Stories, sermons, music, and memories from the past 100 years
The life and times of Community United Church of Christ, Raleigh NC
John Lackey served as Pastor at Community UCC from 1969 to 1977. These years marked the first years in the new church location at the corner of Dixie Trail and Wade Avenue. Following his tenure at CUCC, Rev. Lackey pastored Church of the Savior in Knowville TN, where he retired in 1993.
His return to Community UCC occurred on September 16, 2012, at invitation of the CUCC Board of Deacons.
Rev. Steve Halsted has been pastor at CUCC since 2002. He came to Raleigh following years of service to UCC churches in New Mexico. This sermon was on August 26, 2012. The title of the sermon is "In God We Live and Move and Have Our Being”. The sermon was given during the 10:30 worship service.
Rev. Halsted grew up in Connecticut, and he continues to maintain strong ties to New England. His wife Marcy has worked in Wake County as a school teacher in public and private schools, and as a librarian for the Cameron Village branch of Wake County Libraries.
Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte served as Pastor at CUCC from 1977-1995. She left Raleigh to take the position of Conference Minister for the Southwest Conference of the UCC. She is now retired and spends part of her time at a home in Florida and in the remaining part in western North Carolina. On October 7, 2012, Cally returned to Community UCC to deliver a guest sermon on her remembrances of life at CUCC during the period she served as Pastor.
Rev. Carol Ripley-Moffitt served as Pastor at Community UCC from 2000-2002. This was a period of transition for the church, in that both the pastor and associate pastor had recently departed. Rev. Ripley-Moffitt, who came to CUCC from an American Baptist background, served very effectively during this transitional period and holds a very special place in the hearts of many CUCC members, even though her time at the church was relatively brief. This return to the pulpit was by invitation of the CUCC Board of Deacons and Occurred on September 30, 2012.
Rev. David Barber served as Pastor at CUCC during the 1990s. At the invitation of the Board of Deacons, Dave returned to CUCC on September 23 to give a guest sermon. Dave and Lynn presently reside in Rapid City SD where Dave has returned to his alternate vocation of meteorology and where Lynn continues her work as a patent lawyer and her true love of birding.
Geraldine Bryan is a regular presenter of the children’s sermon on Sunday mornings during 10:30 worship. This one dates from August 26, 2012. She is wildly popular not only with children but with adults. Geraldine has the ability to multitask, i.e. she can deliver a dialog that means one thing to children but something a bit different to adults. And both groups find her immensely entertaining. This children’s sermon is a good example of Geraldine’s skills and wit.
A sermon presented by Rev. David Barber at Community UCC on Sept. 1, 1996. The subject is economic justice
Mike Evans did his internship at CUCC prior to taking a church in Pennsylvania in 2010. Before Mike left, he gave a sermon at CUCC on July 18, 2010, and requested that Lavon record it. He used this video recording of that sermon in his job search among Pennsylvania UCC churches.
During the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the church in 1981, former pastors were invited to return for a guest sermon. Collins Kilburn's sermon for that occasion was called "Learnings from the 60's".
During the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the church in 1981, former pastors were invited to return for a guest sermon. Gay Noyce's sermon for that occasion was called "Journeying on Toward the Kingdom".
During the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the church in 1981, former pastors were invited to return for a guest sermon. John Lackey's sermon for that occasion was called "The Eschatological Community".
During the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the church in 1981, former pastors were invited to return for a guest sermon. Allyn Robinson's sermon for that occasion was called "Let Memory Serve the Future".