Our History

God calls ordinary people to participate in God’s extraordinary mission to bless and renew our world. Take a look back at some of our church’s defining moments.

  • Group of people eating and talking at a table indoors

    Early Gatherings: Worship and Potlucks (February 2009)

    Led by Founding Pastor Mark Acuff, 24 people met in a home to consider starting a church that would seek to “love people incredibly well, as Jesus did.” The church gathered in homes for 6 months for evening weekly worship and potlucks.

  • People standing in a community event, holding their hands open, seemingly in a gesture of receiving or participating. The setting looks like a gymnasium or multi-purpose room with folding chairs and a basketball hoop.

    Worshiping at Creekside Elementary (October 2009)

    The Gathering Church moves to Sunday morning worship at Creekside Elementary.

  • A postcard with the text "Greetings from OAK CHURCH" overlaid on a background of trees. The letters are filled with images of people playing music, eating, engaging in outdoor activities, and writing signs.

    Planting Oak Church (2014)

    The Gathering Church sends a team of 24 people under the leadership of the Breslin family to plant Oak Church in the Lakewood neighborhood of Durham.

  • "The Gathering Church 10th Anniversary Celebration flyer with event details, including worship service and lunch at Creekside Elementary School on June 2nd at 10:30 am."

    Celebrating 10 Years (2019)

    The Gathering Church celebrates 10 years of loving people incredibly well as Jesus did with an anniversary party.

  • A group of people gathered around a white car on a residential street, with a man standing on the sidewalk holding a sign. Inside the car, a child with blue hair is leaning out of the sunroof holding a sign reading "Mark Libby We Love Y'all" and another person inside the car is smiling and holding a sign with the words "You are Light." Trees and other cars are visible in the background.

    Welcoming New Leadership (2020)

    Founding Pastor Mark Acuff retires and The Gathering Church calls Curt Lowndes as Lead Pastor. The Lowndes family are longtime members and Curt previously served as an Associate Pastor at GC.

  • A live musical performance in a church setting, featuring a band with guitarists, an accordion player, and a keyboard player, singing in front of an audience. Lyrics are projected on a screen.

    Worshiping at Reality (2021)

    Following the COVID-19 pandemic, The Gathering Church begins to hold weekly worship at longtime mission partner, The Reality Center.

  • Two women in a church setting, one seated and the other gently touching her face, with musical instruments in the background.

    Ordaining Brittany Kohan (2023)

    The Gathering Church ordains Brittany Kohan. This is the second ordination in our church’s history, following Oak Pastor Chris Breslin.

Group of people smiling in front of a house with stairs, outdoors, daytime.

Our Vision

You’re invited to be a part of the story that God continues to write for The Gathering Church.

We are becoming a church who…

  • We want to become more and more aware of God’s presence among us and to help others awaken to the God who knows and loves us all. Instead of busy-ness, distraction, and disconnection, we want to be present and attentive to God and to each other.

    You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

    Psalm 16:11

  • We want to have Jesus’s vision for the world. Generally, we don’t see or love like Jesus does. We see a broken status quo; Jesus sees potential for real renewal. We mostly look for people who can serve us; Jesus looks for those he can love and serve, those for whom he even gave his very life.

    In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve. The Son of Man came to give his life to save many people.

    Mark 10:45

  • We want to have a vivid imagination for how God can and will use each of us to contribute with our loves, histories, talents, and interests to the Kingdom of God in our place and time. Everyone has something to add, gifts from God, that can be transformed and grown.

    Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

    1 Corinthians 12:4-7

  • We want to be a part of the flourishing available for the people, places, and things around us. As Resurrection People, we want to be actively involved in the Holy Spirit’s work of breathing new life into God’s world.

    The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

    Isaiah 61:1-2