, MN, and earned degrees in Theology, Sacred Music and Cultural Communications. He is a few months away from completing his doctorate from Emerson Theological Institute in California.

One of his passions is to help pastors prepare for ministry. He's been a field instructor for United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, and director of the Dar es Salaam Bible Institute in Tanzania, working with potential pastors in training.

Another passion is to help his diverse congregation draw closer to God.

"Between racial, socio-economic, gender, sexual orientation, it's amazing how diverse this congregation is. It's said that 11 o'clock on Sunday is the most segregated hour in America. That's not true here."

"I've lived around the world -- Africa, India, Hong Kong, and ministered in Mexico and the Caribbean. With that, I have more of a global background, experiencing people coming to God from all different backgrounds and cultures," said Graetz. "I'm humbled and honored that I'm in a congregation where I can put those things to work."

Ministries:

Each Sunday, services begin with an offering collected for a particular project. "We are really invested in living out our faith as a compassionate congregation," said Graetz.

For five years members have served dinner to the homeless each Wednesday evening, also distributing clothing, toiletry items, helping with finding employment and lending an ear to those in need.

On Fridays, the church's food ministry distributes groceries to the homeless and those going through temporary struggles. Marta bus and train passes are given out, when available, to folks who need help getting to and from work, job interviews, and doctor appointments. As many as 100 family units have been served in one day.

In the fall, a collection of coats, blankets and sleeping bags is taken, and last year 85 sleeping bags were given to homeless individuals.

A partnership with Mt. Clair Elementary School gives children from financially challenged families filled backpacks when school starts, teddy bears and books at Christmas, and uniforms.

Church members also support an orphanage in Zimbabwe that serves about 200 children orphaned due to HIV and AIDS.

The church has become as a community center, with 500 people walking through the doors each week, according to the pastor. Organizations that use the First MCC facility include the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, theater and art groups, community organizations, and classes in computer and language training.

"Part of our passion is to give back to the community, and opening our building seven days a week. We're not just a church doing things for itself," said Graetz. "We want to help empower the community."

Thoughts from the pastor:

"For 30 years now, I've signed off on letters, correspondence and emails with 'God's best is yours if you reach for it. Let's reach for it together.' That's been my motto. There's so much for us to reach for, and as a pastor and a leader, I'm trying to help people reach for the very best for their lives. I've been here 12 years, and these have been some of the most rewarding of my life."