Covenant Presbyterian Church - Charlotte, NC

stained glass

Covenant's Storytelling Stained Glass Windows

The stained-glass windows in Covenant's Chapel and Sanctuary were designed to tell as much of the Christian story as possible in the beautiful art surrounding any visitor to the building. 

History & Background

Overview

The windows, created by the studios of Henry Lee Willet, bring out central themes of faith. Covenant's windows are organized into several groupings: In the Chapel, the three east windows portray the miracles of Jesus, while the four West windows depict Jesus' parables. The apse windows portray the Trinity. The gallery window portrays the righteous doing good works from the final judgment in Matthew.

In the Sanctuary, the four East nave windows relate highlights of the Old Testament. The four West nave windows depict the birth, early life and ministry of Jesus. The transept windows show the history of the Christian church and the service of this segment of the church; this group also includes the prayer and the psalm windows. The final group, in the three apse windows, portray the story of the passion, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

View a Two-Part Video presentation About Covenant's Windows Below

ARTS TASK FORCE SESSIONS

Covenant’s Arts Task Force invited the congregation to learn alongside them about the history of the figures in the church’s stained glass windows.


Covenant’s Arts Task Force has been working throughout the past months to better understand the history of our stained glass windows and the significance of those people depicted in them.

This valuable work has led to conversations about the history of the confederacy and its symbols and how to faithfully respond at this time in history.

  • April 14: During the first session, we heard from members of the task force about how the task force was formed and reports of what is included in our stained glass windows. Watch the first session.
  • April 21: During the second session, we heard from Dr. Karen Cox, Professor of History at UNCC, and author of the book “No Common Ground” about the use of symbols in the confederacy. 
  • April 28: During the third session, we learned how other institutions have responded to various images, names, and traditions in their organizations. Watch the final session.

Share your thoughts with the Arts Task Force.

Questions about Covenant's stained glass?

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