Religion

‘I’m just so happy that I get to make a difference’: The Story of Elijah King

By Audrey Kashatus

December 11, 2023

Elijah King was born and raised in Durham with his mom and little sister. By the time King turned 18-years-old, he had moved 11 different times.  King grew up witnessing things most kids his age couldn’t have imagined. He saw eviction, moving places under 24 hours, crashing at his grandparent’s house and even different pastor’s […]

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‘To whom much is given, much is required’ – the mindset of Mayor candidate DeDreana Freeman

By Noel Harris

October 6, 2023

By: Noel Harris October 6, 2023 As reporters and supporters gather at Durham City Hall, Councilwoman DeDreana Freeman stands about ten feet away with an unforgettable presence. Council member Monique Holsey-Hyman addresses being cleared of extortion allegations before turning her attention to Freeman. She says Freeman supported her during it all. She says Freeman risked […]

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Annual MLK Day Unity March and Rally sheds light and brings hope to Durham

By Anthony DeHart, Sophia Wilhelm, Landon Bost and Brandon Callender

January 30, 2020

Monday morning, Jan. 20, about 250 marchers gathered in front of the NC Mutual Life building for Durham’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Unity March and Rally. The group gathered for a short opening, then marched to First Presbyterian Church on East Main Street where speakers addressed the crowd from the pulpit. Every year, […]

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“Meet the Heroes” event inspires children of all ages

By Cheyenne Beasley and Courtney Staton

February 13, 2019

Children skipped up the steps in excitement on their way to the second annual “Meet the Heroes” event at New Creation United Methodist Church in Durham. The event celebrated six prominent figures from black history through interactive activities. For Albert Shuler, the pastor of New Creation United Methodist Church, the focus on children was particularly […]

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East Durham front porch providing needed resources

By Cindy Chen

October 2, 2018

  As cooler weather knocks on our doors, Change Paths Ministry (910 N. Guthrie St.) opens its doors, welcoming those in need of clothing or food. Change Paths Ministry, located in East Durham, was founded in 2015 by  Pastor Allen Jones and his son, Tyrone (Redd) Nelson. From Jones’ home, he takes in donations of […]

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“The Glory Train” gospel musical comes to Durham

By Cameron A. Rogers

September 21, 2018

Determination, faith and humor. These are just a few words Karen Lewis, the niece of one of the actresses and a member of the Antioch Baptist Church uses to describe tomorrow’s gospel musical, “The Glory Train.” For the last three years for Black History Month the Drama Ministry of St. Matthews in Greensboro, N.C holds […]

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A day with one of Durham’s Syrian refugee families

By Ramishah Maruf

April 11, 2018

Sixth-grader Sedra Khatib cried on her first day at Lakewood Elementary School in Durham last year. “[The school] didn’t have a bus to go to home. And they asked me, and I didn’t understand,” Sedra said.  “They called my dad and they call him and he said he will come. They had to use [Google […]

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First Calvary Baptist hosts 26th annual MLK Day Lock-In

By Cole Villena

January 31, 2018

Two weeks after New Year’s, hundreds of West End residents came together once again to celebrate a cherished American holiday. Posters of Martin Luther King Jr. replaced brightly-colored 2018 banners. Coffee, not champagne, was the drink of choice for adults at the Community Family Life and Recreation Center at Lyon Park at 1309 Halley Street. […]

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White Rock Baptist Church celebrates its rich faith through film

By Liz Chen

Just down Fayettville St. from the Chicken Hut and Food Lion stands a 152-year-old church that has fostered a community of devoted supporters and faithful followers of Jesus Christ in the Hayti District. White Rock Baptist Church was founded in 1866 by Margaret Faucette and is one of the oldest community service oriented churches in […]

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Antioch Baptist Church celebrates 25 years of service to the community

By Maria Elena Vizcaino

When TaQuan Lynch moved to Durham in 2012, he visited a different church every Sunday for months, hoping to find one that reflected his beliefs and values. “I was looking for certain things in a church, like the atmosphere, how people worship, how sincere they are to the word of God,” he said. “Antioch was […]

