This book is about the Old First Churches in the central business districts of American cities. The term Old First Church refers to a church characterized by a downtown location, members who are drawn from many sections of the city, and varied programs of activities that appeal to a wide range of people. More often than not, the name First (First Baptist, First Presbyterian, First Methodist, etc.) was chosen because it signified the first congregation of a particular denomination to be organized in the town. The material presented here is the result of a three-year study of more than three hundred downtown congregations in over one hundred cities across the country.