In 1954, Cary, North Carolina was a very small town west of Raleigh, when a survey by the denomination identified the need for a Presbyterian Church in the area. By August of the same year, a steering committee led by The Reverend Charles E. Johnson arranged to hold services at what was then Cary High School on Academy Street (today the Cary Arts Center). The first worship service took place on September 5, 1954. A commissioning service was held on February 20, 1955 and Rev. Johnson became the pastor.
On March 1, ten acres of land on the site of an old dairy farm were purchased. A groundbreaking for the new church was held November 6, 1955 on the building site in Cary’s Russell Hills community. Much of the labor and materials for the original structure were donated. On September 9, 1956, Cary Presbyterian’s 67 charter members were able to attend the first worship service in the new sanctuary.
Cary Presbyterian began the first church-sponsored state-approved kindergarten program in Cary in September 1958, soon followed by the first Boy Scout program in Cary.
During the 1960s, church membership had grown to more than 200 and an education wing was added to the original building.
During the next decades, CPC continued its outreach in the community and beyond. Members played an active role in establishing Christian Community in Action (now known as Dorcas Ministries), began a longstanding mission commitment to Appalachia Service Project, and supported mission work in Haiti, Guatemala, and Madagascar.
As Cary grew, CPC responded to the needs of a growing congregation and community with an expansion of the sanctuary in the late 1980s and later, a renovation of the CPC Preschool and Christian Education facilities. Mission outreach continued with member trips to support disaster relief efforts in North Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The 2001 building campaign also included a new and expanded fellowship hall and a fully-outfitted kitchen, which enabled us to host not only church-sponsored programs, but also community events like blood drives and programs for the Carying Place Ministry.
CPC currently supports a summer food service program in collaboration with several nearby churches.
Our congregation retired the debt on our latest construction project in 2016 and is currently debt-free.