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New Creation is making a difference in the Durham community

By Collin Ellis

December 6, 2017

  New Creation United Methodist Church has shone a positive light on its members and the entire Durham community ever since the church held its first meeting at the church’s Durham location on the corner of Angier Avenue more than five years ago. But today, Pastor Albert Shuler and Lay Leader Fran Lynch worship at […]

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Inspired Literature and Music Tour of the Carolinas Comes to Hayti

By Tiayana Ford

November 29, 2017

  Several well-known Hollywood personalities were welcomed by a full house at the Hayti Heritage Center this November to share their journeys and the role of faith in their lives. Minister Robert Black of Greensboro hosted the free event “Inspired Literature and Music Tour of the Carolinas 2017,” the Hayti Heritage Center on Nov. 4. […]

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Antioch Baptist Church continues to serve the community

By Julian Keeler

October 6, 2017

  Many Christian churches wait on people to come inside the doors to hear their message, find a spiritual community, and build a relationship with Christ. Others conduct mission work in far-away countries. Antioch Baptist, through many community outreach programs and partners, works right in its own backyard to make Durham better. The church, located […]

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Micah Group forming in Durham, aims for social justice

By Yizhou Jiang

October 4, 2017

Recently, a new Micah Group began recruiting new members in Durham in hopes of uniting a diverse community. Micah Groups were formed in 2011 by the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary in California to create communities of peers for better preacher development throughout the United States. Each Micah Group is consist of […]

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DurhamCares speaks to the community

By Taquaisha Patrick

September 25, 2017

  Your pastor may have a secret! If he or she seems extra enlightened, it may just be that they have been attending meetings held by DurhamCares. DurhamCares is a non-profit organization that facilitates spaces where the leaders of churches can come together to listen to each other. Their mission is to foster collaboration, develop […]

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From social life to scholarship, religion plays many roles in community

By Alex Zietlow

September 20, 2017

Religion, in some ways, can be personified as a man of many hats. Beyond simply providing “spiritual care” for individuals, religion, specifically Christianity, plays several roles in northeast central Durham — from being a framework for social interaction, to gathering people as a collective body to address certain challenges a community might be facing. “We […]

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Rescue Mission calls community together for Good Friday fun

By Thaddeus Berglund

April 19, 2017

  There was no single reason why Good Friday at the Durham Rescue Mission was a special event; there were thousands of reasons. With help from churches, businesses and individuals in the community, the Durham Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter and addiction recovery program, gave away over 1750 Easter baskets and 10,000 articles of clothing to […]

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Fish Fry Friday back at Antioch

By Brian Shurney

April 5, 2017

  Some churches are content holding a few services a week with some philanthropy thrown in here and there, but Antioch Baptist Church has bigger fish to fry. Fish Fry Friday is back at Antioch, open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 1415 Holloway St. The church’s fish fry has been serving locals and […]

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Majestic Angels senior dancers focus on faith, finding strength

By Avery Rodriguez

The women of the Majestic Angels, a dance troupe for senior citizens in Durham, have served as examples of the power of faith and dance since 2015. Durham resident Vanessa Dunston, 62, started the eight-person dance team after more than 30 years of military service. “After I retired in 2011, I didn’t know what I […]

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Antioch Baptist Church honors community pioneers for Black History Month

By Catherine O'Neill

March 1, 2017

  The pews of Antioch Baptist Church were packed Sunday afternoon as members of the Durham community gathered to celebrate the church’s annual Black History Month honorees. The ceremony, which lasted for two hours, included song, dance, poetry and prayer. Attendees heard the vocal arrangements of Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Male […]

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Durham Rescue Missions expands campus, services for homeless

By Avery Rodriguez and Thaddeus Berglund

The Durham Rescue Mission is building three new dorms in an effort to continue providing more warm meals and safe places to sleep for the homeless of Durham. Ernie Mills, 72, the CEO and co-founder of the mission, says he was inspired to help those in need after watching his father combat alcoholism. He believes […]

