WHO WE ARE

OUR HISTORY

Two other Presbyterian congregations thrived in the surrounding area, but the newly formed city of Greensboro had no Presbyterian church until 1824 when Rev. William D. Paisley organized our congregation. Twelve members, four of whom were slaves, attended our first meeting.

Our church expanded with the city, outgrowing two church buildings before erecting its third structure near the corner of Church Street and Summit Avenue in the 1850s. This building still stands, serving as the home of the Greensboro Historical Museum. Our church cemetery remains behind the museum.

We were still located in the Church Street building during the Civil War when our church building was used as a hospital for Confederate soldiers. After the war, the members of our church who had been enslaved prior to emancipation left our church to form their own congregation, Saint James Presbyterian on Ross Avenue.

In 1929 we moved to our current location in Fisher Park along the 600 block of North Elm Street.

Over the decades, 11 different pastors have led our congregation including Dr. John Redhead who preached sermons on a national radio program during his pastorate in the mid-20th century. Our most recent pastor, Dr. Sid Batts, retired in 2018.

In 2017, during Dr. Batts’ pastorate, our church joined with our sister congregation Saint James Presbyterian for a Service of Reconciliation. We continue to work with Saint James members to honor our shared history while seeking ways to heal the wounds of racism in our churches, community, and nation.

WHO WE ARE NOW

Rev. Dr. Jill Duffield begin her ministry with us on December 5, 2020. Jill is the 12th Senior Pastor in the church’s history.

As a church we believe worship belongs at the center of everything we do, including our outreach in the community and world and our Spiritual Formation programs for all ages.