On West Cornwallis Road in Durham, North Carolina, a stone sanctuary has gathered Lutherans for worship since 1968, but the congregation itself stretches back to 1922, when twelve charter members organized the first Lutheran church in the city. St. Paul's Lutheran Church today is a Reconciling in Christ congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, known for its traditional Lutheran liturgy celebrated twice every Sunday, two celebrated pipe organs, an active music program, a half-day preschool, and a deep tradition of lay-led ministry that extends from Sunday school classrooms into Durham neighborhoods.

A Mission Church That Built Itself

St. Paul's was organized in 1922 by the Lutheran Synod of North Carolina as a Mission congregation. Worship that first year was small but determined, with twelve charter members laying the groundwork for what would become Durham's first Lutheran church. The congregation built its first church in 1929, and by 1943 it had reached the milestone of being self-supporting. The first service in the present sanctuary was held on October 6, 1968, on the West Cornwallis Road site where the church still gathers today.

Throughout its history, St. Paul's has maintained an active social ministry program within the parish and the wider community, and the congregation has always fully supported the Synod's benevolence budget. Members from many different geographical, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds have enriched the church's Christian experience together. The congregation is governed by a Congregational Council elected by the congregation itself, and lay leadership remains central to every area of parish life.

Two Pipe Organs in One Sanctuary

St. Paul's is unusual among parish churches in owning two fine pipe organs, both of which are used regularly for worship and musical performances. The story of the organs begins in 1965, when the congregation decided that a new building should provide both the space and the acoustical characteristics needed for a pipe organ. A decade later, with financial assistance from the Lineberger Foundation, the church purchased one of seven small organs being built by John Brombaugh & Co. Brombaugh, a Lutheran himself, installed and voiced the one-manual organ in the balcony in 1977. As Fenner Douglass, Duke University organist and organ consultant, noted at the time, the instrument created new possibilities in the community: there was now a Durham church with the right acoustics and the right organ where the heritage of Lutheran music could be heard.

By 2003, the congregation had hired its first full-time minister of music and learned that the Wolff organ at St. Thomas' Church in Hanover, New Hampshire was available for purchase. A group of members led by Doug and Fran Whitfield enabled St. Paul's to acquire it while keeping the much-loved Brombaugh instrument. The balcony had to be strengthened to accommodate additional weight, but the existing ceiling lines framed the Wolff organ naturally. Hellmuth Wolff and his associates supervised the installation and voicing, returning for the dedication in January 2004. Today the Brombaugh Opus 23 (1977) sits at the front of the sanctuary and the Wolff & Associés Ltée Opus 17, now known as the Whitfield Memorial Organ, occupies the balcony. The Whitfield Memorial Organ is dedicated in memory of Wilbur Willis Whitfield and Marjorie Lyon Whitfield.

The Pattern of Worship

Two Sunday services are offered, at 8:30 am and 11:00 am. Both follow the Lutheran liturgical service, an ancient pattern that has been the form of worship since soon after the time of Christ. The service moves from the Prelude and Confession and Forgiveness through the Service of the Word, with its readings, Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, sermon, and Creed, into the Service of the Meal, with its Preface, Sanctus, Thanksgiving at the Table, Lord's Prayer, and Communion. The congregation reads the lessons from the Revised Common Lectionary on its three-year cycle, and the prayers reflect the rich treasury of the church's heritage. Holy Communion is celebrated at both services every Sunday, and all are welcome to receive the sacrament. The congregation uses bread and red wine, with gluten-free wafers and grape juice available.

The 11:00 am service is livestreamed and recorded each Sunday, allowing members and friends to join from home or while traveling. A recording archive of past services, funerals, and special events is available to watch online.

Music is woven into every element of the service. The volunteer-based Chancel Choir sings at the 11:00 am worship service throughout the academic year and at several special services. The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30 pm and on Sunday mornings at 10:30 in the Sanctuary. It is open to anyone ages 14 and up, and no previous choir experience is required. The Laudate Hand Bell Choir meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:15 pm in the sanctuary and performs on Christmas, Easter, and other festival Sundays; all skill levels are welcome.

