Also see Ralph Coonrad's History of WPC dated 2003 for WPC's 40 Anniversary
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Also see Photo Gallery

Westminster Presbyterian Church was organized by Granville Presbytery on June 30, 1963 in the old Hope Valley Elementary School. Frist Presbyterian contributed our communion set plus $1000 and dismissed 55 members to help form the new church. 42 families covenanted to form the new church and Charles Williams was called and installed as the first pastor.

The church was self-sustaining from the beginning.

The lots on which all our buildings sit were given to Westminster by Mrs. C.T. Council, Jr. In June 1967 The Education Building and Fellowship Hall were completed.

In 1972, WPC purchased the Kindergarten from Ethel Fishbaugh.

In the summer of 1972, Charles Williams received a call to a church in Bristol, Tennessee. Tim Kimrey served as Moderator and Interim Pastor until December 1973.

1974-80

Haywood Holderness was called from Grace Presbyterian of Mobile Alabama and installed as pastor in January 1974.

The Session decided to serve BOTH grape juice and wine at Communion.

In the Fall 1974 a number of WPC men led people from several other congregations in building a complete home for Mrs. Satterfield in East Durham.

Carol Van Hise was named director of the Kindergarten in 1975. The Preschool is fully certified and now operates at capacity of about 150 children.

In the summer of 1975 the congregation built a log cabin and later named it the Calhoon Cabin to honor Forrest Calhoon who led the congregation in the construction.

In 1975-77 the church wrote its own Sunday School curriculum. One year was based on Old Testament Stories and the next on New Testament Stories.

In 1976 Orange Presbytery had a special emphasis on Hunger and raised enough money to build a health and nutrition center in Mbuji Mai, Zaire. WPC, under the leadership of Do Cooper, responded by raising over $15,000 which made us one of the largest donors per capita in the Presbytery.

In 1977 a number of our men along with some others from Pilgrim UCC and the Durham Mennonite Fellowship built a new home for a needy, elderly couple in East Durham

Durham Congregations in Action was formed out of the Center City Church Council in 1976. Since then WPC has furnished important human leadership, financial support and volunteers for DCIA. (WPC gives more money to DCIA and her ministries than any other Durham congregation.) WPC was one of the leading congregations in Durham in raising funds to build the Urban Ministries Center which opened October 1985; WPC was the leading congregation in town raising funds to buy the Community Shelter for HOPE which was operated by the Durham Presbyterian Council.

1976-78, under the leadership of Sue Wilson, WPC sponsored a Vietnamese family of 13 people, during which time all were successfully assimilated into North American society. (all ten of the children eventually finished college in the US!)

Haywood served as president of DCIA in 1979 and again in 1980.

On Christmas Eve 1979, Steve and Carolyn Phelps and Sandra Lutz led us in having our first Moravian style Lovefeast.

Member deaths: Geraldine Shunk Hall (’76), John Fleming Wily, Jr (’78)

1981-1990

In 1980 WPC hired a part time Director of Christian Education, Angie George. She was succeeded by Sue McCaughan in 1983.

In 1981 the Church bought its first computer (Apple II).

On December 19, 1982 WPC began to have her annual Christmas Lovefeast on an Advent Sunday. This service has used WPC young people as servers and the NC Boys Choir for musical leadership. Lovefeast equipment was borrowed from Trinity Avenue Presbyterian until 1986 when Carolyn and Steve Phelps donated baskets, Karen Johnson made all the linens, and Bill Leaming made all the candle and mug trays.

In 1985 the congregation voted to build a Sanctuary. The total project cost was $1.2 MM. $750,000 was secured in pledges under the leadership of Ralph McCaughan; and ground was broken in summer of 1986 and the building was dedicated on August 30, 1987. Bo Harris chaired the Building Committee; LA Downey Construction Company built the facility.

In 1986, WPC purchased the two lots immediately south of our then current property.

After much research, in 1986 Marvin and Becky Walker led us in building a Memorial Garden which would be used as a resting place for cremains as well as a lovely outdoor site for meditation and weddings. Our first guest in the garden was Edna Cooper.

In 1988 the Session decided to offer the Intinction mode of communion at half our services. Later it was determined that Intinction would be used at all early services and at both services during the summer months.

