Our History

Our Past.......

Whitfield Presbyterian Church was founded in 1952 by Dr. Ben Bowman. Dr. Bowman was passionate about ministry to the elderly and handicapped. With this passion and with a great deal of creativity and insight into the culture of the day, he developed one of the world's first “Drive-In” churches.

In the 1960's and 1970's this out of the box vision flourished. Worship attendance averaged around 800, reaching close to 1000 on Easter and Christmas.

1960's Drive in Church

Beginning in the late 1970's and early 80's, with the popularity of the Television, Dr. Bowman's original vision began to become outdated. Membership and worship attendance began to decline as the elderly and handicapped simply stayed home and watched worship on their TV sets.