About Us
We are a church in the community who welcomes the community to the church. Formed by God’s love and grace, we believe in welcome and worship, service and support, and fellowship and fun. We yearn to always be a place where forgiveness changes us, where those in need find flourishing, where the lonely find community, and where every person knows their love and worth in Christ Jesus our Lord. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Between worship and service, welcoming, loving, and caring for each other is what we do best. We love a good celebration and cherish the times we get to get together for the sake of being together. Whether it be In-Betweens Meetups at a member’s home, gathering at The Mills, or getting together for one of our beloved church traditions – like the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner – we like to be together and hope that you will join us one day!
For the latest monthly newsletter:
Welcome
God’s love welcomes all, and we strive to be like our God. We aim that our welcome embraces the image of God in all our neighbors and reflects the image of God to our neighbors.
Worship
The Spirit of God flows around us each Sunday through warm fellowship, vibrant music, familiar hymns, poetic liturgy, empowered scripture readings, and inspired sermons. We believe worship is a time of joyful thanksgiving, generous renewal, and curious challenge. Weekly, it is what reorients us in our mission to be the church in the community.
Serve
Those to whom much has been given, much is required. Our time, talents, and financial resources are like a trampoline, simultaneously grounding us in our church and launching us into our wider community. We live out this value by supporting several Community Partners with our financial offerings and developing genuine relationships with our neighbors throughout the community.
Staff
Rev. Matt Baker
Pastor
Rev. Hannah Trawick
Community Pastor
Dionne Seale
Ministry Coordinator
Jeanne Shannon
Finance Manager
Michael Smith
Sexton
Mary Hilliard
Child Care
Charity Lodge
Assistant Sexton
Jim Smith
Music Director
Jennie Vance
Organist
History
Founded in 1878, First Presbyterian Church Rocky Mount has been a stalwart of our community for over 145 years and played an integral part in establishing eight other Presbyterian Churches in Rocky Mount: Second, Bethlehem, Edgemeont, Englewood, Morton, Mt. Pisgah, and West Haven. Nearly a century-and-a-half later, FPC Rocky Mount is a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) with an active membership of 275.
Our building is located on the original site, which was graciously given to the congregation in the late 1870s by Mr. George Allen of New Bern. The first wooden sanctuary was built in 1879, followed by the first brick sanctuary in 1909. Our educational wing was constructed as a memorial to Rev. W. D. Morton who served a near twenty-year pastorate from 1899 until his death in 1918. In 1938, the Thorpe Memorial Chapel was commissioned as a testament to the service of Mr. A.P. Thorpe, “as elder, deacon, and dedicated disciple.”
During the 1960s, the original educational building was demolished and a new one constructed, and our sanctuary was entirely remodeled in 1979 with an additional renovation in 1997 after the acquisition of a beautiful tracker pipe organ.
From our founding, our mission has always been to link the church and community in worship and action, something that remains true for us today.
A more detailed history of FPC Rocky Mount is available in A History of the First Presbyterian Church of Rocky Mount, written by Dr. David Jones and published in September 2005. Copies are available in the church office.