In February 1988 Haywood, Sue McCaughan, Don Heagren and Gene Brannon spent two weeks being trained to become leaders for the Stephen Ministry Program. In the fall of ‘88 they started our first training class out of which 35 people were commissioned as Stephen Ministers in February 1989

In 1989, WPC, under the leadership of Nancy Proia adopted a Polish refugee family of five. By the end of 1990 they were self-supporting and independent.

In September 1989 the Session began to offer an 8:45 am service as well as an 11 am service.

On the Sunday after Labor Day in 1990 the Presbytery of New Hope installed Graham Patterson as our first Associate Pastor and we had our first annual Pig Pickin’. It was also on that Sunday that we used Graham as the excuse to ask everyone to begin wearing name tags.

Member deaths: George Addison Silver III (82), Dale Reginald Kline (83), Ethel Wynkoop Pritchard (84), Finley Tomlinson White (’85), Edna A. Brinkley (’86), Edna Ruth Cooper (’87), Samuel Shannon Wiley, Jan Walker Parks (’88), Alice Lorraine Montoya, Thomas Bradley Donahue, Dorothy P. Donahue (’89), Joan Crain Cowdery, Forrest Odell Calhoon, James C. Petrea (’90).

1991

• Our first Women’s Beach Retreat was led by Hazel Thornton.
• Kay Bailey created our handbell choir.
• 22 teenagers and adults, our first Mexico Mission team, spent two weeks in the Yucatan peninsula under the supervision of our Missionary, Don Wehmeyer.
• The General Assembly’s paper on human sexuality was published.
• We had our first home-grown musical. At the now-annual pig-pickin’ or "Celebration Sunday". "Paul and Company" was presented.
• Jack and Carol Walker led 50 of us in the renovation of the Dodie Matthews Home...
• The Phoenix House, a transitional home for formerly homeless men—which is now a national model for such ministries - was opened with a great deal of leadership from this congregation.
• Haywood was honored as the first recipient of the Elna B. Spaulding Community Service Award
   

Member Deaths: Kathryn Wallace, Delmar Ross Dennison

 

1992

• Haywood was given a summer sabbatical. Ann Hoch and Kat and Mark Achtemeier took over as interim pastors.
• We built our first Habitat House which involved about 130 of us.
• Heidi Warburton became the recipient of a new heart.
• We established our Sister Church relationship with Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
• That summer 20 adults and youth went on our first Appalachian Service Project.
• That summer we introduced the new Presbyterian Hymnal.
• Nancy Proia completed the two year project of resettling the Jakubowskis—a polish refugee family of 5 -- in our community.
• We hosted the first community Baccalaureate with the support of our four neighboring congregations.
• Celebration Sunday featured the musical, "100% Chance of Rain".
• A "Haywood Roast" was organized for the benefit of the Genesis Home. Over $30,000 was raised for that transitional home for families.

Member Deaths: Edward Oscar Parks

• Robertson Madill organized the Westminster Brass Ensemble
• We had our first Diversity Workshop
• In March we had our first Mexican Fiesta.
• At the 1993 Celebration we acknowledged Westminster’s 30^th birthday and had a lot of our charter members to return for the Picnic and the presentation of "Cool in the Furnace."
• In October Bill Graham resigned as Music Director to take a similar job at Asbury United Methodist Church. Kay Bailey was appointed to serve as the Interim Music Director, and the Session appointed a Search Committee under the leadership of Bill Bartholomay to find a full time Minister of Music.
• Don North and Board of Deacons organized our Shepherding Program.

1994

• In January WPC honored Haywood’s 20 years at Westminster by having a special offering for Habitat for Humanity, and on that one Sunday nearly $25,000 was given
• 12 WPC members became one of the first trained AIDS Care Teams in Durham.
• On August 28, Monica Umsteadt Rossman was installed as our first full-time Minister of Music
• We had our first summer mission trip to the District of Columbia.
• WPC officers began publicizing our critical need for more space for education, youth, music, fellowship and outreach.
• A classroom trailer was purchased and installed near back parking lot.
• On October 26, 1994 we had a very special birthday party to celebrate the first 100 years of Leroy Cooper.
• At the 1994 Celebration, we saw perhaps our most ambitious musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
• More than a half-million dollars in pledges were secured for the 1995 budget.

