About Us
History of First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh, NC
Our church was organized on
Sunday, January 21, 1816, in the Old North Carolina State House on Capitol
Square with about 40 adults and children present. The Reverend Dr. William
McPheeters became the first pastor.
The new congregation erected a brick meeting house of colonial design in
1818 on the southwest corner of Salisbury and Morgan Streets at Capitol
Square. This original structure was used for 80 years until it was razed
to make room for the present sanctuary, which was completed about 1900.
When fire destroyed the original State Capitol in 1831, the North Carolina
Supreme Court met in the Session House of First Presbyterian Church until
the present Capitol was completed in 1840.
This church experienced an unprecedented era of outreach and growth from
1908 until 1934, during the pastorate of Dr. William McC. White. When Dr.
White became pastor, First Presbyterian was the only Presbyterian Church
in Wake County, with 450 members. At his death in 1934, there were nine
organized Presbyterian churches in Wake County, with memberships totaling
over 2,200.
In 1956, during the pastorate of Dr. James Sprunt, the sanctuary was remodeled
in its present style.
Dr. Albert G. Edwards began his ministry here in 1958. During his 28-year
pastorate, midweek services were introduced and a television ministry was
begun, drawing a large viewer congregation throughout Eastern North Carolina.
Dr. Edwin W. Stock, Jr. was installed as pastor in 1988. His pastorate saw
considerable development of the organizational stability of the congregation
and the approval by the congregation of a multi-million dollar Capital Funds
Campaign for new and expanded facilities. Construction began on the new
building in April, 2000, and the building was dedicated in April, 2001.
Dr. Stock retired at the end of 2002. The church then called Dr. Ed McLeod,
whose ministry with First Presbyterian Church began in August of 2004.
Our Mission Statement top >
"Serving Christ from the heart of the city to the ends of the earth with love, faith, and action."
Since 1816, First Presbyterian
Church has served God and God's people from the center of Raleigh. The congregation's
ongoing mission is stated in this description of our church: "A Christ-centered
Downtown Church Committed to Knowing and Sharing His Love."
First Presbyterian Church offers a warm and cordial welcome and urges you
to take part in the life of our congregational family.
Our invitation extends to all who seek the forgiving experience of God's
love; to all who love Christ and seek His presence; to young and old, rich
and poor, saint and sinner. This church offers the ministry of the Lord
Jesus Christ to anyone who desires to learn obedience to God's will and
find strength to live in faith, love, and peace.
One of our pastors, officers, or members will be happy to visit with you
to answer your questions and to help you with arrangements should you desire
to join First Presbyterian Church.
We receive new members in the following ways:
- Profession of Faith (for those who have never previously joined a church),
- Transfer of Letter (for persons transferring from any sister congregation),
- Reaffirmation of Faith (for those who have become inactive and want to renew their church commitment), and
- Affiliate Membership (for persons who are living in this community temporarily and want to establish a relationship with this local congregation).
Contact the church office by
calling 821–5750, or send an email message to
if you need information about joining First Presbyterian church.
What We Believe top >
Presbyterianism
We are a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a church with roots
in the Protestant Reformation. We affirm the sovereignty of God, the Lordship
of Jesus Christ and central importance of the Scriptures in shaping our
lives and our life together. In our governance and in our theology, we are
guided by a two-part constitution: the Book of Confessions and the
Book of Order. The Book of Confessions is a collection of
creeds, catechisms and theological statements, rooted in Scripture, which
help us understand who God is, and how we are to live as God's people.
The Book of Confession comprises the following creeds, catechisms,
and statements of faith:
- The Nicene Creed
- The Apostles’ Creed
- The Scots Confession
- The Heidelberg Catechism
- The Second Helvetic Confession
- The Westminster Confession of Faith
- The Larger Catechism
- The Shorter Catechism
- The Theological Declaration of Barmen
- The Confession of 1967
- A Brief Statement of Faith–Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
While the Book of Order
is largely concerned with organization and order, it also reminds us why
the church exists. The first chapter affirms that the great ends of the
church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the
maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion
of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to
the world.