All of Who You Are Is Welcome Here

St. Paul's is a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, openly welcoming and affirming LGBTQIA+ individuals and families. The congregation's Welcome Statement commits the church to welcoming, valuing, and including all of God's children regardless of race, culture, age, sexual orientation, gender expression, ability, appearance, or citizenship, and to racial equity. The phrase that gathers these commitments together has become the church's motto: All of who you are is welcome here.

For a first-time visitor, a few practical details help: parking is available anywhere on the lot, and on Sundays all major doors are unlocked at the beginning of services. The double doors under the canopy lead downstairs to an elevator and stairway up to the main hallway. Restrooms are located throughout the building and are handicap accessible, with a children's restroom between the two nursery classrooms downstairs and additional single rooms upstairs with baby changing stations. Coffee and fellowship in the narthex follow each service, providing an easy way to meet new people. The church is currently without a child care attendant during worship and is seeking someone to fill that role.

What Lutherans Believe

St. Paul's is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a national network of churches committed to sharing God's love and grace with all people. The Lutheran faith is a branch of Christianity born out of the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s and the reformer Martin Luther. Six essentials shape Lutheran identity at St. Paul's: God saves through grace, given as unmerited favor; we are redeemed not by our own good works but through faith in the saving works of Jesus Christ; the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the source of authority for faith and life; by Baptism we are initiated into the priesthood of all believers and called to be ministers to one another; God's grace and mercy come to us by way of the Holy Spirit; and we are called to serve, and by serving we show our gratitude to God.

Land Acknowledgement

The congregation acknowledges that the land upon which St. Paul's gathers has been playground and campground for many generations of people, including the Lumbee, Skaruhreh/Tuscarora, Cheraw, Catawba, Occaneechi, and Shakori Nations. Its waterways were their highways, its flora and fauna their banquet table, and its starry skies their canvas upon which their stories were painted. They cared for this land, and the church remembers their lives here with gratitude, giving thanks for all Indigenous peoples who continue to care for this land and to call it their home.

Children, Youth, and the Preschool

Children and youth meet downstairs on Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 am. Classroom time for children ages 3 through fifth grade takes place in Genesis Hall, while middle school and high school youth gather in the Youth Room from 9:45 to 10:30 am. Confirmation classes, called the Affirmation of Baptism for youth typically in grades 7 to 9, start with a retreat in September and follow a two-year cycle that includes instruction, worship, and outreach. A children's ministry called Elements gathers all kids in kindergarten through fifth grade every six weeks or so for a fun afternoon activity.

St. Paul's Preschool & PMO is a half-day early childhood program for children from 10 months through four years old. The preschool provides a play-based, developmentally appropriate learning environment for a positive first learning experience, in session from September through May, mornings from 9 am to 12 pm. The preschool offers quality Christian education that fosters learning and development for the youngest members of the church family.

Adults Growing Together

Adult Sunday School meets from 9:45 to 10:45 am in Trinity Hall or Whitesell Hall, with Biblical study and a variety of religious topics discussed over coffee and conversation. A separate Adult Bible Study gathers on Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:45 am in the Conference Room and by Zoom, with topics that vary. Classes run from September into May.

For adults seeking fellowship beyond the classroom, Young in Spirit meets on the second Wednesday of each month for road trips, pot-luck lunches, and speakers at the church. S.P.A.M., the St. Paul's Adult Ministry, gathers working adults once a month on a Friday evening or Saturday for fun activities that encourage fellowship and community. Women's Connection meets on the second Monday of the month at 7:15 pm at the church or a restaurant, with a mission to unify women, build caring community, and develop God-given gifts.

Care for the Grieving, the Hurting, and the Hungry

Growing Through Grief is a program of the Grief Coalition of area organizations and Christian churches that offers support and education to those who mourn. The group meets weekly on Tuesdays at St. Paul's and is open to all.