1995

• This was our Preschool Director’s 25^th year with us and much of that year was focused on Carol Van Hise’s fine and faithful ministry at Westminster.
• Ed Lilly spent 6 months as our Medical Missionary in Kenya.
• On April 2, 1995, your choir presented it’s first major concert: the Rutter Requiem...
• We hired our first part time Youth Pastor, Frank McNutt.
• Under the leadership of Andy Collins, we had the most WPC folks ever involved in the annual CROP Walk, and WPC won the Silver Sneaker Award for raising the 2^nd largest amount of money of all the more than 100 groups who took part in the Walk.
• The Session hired John Bush to do a feasibility study on whether or not we could hope to raise enough enthusiasm and money to build a new building. He concluded that with the proper amount of education and promotion, we might hope to raise as much as $1.3 million. And so, on September 10^th - celebration Sunday (as we enjoyed "100% Chance of Rain," we kicked off a $1.3 million capital campaign under the leadership of Kay Wellemeyer. Seven weeks later she announced that we had exceeded our ambitious goal by $200,000!

Member Deaths: Mary Carr, John Thomas Council, Jr., Francois Diane Warburton, Stephen Dorn Breitman, John Sherman Williams

1996

• An anonymous donor contributed $10,000 to establish The Westminster Fund, a permanent, endowment-like fund, the proceeds of which may be applied to Durham Community ministries which are supported by any Durham Presbyterian Church.
• In February, Haywood took a 12 day trip to Israel.
• In April the congregation approved the design of new education/youth/fellowship space as extensions of both ends of the Education Building. Initial cost estimates exceed $2.3 M. This would include upgrading the current building to code and running THE driveway behind the cabin back back up to Chapel Hill Road.
• In April, Graham Patterson announced that he would resign at the end of August to move to Richmond where his wife, Claudia, had accepted a call to serve as the Rector of the Church of the Holy Comforter (Episcopal). July 14 was his last day at work; at which time he was honored.
• In August contract was signed with CT Wilson Construction to double the size of our Education Building and other renovations. This $2.5 M project is expected to be completed by the end of September 1997.
• Betty Berghaus, a candidate for the Ministry, and a student at Duke Divinity School was contracted to serve as our Student Associate Pastor for 1996-1998
• Hurricane FRAN swept through Durham on September 6, leaving the church grounds with only a few large trees destroyed along with minor building damage. However we were without power for nearly a week.
• On October 12-14 we had our first Spiritual Renewal weekend with Chuck Campbell, professor of Homiletics at Columbia Theological Seminary.

Member Deaths: Lucille Massey Petrea, William Henry Rawlings, Elizabeth Watkins Fuller, Sherree Russell Welch Towne

1997

• Most of the year was consumed with the challenges/problems surrounding the building program. All of the staff offices were moved into the Fellowship Hall from May-August. The bottom floor of the new building was completed on September 6. The rest of the building was completed on September 22. Pete Jones headed up the monumental task of this major capital improvement.

• Sue McCaughan began teaching Disciple, the first year of a 2-year intensive Bible Survey course.

• A Pulpit Nominating Committee was elected to find our second Associate Pastor (Bill Bartholomay, Bruce Bollman, Gene Brannon, Nancye Bryan, Bonnie Derr, Catharine Hennessy and Gail Weis.) They focused on finding an associate with special skills and gifts in youth and family ministries. In July, the Congregation voted to call Paul Ransford Jr to become our Associate Pastor. He was installed on Rally Day, September 7, 1997. The Installation Service was followed by a church picnic and the presentation of the intergenerational musical, "Daniel: Rescue in the Night".
• Katherine Actemeier was the featured speaker for our Second Annual Spiritual Renewal Weekend, October 11-13.

Member Deaths: Tully Mack Fletcher III, Mary Martha Uzzle, Marie Gerstenberg, Margaret Upchurch Kelly

1998

• On Jan 8, Haywood had bilateral total knee replacements and was on medical leave until Feb 8, during which time the rest of the staff competently led the church.
• The congregation elected a Pulpit Nominating Committee to search for a second Associate Pastor with special gifts in general pastoral care and counseling.
• The Diaconate decided to sponsor a Burmese refugee family. Helen Harrison and Catharine Hennessey headed up this ministry involving scores of our members.
• The Diaconate also voted to join the Interfaith Hospitality Network. We housed our first 4 families in August. Bill Starnes is the coordinator.
• Charles Page, Dean of the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies, led us in a fascinating and inspiring day considering the Land of the Bible.
• Rally Day featured two presentations of "Exodus in Egypt County".
• Tom Long led the 3^rd Annual Spiritual Renewal weekend