For more information about Presbyterianism, see the Presbyterian Church
(USA) www.pcusa.org.
Baptism
As Protestants, Presbyterians observe two sacraments: the Sacrament of Baptism
and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (communion). As Presbyterians,
we commonly practice infant baptism, although we allow those who accept
Christ as adults to be baptized if they so choose. We recognize baptisms
performed by other Christian denominations and do not require "re-baptism"
of persons who convert to Presbyterianism. Nor do we require baptism in
the Presbyterian Church as a prerequisite for taking communion during one
of our worship services.
We believe that baptism is an outward and visible sign of the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, given by God to the church to assure us of God's love
and help us to be faithful. Through the sacrament of infant baptism, we
are accepted into the fellowship of Christ’s church and we become
members of the family of God. The sacrament of baptism always takes place
in the presence of the community of faith, that is, during a worship service.
Adult baptism: Baptism is available to adults and youth
(usually over 12 years of age) upon profession of faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. You may speak to one of the ministers at any time to receive information,
counseling, or to schedule a baptism.
Infant baptism: We believe that in baptism, we are responding
to grace, which has already been given to us by God in Christ Jesus. In
presenting their children for baptism, parents are responding to that grace
on their children's behalf. When the pastor performs the sacrament of infant
baptism, the parents are asked to promise to raise their children to know,
love and serve the Lord. The congregation joins the parents in pledging
to support the child and thus to share the parents' responsibility for the
child’s spiritual development.
The Role of Elders and
Deacons
The Presbyterian Church believes in representative governance for the church.
According to the Book of Church Order, "One responsibility of
membership in the church is the election of officers who are ordained to
fulfill particular functions.. . . These ordained officers differ from other
members in function only."
The Presbyterian Church has kept the following three church offices that
are mentioned in the New Testament: presbyters (from the Greek word
for "elders")––which include the office of ministers
of the Word and Sacrament (pastors) and the office of elder––and
deacons.
Elders meet
our Elders >
The Old Testament of the Bible tells of how the people of God were governed
by elder statesmen. Similarly, in the New Testament, the Church invited
those with particular gifts––for teaching, preaching, ministering
to others––to share in the governance and mission of the church.
Elders are chosen by the members of the congregation. Together with the
pastors, they share in the leadership, governance, and discipline of the
church. They are largely responsible for the life of a particular church
as well as the church at large. This responsibility extends to those of
other faiths. They serve faithfully as members of the session, which governs
a particular (individual) church.
Persons of strong faith, firm dedication, and good judgment should be selected
to be elders in the church. They should demonstrate the Christian gospel
in the living of their daily lives. They represent the church in the world
and are charged with strengthening and nurturing the faith and life of their
congregation. Together with the pastor, they should:
- encourage the people in the worship and service of God,
- equip and renew them for their tasks within the church and for their mission in the world,
- visit and comfort and care for the people, with special attention to the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the oppressed.
Elders should bring to the attention
of the pastor and the session any persons or other concerns of the church
that need special attention. They assist in worship and should cultivate
their ability to teach the Bible. Selected elders may be authorized by the
presbytery to administer the Lord’s Supper. The Christian duties of
love are the particular domain of elders.
Deacons meet
our Deacons >
The office of deacon is set forth in Scripture as one of sympathy, witness,
and service, following the example of Jesus Christ. Persons of spiritual
character and honest repute, who lead exemplary lives, spread brotherly
and sisterly love, possess affection and warmth, and display sound judgment
should be chosen for this office.
The first duty of deacons is to minister to those in need, to the sick,
to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress, both within and beyond
the community of faith. They perform other duties delegated to them by the
session, such as leading the people in worship through prayers of intercession,
reading the Scriptures, taking up offerings, and assisting with the ritual
of the Lord’s Supper.
