Pastor's Message

I am writing this in the middle of January. What I find difficult about this time of year is that there is so little daylight. We go to work when it is dark and come home when it is dark. Many people suffer from a type of depression this time of year called Seasonal Affective Disorder which lasts from Thanksgiving to Easter. Of course, it is also cold most of the time now also. Yet, just this week the green shoots of Spring flowers broke through the ground in my back yard. There is always something to show us the hope that are situations can always get better when it is dark.


We would like to feel that our community of believers at Butner Presbyterian Church would also reflect this sort of hope. Recently our Sunday lectionary Gospel readings have focused around the calling of the Disciples by Jesus. Andrew, Philip, James and John saw hope in following Jesus even though they had no idea what might be in store for them. Jesus offered them something that would cause them to drop what they were doing at a moment’s notice.


We believe in the “priesthood of all believers.” Or more simply stated: “We are all called by Christ into ministry. At Butner Presbyterian we try to live this idea out in many ways. We prepare breakfast at Durham Urban Ministries on the 4th Sunday of the month and then return to Butner for worship and Holy Communion. We provide child care and Sunday school classes for all ages. We are reading through the Bible on Wednesday nights. We support a Girl Scout Troop, Pre K school, and a backpack program at a local elementary school just to name a few of our local outreach programs. In the Spring we plant a community garden, and in the Fall we glean fields for the Society of St. Andrew.


We envision, reflect, and work at the hope we have come to know in Jesus Christ. As you are able join us in this marvelous undertaking.

Tom Carlson, MAMFT, M.Div