A Peace Church on Elliott Road
On a quiet stretch of Elliott Road in Chapel Hill, the Church of Reconciliation - known simply as "The Rec" - has built a reputation as one of the most outspokenly progressive Presbyterian congregations in North Carolina. It is a multi-ethnic, fully inclusive congregation within the Presbyterian Church (USA), and it wears three distinctions openly: it was one of the first Earth Care Congregations in the denomination (certified in 2010), it was the first More Light congregation in the state, and it has declared itself a Peace Church under the PC(USA)'s five Peace Affirmations. Its motto - "Love without limits. Faith without fear." - sits at the top of everything the church does.
Sunday at The Rec
Mornings at The Rec begin in the Dell Woods behind the church at 8:45 a.m., where a small group gathers for a contemplative service under the trees. Coffee follows at 9:30, alongside an hour of adult education that draws on lectionary readings, book studies, and conversations about racial reconciliation and social justice. The main worship service begins at 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary and is also streamed on Zoom and Facebook, with recordings posted to the church's YouTube channel later in the day. Members describe the music as a "joyful noise" - a wide range of hymns, both new and old, supported by a choir, a multigenerational handbell choir, a children's chimes ensemble, occasional brass quintet visits, and special music from members on cello, flute, and other instruments.
Children Are the Heartbeat
"The sounds of children are our heartbeat," the congregation says, and the building is set up accordingly. Sunday School meets in the Education Building with hands-on programming that includes Godly Play, yoga, art, music, storytelling, and play. During worship, children of all ages are welcome in the pews; activity bags and children's bulletins are ready, and a PrayGround sits inside the sanctuary for kids who want to stay close to the service. A quiet room in the back offers books, fidget toys, comfortable seating for chest feeding, and a place to decompress. Nursery care is available for children five and under throughout the service - greeters can point families to it.
A Place Where Youth Are Fully Seen
The Rec describes its youth ministry as "a safe place for those youth on the margins," a smaller-than-average group that pours its energy into mission trips, public service projects, and an annual week at the Montreat Youth Conference in the summer. Youth are full participants in worship at The Rec: they sing in the New Voices Choir, serve as lay liturgists, acolytes, greeters, ushers, offering collectors, tech team members, and bell ringers. The program is open to all, and the church's welcome extends especially to young people who have not always felt at home in church.
An Adult Education Built Around Questions
Sunday-morning adult education at The Rec is taught by retired teachers, lay pastors, and lay leaders on a rotating basis. Topics range from lectionary and Biblical studies to book discussions and social justice themes, gathering for an hour of continuing Christian formation before worship during the school year. The Rec describes itself as "a community of seekers," and the class is built for people who want to bring their honest questions.
Earth Care and the CREW Community Garden
The Rec was one of the first PC(USA) churches to become an Earth Care Congregation in 2010 and has renewed its certification every year since. The Earth Care team organizes annual Earth Sabbaths (often held at New Hope Camp and Conference Center in the spring), an annual Native American Sunday, educational films, Second Hours, letter-writing campaigns, and legislative updates in the church's weekly e-blasts. The church has continued its study and action on the Doctrine of Discovery and adopted a land acknowledgement honoring Indigenous people in the area. The CREW Community Garden extends the same conviction into the soil - "creating community through earth care" - and welcomes volunteers of all ages.
A Declared Peace Church
The Reconciliation Peace Community (RPC), a small group of members and friends who meet monthly, led The Rec through a multi-year process of becoming a Peace Church under the PC(USA)'s five Peace Affirmations, adopted by the 222nd General Assembly in 2016. The session's declaration commits the congregation to work diligently to dismantle and disavow structures and systems of violence, to oppose militarism and the global expansion of the U.S. military, to disavow war and weaponry, to promote nonviolent means of conflict resolution, to care for the marginalized and oppressed, to affirm conscientious objection, and to equip people as they discern their Christian response to war. The RPC also follows the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship's Peacemaker's Creed, recommitting itself to opposing all war and to gospel nonviolence.
Justice and Peace in the Wider Community
The Justice and Peace Committee (JPC) is the organizational arm of that theology. Each year the session allocates a significant portion of the church's operational budget to JPC, and the congregation then directs those funds to local and international partners. The Rec has long supported the Inter-Faith Council (IFC), Orange Congregations in Mission (OCIM), Durham Congregations in Action (DCIA), Justice United, and Durham CAN, and has played roles in Sanctuary, living-wage employment, the denunciation of torture, Equal Exchange, Jubilee, criminal justice reform, and the Peace Church designation itself. Smaller support groups within the church - Africa Support, Salaam-Shalom (Israel/Palestine), and the Reconciliation Peace Community - give members ways to engage the issues that matter most to them. The church also sells Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee at every gathering as a tangible expression of its commitments to growing economies, sustainable farming, and better wages for workers.
More Light from the Beginning
Church of Reconciliation was the first More Light congregation in North Carolina and remains a strong advocate for gender equity and the full participation of LGBTQ+ people in the life of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was among the first congregations to call and ordain an openly gay, partnered pastor. The church's mission opens with the words: "We are called to proclaim in word and action the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are guided by a vision that neither race nor gender identity, neither ethnic origin nor sexual orientation, neither age nor ability, neither marital status nor educational background, neither economic status nor any other aspect of personhood will divide this Christian community."
The People Who Lead
The Rev. Allen C. Brimer became pastor in October 2021. He previously co-founded Farm Church, a Durham congregation that meets on a farm and uses its harvest to address food insecurity. A graduate of the University of Tennessee and McCormick Theological Seminary, he is an adjunct professor in Religious Studies, a gardener, a baseball fan, and an avid pie maker. Rebecca Reyes serves as Parish Associate; she was ordained in 1979 as the first Hispanic woman in the Presbyterian Church US, holds an M.Div. from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and an M.S.W. from UNC-Chapel Hill, and has been recognized with the Duke University Diversity Award and other distinctions for her work in Hispanic health services and justice ministry. Leslie Gartrell is the congregation's Administrative Support Specialist.
What Visitors Should Know
Visitors are warmly welcomed at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays either in person, via Zoom, or on Facebook, with recordings on YouTube afterward. The church is happy to have children of all ages in worship - families are encouraged to sit up front or on the aisle so children can see, and a quiet room is available in the back. Nursery care is offered for children five and under. Coffee is part of the morning, Equal Exchange and all, and the building is at 110 N Elliott Road in Chapel Hill.