Stephen Ministers at St. Paul's are trained laypeople who offer distinctively Christian, one-on-one care, support, and friendship to those experiencing life difficulties, both within the congregation and the wider community. These difficulties may include the death of a loved one, a personal or family illness, depression, aging, financial hardship, loss of a job, miscarriage, or the birth of a child. Stephen Ministry is led at St. Paul's by Pastor Scott Anderson, Kim Hoke, and Nan Treul.

The Tongue & Thimble quilting group meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm to sew small and medium-size quilts for use in the children's intensive care units at Duke Hospital and a wide variety of other groups in need of warmth and comfort. They also sew baby caps and have begun making dresses for girls and shorts for boys distributed to areas in need. The Dropped Stitch fellowship group gathers on the fourth Friday afternoon of each month to knit and crochet prayer shawls for those in need of comfort, along with tiny hats for premature babies born in Triangle neonatal intensive care units and pocket prayer shawls small enough to keep in a pocket.

The Prayer Partner Ministry begins anew each September in a kind of secret-pal activity, with each participant drawing the name of another participant and beginning a year of praying for that specific person. There is only one meeting a year, in September, to draw a name and reveal who the previous partner was.

On the food side, the church continues to stock its shelf at Parktown Food Hub with dry boxed pasta through the Pasta for Parktown initiative led by the Women's Connection Group, supporting a ministry of South Durham Connections. Volunteers also serve monthly at the Urban Ministries of Durham Community Cafe, helping with meal prep and serving lunch.

Duke Lutherans on Campus

Duke Lutherans is an inclusive campus ministry of undergraduate and graduate students at Duke University, called to share God's gift of life together on campus, with local congregations, and throughout Durham. The group is sponsored and supported in part by St. Paul's, which appoints a Lutheran Campus Minister to serve the student members. The Associate Pastor at St. Paul's serves as the Duke Lutherans Campus Pastor, supporting a community of grace where all students are welcomed as beloved children of God.

Becoming a Member

St. Paul's encourages visitors and new members to participate in all of the church's activities. Membership signifies accepting God's invitation to nurture a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ, making a commitment to become interdependent with other members of the body of Christ, and affirming an intention to move forward on a journey of Christian growth and service. Members come through membership transfer from another ELCA congregation, through adult Baptism, or through the Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation) for youth in grades 7 to 9.

Serving in Worship and Beyond

Worship at St. Paul's is a shared experience. Volunteers serve as lectors who read scripture, ushers who greet and assist with seating, assisting ministers who lead prayers, altar guild members who prepare the altar and communion elements, and communion assistants who help distribute the sacrament.

The Wednesday Night Ministry offers an evening of food, fellowship, and celebration on certain Wednesdays. Supper is served at 6:00 pm, and during Advent or Lent worship is offered at 7:00 pm. All members and their guests are welcome to partake in this mid-week faith adventure.

Giving and Planned Gifts

Members and friends can give online through a secure credit, debit, or bank draft service, mail a check, or contribute in person during the offering at worship. For those wishing to make a long-term investment in the church's mission and ministry, St. Paul's provides guidance on wills, life insurance gifts, IRAs, charitable gift annuities, and charitable trusts, working with the ELCA Foundation to manage annuities and trusts.

The Staff and Council

Pastor Scott Anderson was called to St. Paul's in August 2012, after a previous career in sales and marketing and as Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Wake County. He holds an MDiv from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. Associate Pastor Amanda Highben has served as the Duke Lutherans Campus Pastor since 2020, was ordained in 2016, and holds an MA in Christian Education from Luther Seminary and an MDiv from Trinity Seminary. Vicar Steve Brick joins the ministry team for his one-year vicar internship while completing his Master of Divinity at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary; he is a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant and a 33-year law enforcement executive. The Minister of Music is Dave Durkop, the Preschool Director is Candace King, the Church Secretary is Heather Cain, and the Bookkeeper is Alan Rigsbee. The Congregational Council is led by Katie Benjamin as President, Ken Knudsen as Vice President, and Jonathan Hodges as Secretary, with treasurers Angela Maine and John Foreman.