Location: Durham, N.C.

Presbytery: Great Lakes-Gulf

Organization: 1998

Membership: 38 communicant; 8 baptized

Pastor: Kent Butterfield

Website: www.firstrpcdurham.org

First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham began when the current pastor, Kent Butterfield, queried the Southern Church Extension Committee of the Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery about starting a new RPCNA work in that city. The first exploratory worship service was held in his living room in Jan. 1997. The work was organized as a mission church of the RPCNA in July 1997 as Triangle RPC. Triangle RPC was organized as a congregation on Feb. 28 of the following year.

In Feb. 2008, the name of the congregation was changed to First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham. In Apr. 2012, Pastor Kent Butterfield was installed as pastor. The congregation is grateful to be led by two provisional elders—Bob Bibby (Lafayette, Ind., RPC) and Pastor Shawn Anderson (Sycamore [Kokomo, Ind.] RPC)—who serve on the session in addition to Pastor Butterfield. We rejoice that, in God’s providence, the congregation elected two ruling elders—Eric Hallfors and Drew Poplin—in Jan. 2021.

Our meeting place, 1316 Watts Street, is situated near Duke University and downtown Durham. Since her organization, First RPC continues to minister to the greater Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) area.

Ministry at FRPCD has continued through the pestilence of the coronavirus. We gather each Lord’s Day for worship in the morning and evening. Over the past year, Pastor Butterfield has concluded a series through the Gospel of Mark and a series on Presbyterian government. He is now preaching through the Psalter, with an alternating series through Philippians by intern/elder Drew Poplin. Following morning worship, the congregation eats lunch and fellowships together, and then remains together for Sabbath school, currently working through the Westminster Confession of Faith. Concurrent with the primary Sabbath school class is a class on biblical doctrine for those interested in church membership.

After the class hour, members will spend the afternoon in one another’s homes fellowshiping and ministering to one another. We then gather back together to conclude the Sabbath with our evening Bible study and prayer meeting. Drew Poplin recently finished a study through the book of Daniel, and we are now in the book of Exodus. Each Wednesday evening, we also gather for our midweek Bible study and prayer meeting.

Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Life during a pandemic has certainly brought this truth to light in the life of First RPC Durham. In the midst of many transitions, the loss of jobs, the birth of children, congregational growth, and difficult seasons, we continue to grow more and more in what it means to care for one another in both body and soul. Whether it is taking one another a meal, visiting together, helping the unemployed with bills, regularly praying for one another, or meeting a need as we see it, our desire is to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). We seek to do this not only within the congregation, but also without by caring for our neighbors, demonstrating hospitality, and witnessing boldly and broadly. As a part of our outreach, we also utilize our meeting place to be a truck stop for the Produce Box, a locally sourced agriculture distribution company (of which one of our members is an employee), as well as for the meetings of the regional classical guitar society (of which our intern is a board member).

As we look back, we rejoice at how the Lord has preserved First RPC Durham, how He has clearly answered so many of our prayers, and how He has grown us in both grace and number. As we look around, we delight in what the Lord is doing in and among us. And as we look forward, we desire that God would continue to glorify Himself, grow us in sanctification, and advance His kingdom.

Prayer Requests

Pray for our congregation that God would bless the session as the two newly elected ruling elders begin to serve; that God would bless the Understanding Biblical Doctrine class for those interested in church membership; that we would witness to our neighbors here in Durham, and that the Lord would bring many to salvation; and for continued growth in love, faith, unity, and sanctification.