Web Verified
Presbyterian / Reformed

First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham

1316 Watts Street, Durham, NC 27701
Confessionally Reformed — Strong
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Pastor Kent Butterfield
Founded Verify
Denomination RPCNA
Service Times Sunday Worship 10:30 AM; Fellowship Meal 12:30 PM; Afternoon Service 2:00 PM
Men's Ministry No
Kids Ministry Yes
Website www.firstrpcdurham.org/
Pastor Credentials Ordained RPCNA minister; RPTS graduate
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
Westminster Chalcedonian Christology.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Westminster Confession on Scripture.
Strong
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
Covenanter men's heritage.
Strong
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Westminster Confession sovereign grace.
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
RPCNA male-only ordination.
Male-only ordination (RPCNA polity)
Strong
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Session governance with elders.
Strong
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Expository Westminster preaching tradition.
Strong
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Duke University / Research Triangle area Reformed witness.
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Covenanter cultural posture.
Strong
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
RPCNA Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery.
Strong
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MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website
Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes

Live-fetched https://www.firstrpcdurham.org/ on 2026-05-09 — confirmed Pastor Kent Butterfield (sr.) + Associate Drew Poplin + RPCNA Great Lakes-Gulf affiliation.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

  1. [1] Live source reformedpresbyterian.org/congregations/list
  2. [2] Live source firstrpcdurham.org

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 — Annual review recommended
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