“Blacknall” is the name of the family who began a Sunday School ministry in West Durham in 1892 as an outreach of First Presbyterian Church downtown. In 1916, when the Sunday School organized into a church, that family was memorialized in the new congregation’s name. Our Sanctuary was built in 1923, and our educational building in two stages, in 1964 and 1990.

“Presbyterian” says who we are as to church government and doctrine. It means that we are joined with other Presbyterians through a network of interlocking governing bodies, operating according to the policies of our Book of Order, and that oversight authority rests with Elders (literally “presbyters”) of the church. “Presbyterian” also says that we stand in the “Reformed” theological tradition, which emphasizes the authority of Scripture, the sovereign grace of God, and the mandate to proclaim Jesus as Lord to the whole world.

More particularly, Blacknall stands in the evangelical stream of Presbyterianism, emphasizing the importance of the Bible and prayer in building a personal relationship with God, warmth and intimacy in worship, mutual responsibility and accountability among members of the church, and the urgency of the church’s outreach mandate.

We desire to be thoughtful: both in the sense of taking good care of one another and of having a well-thought-out faith. We seek to be open to the renewal of the church by the Holy Spirit, bearing witness to the Lord Jesus Christ through evangelism and ministries of community service, to the glory of God the Father.

One of our primary aims is to serve those who “sojourn among us” as students or medical center personnel, providing opportunities for personal growth and involvement in ministry while here. We desire to assist each member of the Blacknall family in growing toward maturity in Christ through worship, study, fellowship, and service.