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"And some seed fell on good ground and grew and made a hundred times more." Luke 8:9

Community Presbyterian Church had its beginning in a Sunday School started by Miss Fannie Bayley Gray, a dedicated Christian woman, who came to Pinehurst from Massachusetts in 1908 as an employee of Pinehurst, Incorporated.Miss Gray was concerned that there was no Sunday School for the children and employees of Pinehurst, Incorporated and other year-round residents. Through her efforts and those of Mr. Leonard Tufts, son of James Walker Tufts who founded Pinehurst. 

The first Sunday School classes were held in the small Public School. Children and parents gathered there each week for study and worship. Attendance increased and the congregation moved to the newly-constructed Community House. In later years this would become the Pinehurst Fire House. It soon became evident that a year round church was essential to meet the needs of all the people.

 

 

On June 15, 1920, the Pinehurst Community Church was organized by Fayetteville Presbytery with 28 charter members.After worshipping there for 10 years, the Congregation broke ground for the present church building on March 2, 1929. The first service was held in the new sanctuary on September 7, 1930. Soon Pinehurst Community Church became a center for social activities and a meeting place for many organizations and civic groups. Boy Scout Troop #1, (which later became Troop #7), has been continuously chartered since 1929 and is still sponsored by our Church. During the years of World War II, the homes of many members of the Church were always open for the service men and women stationed at nearby Fort Bragg and Camp MacKall and our Church became their home- away- from- home. 

The name of the Church evolved from Pinehurst Community Church in 1920 to Community Presbyterian Church in 1976. In its beginning, it was known as Community Church and drew worshippers from all denominations. There were nine denominations represented among the 28 Charter Members. The name is still appropriate as the Church was, and remains today, a welcoming place for community meetings and activities. A mission outreach of the church, McDonald Chapel, was organized in 1938. It also began as a Sunday School in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Archie McDonald. A church building was erected in 1940, adjacent to the McDonald family cemetery on the outskirts of Pinehurst. In 2002, the Chapel was fully constituted as McDonald Chapel Presbyterian Church by Coastal Carolina Presbytery. As Community Presbyterian Church celebrated its 75th anniversary, the Fellowship Hall and administrative wing additions were dedicated on October 8, 1995. In 1999, the Courtyard was made into a beautiful and tranquil Memorial Prayer Garden. It is a perpetual reminder of the unique history of our Church and the sacrifices and generosity of the many dedicated people who had a vision of planting seeds of faith.

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