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Leading through faith: Hillside High students create prayer circle at school

By Jarely Parada and Molly Smith

In an age when teenagers crave social media popularity, students at Hillside High School are showing their peers the powerful impact that comes from stepping out of the norm. Every school morning at 8:50, the halls of Hillside are filled with sleepy faces, young couples and a growing number of teenagers eager to participate in […]

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Senior Saints Ministry celebrates 10th annual Red and White Valentine’s Luncheon

By Thaddeus Berglund

February 15, 2017

  Love was in the air this past Thursday when over 200 seniors gathered at the Durham Armory to enjoy food, fun and fellowship with each other at the Red and White Valentine’s Luncheon. For many people Valentine’s Day is filled with love and time spent with the people cared about most; however, for some this […]

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Annual celebration to honor African-American leaders

By Alexis Allston

February 1, 2017

  Beautiful music, elegant poetry, expressive dance and a delicious soul food feast — that’s what attendees can expect at Antioch Baptist Church’s annual African-American History Month celebration on February 26 at 4 p.m. The event is at Antioch Baptist Church, 1415 Holloway St., and is open to everyone according to Antioch’s pastor, the Rev. […]

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Empty church on Main Street still home to growing congregation

By Catherine O'Neill

The old church building might be empty, but the congregation is packed. At 11 on a Sunday morning, you can find members of the Church of the Apostolic Revival International just a block down the road from the boarded-up church building on the corner of Main Street and South Holman Street. As members of the […]

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Dinner and Fashion Show highlights the growing Liberian population

By Brenna Elmore

October 24, 2016

Dressed head to toe in bright Liberian fashion, the models in the Liberian Dinner and Fashion Show got a warm welcome from the attendees of the event at St. Philips Episcopal Church in Durham on Saturday, Oct. 15. The dinner is in its sixth year and was created as the church’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) project, according to […]

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Hillside alumni reunite through song

By Travis Butler

April 20, 2016

College towns have become integral parts of the American landscape, making it difficult to find a city where a high school is still a central part of the community. This is not the case in Durham, where Hillside High School has remained a mainstay of the city. Hillside is so vital to its community that […]

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Church celebrates black trailblazers

By Travis Butler

March 2, 2016

Antioch Baptist Church hosted its fifth annual African-American History Celebration to honor five African-American leaders and educate the community of their works. The event was held on Feb. 28 and is meant to teach youth about the significance of black leaders, according to Antioch pastor Rev. Michael D. Page. “We have this event because we […]

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Sunrise Recovery helps people find brighter days

By Eric O'Neal

October 1, 2015

On East Geer Street, a relatively new, flashy yellow two-story building stands out from the rest of the block. The color seems symbolic of the organization housed there. Sunrise Recovery Resources Center, a peer-led organization helps substance abusers turn their lives around. SRRC is a non-clinical organization and branch of the Alcoholic Drug Council. They […]

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Activist moves ministry to new location

By Leah Montgomery and Melquan Ganzy

November 12, 2014

Julia Ross Harrelson grow up in Hurdle Mills, N.C., on a farm with more than 114 acres of tobacco, squash, snap peas and anything else you could think of. The youngest of eight children, Harrelson had the task of collecting wood for the stove and gathering water from the spring near the farm. Her father […]

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Family diner transforms Durham’s roughest corner

By Jordan Bailey

October 1, 2014

When Joe Bushfan decided to leave his glamorous job as a celebrity bodyguard in order to sell hot dogs in one of Durham’s roughest areas, his family thought he was crazy. “My wife thought I was crazy, my kids thought I was crazy … my dad thought I was crazy too,” Bushfan said. “I went […]

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Church places father and son team in the pulpit

By Dennis Meeks

March 4, 2014

  From the pulpit of Mount Calvary Church in northeast central Durham, Pastor Raymond Boney’s voice echoes off church walls with a powerful message. Pastor Boney dove into Christianity at a young age. “I accepted the Lord as my personal savior at the age of 12 and I’ve been in church all of my life,” […]

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