Special Feature
Growing up, the stained glass windows at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church (MBPC) were as iconic an image of home to me as the Old Mill House across from Jemison Park. I attended preschool at MBPC, and my children attend today. I remember being small, sitting in the chapel and staring up at the rising organ pipes and the bright windows. 
When I was small, the windows were bright and shining. I didn’t understand the stories they told, but I understood the feeling they gave me. It’s a feeling that is replicated every time I step into the sanctuary today, only now, perhaps it’s muted. Some of that is the result of the intervening years – a five-year-old’s sense of wonder isn’t something that can be fully replicated as an adult. But some of it is simply physical. The coverings on the exterior of the windows – lovingly installed 40 years ago to protect them – have significantly aged. The windows themselves are as they ever were- vibrant, proud and inspiring. But they are dim. The protective coverings have yellowed and weathered, and the windows – crafted to catch the light – are no longer allowed to shine as they are meant to do. 
And so, it’s now time for our community to step up and restore these windows to their original beauty. These very windows have been inspiring the community to band together in one way or another for nearly 80 years. Originally, the windows were installed when the church was in downtown Birmingham, on the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue North and 18th Street. Installation began in 1947 and was completed in 1959. Ten years later, after Red Mountain Expressway was built and much of the congregation moved “over the mountain,” the church moved to its current location on Brookwood Road. They built their new sanctuary around the stained glass windows, painstakingly brought from their building on Sixth Avenue. On September 21, 1969, the completed structure was formally dedicated with worship, and the vibrant windows depicting the life of Christ we’ve all seen when driving down Brookwood Road, proudly stood as a symbol of faith and community.
The church is raising the funds necessary to replace the current coverings with new, clear coverings that will allow the windows to display their true glory. But they need our help.
Whether you attend the church or not, this place is a central part of our community. To help them reach their budget of $250,000 to restore the windows, click here or visit in person at the church office at 3405 Brookwood Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223.
-Ann McEwen
