The Presbyterian Church U.S. began an effort in May 1960 to organize a new Presbyterian church in the Cahaba Heights area, and Rev. Frank M. Barker, Jr. began contacting prospective members in a door-to-door campaign. Interest proved so encouraging that space was leased in a Cahaba Heights shopping center, where services began on June 15, 1960, and Briarwood Presbyterian Church was officially chartered on September 25, 1960. Rev. Barker was officially installed as the first pastor on October 23, 1960. The church's name came from the briars and woods prominent in the area. As it grew and needed more space, the church moved in September 1963 to a new location on Highway 280. As the congregation and its programs continued to grow, a new and larger facility was built on Altadena Road and dedicated on May 5, 1988. The church operates Briarwood Christian School and Birmingham Theological Seminary and supports local, national, and international missions. In December 1973, representatives from 260 congregations that had withdrawn from the Presbyterian Church U.S. met at the Highway 280 location and formed what is now The Presbyterian Church in America, PCA.