Why this historic Mountain Brook church is coming down + what’s next for the site

By the end of August, the historic Shades Valley Presbyterian Church (USA) will be demolished after 71 years in Mountain Brook.

However, when one door closes, another opens.

We spoke with members of Shades Valley Presbyterian Church to learn more about the church’s history, why the building will be demolished and what’s next for the site.

Shades Valley Presbyterian Church was founded in 1943

Built in 1953, Shades Valley Presbyterian Church has been the birthplace of countless memories for members of its congregation, such as longtime member Courtney Brown.

“I have been attending Shades Valley Presbyterian for 69 years. My parents brought me there when I was three years old, because the church had a nursery.

My parents taught Sunday School, and I taught Sunday School after them. I was married in the church and saw my children baptized there.”

Courtney Brown, Shades Valley Presbyterian Church (USA)

Located at 2305 Montevallo Road in Mountain Brook, the brick building featured ionic columns and a tall, colonial-style spire atop its bell tower.

Why did Shades Valley Presbyterian Church move?

Shortly after the arrival of Rev. Leanne Pearce Reed in 2017, Shades Valley Presbyterian became aware of a massive issue. The air conditioning system—original to the building—was beginning to fail, and replacement was going to be expensive.

The congregation sprang into action and gave generously to a capital campaign to fix the system.

However, due to several factors—the size of the congregation, the age of the congregation and the expense of maintaining the building—leaders in the church realized there was no viable way to stay in the building.

“That was a tough decision to make. We had raised the money to fix the air conditioning, but we wouldn’t have been able to make the budget of the church in two to three years.”

Rev. Leanne Pearce Reed, Shades Valley Presbyterian Church (USA)

Merging with Southminster Presbyterian Church (USA)

Following the decision to sell their home of nearly seven decades, the Shades Valley Presbyterian congregation began looking for a new home.

Southminster Presbyterian Church (USA) in Vestavia Hills quickly stood out for several reasons—especially the fact that Southminster was founded by members of Shades Valley Presbyterian back in the 1960s!

“The DNA of both churches is very familar. Southminster has very similar commitments to mission and style of worship.

Our shared roots helped a lot of people in both congregations. Some members have likened it to when the aging parents comes to live with their adult children.”

Rev. Leanne Pearce Reed, Shades Valley Presbyterian Church (USA)

The congregations of Shades Valley and Southminster formally merged in October 2022, with Rev. Leanne Pearce Reed and Rev. Dr. Tom Bryson serving as co-pastors.

“My mother told me that when churches merged, one would end up being the ‘step child.’ The merger of Shades Valley and Southminster has not been that way at all.

Their congregation has been so welcoming to all of us, and its such a perfect fit. I think we could be the poster child for Presbyterian Church mergers!”

Courtney Brown, Shades Valley Presbyterian Church (USA)

Every cloud has a silver lining

“At Shades Valley Presbyterian Church, the congregation believes that the resources entrusted to the church are meant for the mission of the church and the mission of God in the world.

We came to the conclusion that maintining a large building was not the best use of those resources, and that to be good stewards it would be better to put those resources to work.”

Rev. Leanne Pearce Reed, Shades Valley Presbyterian Church (USA)

Thanks to proceeds of the sale, Shades Valley Presbyterian was able to make generous gifts to further its missions, including:

• $150,000 to enable the building of additional tiny homes at Union Village on the campus of the Presbyterian Home for Children.
• $110,000 to purchase a vehicle to support rural health services, drill a deep well for clean drinking water and improve the hydroelectric system for The Good Shepherd Hospital in Congo.
• $50,000 to support family sponsorship and new home construction for Habitat for Humanity.
• $250,000 to support the Winsborough Living and Learning Center, a restoration of the historic Winsborough Hall at Stillman College.
• $190,000 to Firehouse Ministries to purchase furnishings, provide transportation services and help seed an endowment fund.
• $175,000 to Greater Birmingham Ministries to pay off its mortgage, freeing up budgets for staff and to add new programs.
• $150,000 to update the Shades Valley Lodge at Living River, a retreat on the Cahaba

In total, Shades Valley Presbyterian was able to make $1,075,000 in initial gifts.

The remaining funds from the proceeds were distributed into three endowed funds to help ensure the future of the merged Shades Valley and Southminster congregations.

What’s next for the Shades Valley Presbyterian campus?

With the help of Birmingham-based Graham & Company Commercial Real Estate, the Shades Valley Presbyterian congregation sold their church property to 2305 Montevallo Patrons, LLC.

Ingram New Homes, a new home development group with several communities in Birmingham, will be marketing and selling the Shades Valley Presbyterian property as three housing products:

• Chester Court, with 14 exquisite single-family homes
• A condominium complex known as The Frederick
• Three townhomes known as The Warren

Do you have fond memories of the Shades Valley Presbyterian Church? Tag us @bhamnow to share!