Brenthaven's History

Two Cumberland Presbyterian congregations, Brentwood and Brookhaven merged in October, 2003, forming the Brenthaven Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Each church had been witnessing to and serving their communities for more than 100 years and the merger was predicated upon the belief that the two congregations could be strengthened and provide a more effective witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in northern Williamson and southern Davidson counties.

Who Are Cumberland Presbyterians?

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is the third largest Presbyterian denomination and its beginning dates back to the period known as the "Great Awakening". An outgrowth of the Revival of 1800, the founders disagreed with the Presbyterian church on issues such as predestination and the educational requirements for ministers on the frontier. They believed the scriptures supported a "who-so-ever will" gospel with God's grace available to all who would accept it.

Three ministers founded the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1810 in a log cabin located in what is now Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson, Tennessee. The church grew rapidly, spreading the gospel in the expanding frontier and supplied ministers to meet the needs of the many pioneering families.

Today, the denomination supports various institutions including Bethel College in McKenzie, TN, Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN, and the Cumberland Presbyterian Children's Home in Denton, TX. The denomination hosts missionaries in various parts of the world. Cumberland Presbyterian churches are located throughout the United States and in a number of foreign countries.