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Meet Our Family

This is a fantastic time to be a part of the White Rock Baptist Church! Come meet our family!

We consider it a privilege and a blessing that God has used us to serve the Durham community since 1866! We are a church modeling itself after the teachings in the New Testament scriptures, as we spread the Good News to others. As a congregation, with members from all ages (nursery through senior citizen), we continually strive to become more of what God wants us to be.

White Rock is a Bible-based church, striving to learn and live the Word of God in our everyday lives. We have a lasting legacy of charitable Christian service and traditions, with vibrant praise and worship, intense teaching and training, along with our many outreach ministries that uplift and care for those in our community.

We look forward to continued opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to help others grow in their relationship with him. We are a church with open doors, and we have something for everyone! No matter your stage of life or your level of spiritual growth, you are welcome here. Enjoy the site, and we hope you’ll make plans to come visit us soon!

What We Believe

“The goal of White Rock Baptist Church is to exalt the Name of Jesus Christ through our sacred worship, our strengthening of families, our transforming of lives through service, and the proclamation of His gospel.”

A definition of the Christian doctrine of salvation would be “The spiritual, eternal deliverance which God immediately grants to those who accept His conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus.” Salvation is available in Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), and is dependent on God alone for provision, assurance, and security.

"What is salvation? What is the Christian doctrine of salvation?"

Salvation is deliverance from danger or suffering. To save is to deliver or protect. The word carries the idea of victory, health, or preservation. Sometimes, the Bible uses the words saved or salvation to refer to temporal, physical deliverance, such as Paul’s deliverance from prison (Philippians 1:19).

More often, the word salvation concerns an eternal, spiritual deliverance. When Paul told the Philippian jailer what he must do to be saved, he was referring to the jailer’s eternal destiny (Acts 16:30-31). Jesus equated being saved with entering the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24-25).

"Who does the saving?"

Only God can remove sin and deliver us from sin’s penalty. (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5).

"How does God save?"

In the Christian doctrine of salvation, God has rescued us through Christ (John 3:17). Specifically, it was Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that achieved our salvation (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 1:7). Scripture is clear that salvation is the gracious, undeserved gift of God (Ephesians 2:5, 8) and is only available through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

"What are we saved from? "

In the Christian doctrine of salvation, we are saved from “wrath”; that is, from God’s judgment of sin (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). Our sin has separated us from God, and the consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Biblical salvation refers to our deliverance from the consequence of sin and therefore involves the removal of sin.

"How do we receive salvation?"

We are saved by faith. First, we must hear the gospel—the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Ephesians 1:13). Then, we must believe—fully trust the Lord Jesus (Romans 1:16). This involves repentance, a changing of mind about sin and Christ (Acts 3:19), and calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

Meet Our Pastor – Dr. Reginald Van Stephens

Dr. Reginald Van Stephens was born and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He was ordained for the Gospel ministry in October 1982 at Pinn Memorial Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He currently resides in the Durham, North Carolina, vicinity with his wife, Miriam Phillips-Stephens. He has been Pastor of White Rock Baptist Church since 1995. Dr. Stephens formerly served as Pastor of Consolidated Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, from 1986 to 1994.

Dr. Stephens received the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida, in 1979 where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He received his Master of Divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Now Palmer Seminary) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1985, and the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary, in Dayton, Ohio, in 1992, as a Samuel Proctor-Charles Booth Fellow.

Under the leadership of Pastor Stephens, White Rock’s church administrative model has been redesigned to successfully accomplish the church’s well-defined mission. There are more than 50 significant ministries developed to meet the goals of this steadily growing congregation of Christian disciples. Some of these ministries include partnering with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina—operating food distribution once a month; adoption of the neighboring W.G. Pearson Elementary School—providing school supplies and tutoring services; and ministries that assist with various social services to disadvantaged people in the Durham community. White Rock also provides funding for missions outside of the United States.

With his guidance, the church sanctuary has undergone a beautiful $1.2 million renovation, which includes a historic 32-rank Moeller/Letourneau pipe organ. All to the glory of GOD! Presently, plans are for a state-of-the-art facility expansion to address recreational, educational, and social needs of the community and church.

Dr. Stephens served 17 years as Professor of Homiletics at Shaw University Divinity School. He has been privileged to preach in the Annual Session of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, American Baptist Convention, and local churches throughout the South and Midwest. He has been honored to be included in the publication, The Best of PNBC: Inter-generational Messages of Hope, Volume 1.

Meet Our Staff

Dr. Reginald Van Stephens

Pastor

Dr. Irene Perry

Associate Minister

Rev. Regina Mitchell

Associate Minister

Rev. Christopher Norwood

Associate Minister

Mrs. Sue Jackson Jarmon

Church Clerk

Ms. Jennifer Lacewell

Director, White Rock Baptist Church Child Development Center

Deaconess and Trustee Martha Lester- Harris

Church Office Assistant

Mr. McClinton “C.J.” Jones

Church Custodian

Mr. Leon Carter

Manager,
White Rock Baptist Church
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