Member Deaths: Evelyn Vail Coonrad, Janice Louise Chambers Ramsey, William Van deVenter Leaming, Shannon Lee Calderwood, Elmer Leroy Cooper

1999

• The church celebrated Haywood & Mary’s 25^th anniversary at WPC on January 30-31. This included 2 testimonial dinners, a special worship service (including 2 anthems and 2 hymns commissioned for their 25^th) and an offering of $47,000 to establish The Holderness Fund.
• In March, Haywood and Mary took 34 WPC members on a tour of Israel and Jordan. It was led by Charles Page
• The church decided to call a second Associate Pastor who would be in charge of Congregational Care. After a lengthy search, Betty Berghaus was called to this position and was ordained here on September 29, 1999.
• Jerry Hopper, one of our members who used to live in Turkey, visited Adapazari immediately after the Earthquake and led us in raising over $10,000 to buy tents and sleeping bags for homeless people there.
• In September we did our first "Blitz Build" Habitat House which we completed in only 2 weeks.
• Two days after the Flood (Hurricane Floyd) hit Eastern NC, the Session voted to call for a special offering and try to raise $25,000 to be used in the Tarboro/Princeville area. The Board of Deacons voted for Flood Relief to be our Mission Focus for the next year, and we began sending 4-6 work teams a month down east. (We ended up raising $150,000 in gifts and pledges)
• Session approved an operating budget of $793,000 for 2000.

Member Deaths: Nadine Fox Huters, Sumner Bacon Fuller, Pansy Barber Hedrick, Dallas Pickard, Jr., Hazel Livingston Wily

2000

• WPC continued to send work teams to Edgecombe County (most Thursdays and Saturdays). By February the tear-outs of the flooded homes were completed and WPC volunteers joined hundreds of others from all over in beginning to rebuild those homes. Most of our funds were used for building materials.
• Sue McCaughan and Mary Todd Peters announced their retirements for the Fall. A search committee chaired by Richard Draffin did a nation-wide search for a full time DCE to replace Sue and Mary Todd.
• Nancy Rozak was called to be our new Director of Christian Education
• Will Willimon led our Spiritual Enrichment weekend
• A Technology Committee was formed to connect all the church computers and to introduce DSL, high speed internet connections
• WPC hosted the Kiev chorus and orchestra for the second time
• Haywood was elected as chairman of the Durham County Department of Social Services Board
• Work began to prepare for a $1.5 million capital campaign entitled "Called to Action." The campaign will raise $800,000 to retire our building debt, $500,000 for facility enlargement, enhancement and maintenance, and $200,000 for special mission initiatives.

• Member Deaths: Malcolm Franklin Bender, Diane Fullerton Warburton, John Thomas Council, Dalma Wilson Uzzle, Jr., Robert Preston Bowditch and Isabelle Louise Maitland Wiley.

2001

• The congregation exceeded goal for $1.5M Capital Campaign
• Completed flood ministry to Edgecombe County
• 26 Youth and adults went on Mexico mission trip
• Charles Page taught and preached June 23-24
• Haywood elected as chairman of Food Bank of NC board
• Walter Brueggemann led Spiritual Enrichment Weekend (Oct. 6-7)
• Mission Emphasis for Deacons is Housing. $23,000 raised at Christmas Eve Offering for Habitat for Humanity
• An $850,000 operating budget was approved for 2002
• Member Deaths: Steven Charles Kanoy, Olive Duncan Brown

2002

• Aimee Broom resigned as Church Secretary and moved to New Mexico with her husband; Kim Castelo assumes that position.
• CTA facility money was spent on expanding and re-paving parking lot and building a new storage shed.
• WPC completed another Habitat home.
• Monica Rossman and Paul Ransford were given three-month sabbaticals during the summer.
• Bart Haynes led congregation to give $20,000 for a special offering for a Presbyterian School for orphans in Zambia.
• Diaconate voted to make the Food Bank of NC it’s mission focus for September 2002-August 2003. Dana Lange heads up task force for this.
• The summer musical was "Angels Aware"
• Ann Weems was our guest speaker for the 2002 Spiritual Enrichment Weekend
• Claudia and Richard Draffin were appointed to head a committee to plan and carry out our 40^th anniversary in June 2003.
• Member Deaths:, Elizabeth McCluer Calhoon, Jan Johannes Oosthuizen, Donna Raspberry Ferrell, William Martin Currie, Frances Blackwell Chambers Griffin

