I learned to love the Lord from my family and the tight-knit community of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Elko, S.C. Since 2009, the people of Blacknall have been teaching me what it means to follow Jesus faithfully in all areas of my life as a teacher, scholar, father, husband, citizen, friend, and disciple. In the midst of all the anxieties that mark our moment, it is such a comfort to know that I am not my own, but belong in body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ — and I am deeply grateful that the Lord is showing Dana, Micah, Lila, and me what that means through this church.

As we face significant transition at Blacknall and turbulence within the wider world, I am grateful for the faithfulness of our pastors, staff, elders, deacons, and the Transition Team members who have led us through the past several years. I also am encouraged by the witness of those who have come before us. The Lord has been faithful throughout our history as a mission church to poor mill workers, the first white church in Durham to integrate, and a church reaching out to local students and universities. As we continue seeking to discern what it means to follow Jesus faithfully here at the corner of Perry and Iredell, I look forward to sharing in this joyful and good work.