• Betty Berghaus led our first adult mission trip to Merida, Mexico.
• Rebecca Hylander was endorsed by the Session to pursue the Gospel Ministry. After graduating from Princeton University, she spent 2003 as a volunteer in mission in Egypt. She was accepted by the Presbytery as an Inquirer and will begin seminary in the fall of 2004.
• Mission Focus Food Bank. The congregation successfully raised $50,000 for the Food Bank of NC and was involved in numerous food drives and other opportunities to volunteer with the Food Bank.
• Haywood took his second sabbatical during the summer.
• Charles Jones, a second year student at Union Theological Seminary/PSCE was endorsed by the Presbytery to be an Inquirer. He will spend the ’04-’05 school year as an intern at First Presbyterian Rocky Mount.
• Barbara Fletcher was certified by the Administrative Association of the PCUSA.
• WPC celebrated her 40^th anniversary. Ralph Coonrad created a pictorial history of our first 40 years; Kim Scott edited a book of memories. Chuck Campbell came and preached. A grand celebration filled September 15^th.
• Westminster Kindergarten eliminated its 5-year old class and was re-named ‘Westminster School for Young Children."
• John Atkins led the Stewardship Committee in giving us the most successful and fun stewardship season in anyone’s memory. Pledges for 2004 were up by 16% and benevolences were raised by 26%.
• The Diaconate voted to make three local ministries which care for women and children their Mission Focus for 2004.
• Nancy Rozak was certified by the denomination to be Certified Director of Christian Education.
• Marian Draffin, a first year student at Fuller Theological Seminary, was endorsed by the Session to pursue the Gospel Ministry.

Member Deaths in 2003: Barbara Ballenger Rosemond, Julia Payne Knight, Charles Norwood Couch, Rodgers Littell Way, Sr., Charles Byers Nye, Fred Napper

2004

• The Diaconate chose 4 local agencies for the 2004 Mission Focus, all of which minister to women and children at risk: Genesis Home, Housing for New Hope, DCRC, and Interfaith Hospitality Network.
• The Deacons organized two Mission Saturdays during which about 100 people each Saturday were involved and going out and working on our four select agencies
• Tully Fletcher was awarded the March 5^th Group Trial Year Scholarship and will matriculate at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA in August.  Five of our members are now preparing for ordination to the Gospel Ministry: Charles Jones (Union/PSCE), Marian Draffin (Fuller Theological Seminary), Rebecca Hylander and Esther Acolatse (Duke Divinity School) and Tully.
• Chick Palermo led several groups of volunteers to do Flood Recovery Ministry in Hyde County.  This included building a brand new home built on 8-foot stilts.
• Our Spiritual Enrichment speaker was Tony Campolo.
• John Knight was named the Volunteer of the Year by Duke Hospital.
• Next Step Housing opened its 12-appartment complex for people with severe and persistent mental illness under the leadership of Nancye Bryan.
• The 38-piece Triangle Brass Band, under the leadership of Mike Votta, joined the Calling Chords in making our Moravian Love Feast an exceptional experience.

Member Deaths in 2004: Helen Lewis Cornwell Croom, Lela Jean Chambers Denison, Dona Lee Thomason Conner, Carrie Jones Marshall
 

2005

• Steve Price led us in a family recreation weekend, Jan 8-9.
• At the January Session Retreat, the Session began to seriously consider Haywood’s retirement, and began plans to do a congregation-wide assessment of the health and mission of WPC.  Brian Nicoll will lead this effort
• The summer musical, led again by Julie Fishell Billman, was “The Faith Hall of Fame”
• WPC was called by the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Office to take the lead in setting up camps to house volunteers on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina.  The congregation raised $67,000 for Katrina Relief. 19 of our people spent two weeks (9/18-10/1) in D’Iberville MS, building one Volunteer Village for 100 volunteers and doing the ground work for a second Village, as well as provide labor for Essential Services in the community.  A second team of 10 went back to the Gulf Coast to put up more permanent shelters for volunteers in two camps.  The church is building two shower trailers to be delivered to the Volunteer Villages in December.
• Our Spiritual Enrichment weekend was led by Tom Long.

Member Deaths in 2005: William Warner Shingleton,  Allen Lee Williford, Harold Edgar Muncaster, Mildred Howard Williams,  Frederick Wilhelm Schneider.