A Church in the Heart of Ardmore
Highland Presbyterian Church sits on Cloverdale Avenue in the Ardmore neighborhood of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a tree-lined corridor on the city's west side. From this single campus, the congregation has worshiped, taught, fed, and served for more than three-quarters of a century. The church identifies itself as part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a member congregation of Salem Presbytery, a Matthew 25 congregation, and an Earth Care Congregation, four overlapping identities that together describe a community aiming to be rooted in Reformed faith and active in the surrounding city.
The people of Highland describe their community in their own words as "a diverse priesthood of believers where inquisitive children, lively youth, and faithfully searching adults come together as we thoughtfully consider scripture, tradition, and what it means to live as God's people engaging pressing issues of our day." Members come from across the Piedmont Triad, and the dress on Sunday morning ranges from suits and dresses to Hawaiian shirts and blue jeans, a range the church openly welcomes. The pastoral staff sums up the mood this way: "We are broken people who often fall short of what God has intended, but we also believe that God loves us and works through us anyway."
Worship: Refreshingly Traditional, Musically Alive
Highland's own vision for worship is "refreshingly traditional, musically alive, deeply biblical, and joyfully intergenerational." Each Sunday service is centered in the reading of Scripture and preaching and in the sharing of the two sacraments of the Reformed tradition, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Music in worship draws from ancient and modern sources alike.
During the school year, from Labor Day through Memorial Day, the congregation gathers for Christian Education for all ages at 9:30 a.m. and then worships at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. During the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the schedule simplifies to a single 10:00 a.m. worship service, followed by a fellowship hour on the patio called Lemonade in the Shade. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, with the congregation coming forward to stations at the front of the Sanctuary to receive bread and an individual cup of juice, with gluten- and nut-free bread available.
A service is livestreamed each Sunday through the church's YouTube channel, beginning about fifteen minutes before the scheduled start, and a complete archive of recent sermons is available there. A Friendship Pad, both in print in the pews and in an online form, lets worshipers share their attendance with the pastors, and an accompanying prayer request form allows for confidential notes to the staff.
Children are woven into worship rather than separated from it. Kindergarteners and first graders are invited to join the Children and Worship program each Sunday morning after the Time for Young Disciples, meeting on the third floor of the Education Building in a Montessori-style room that walks them through the four movements of worship: gathering in God's name, hearing and seeing God's Word, responding to God with thanks, and going out into God's world. Up in the balcony, a PrayGround offers puzzles, storybooks, and coloring sheets so that children of any age can worship alongside their families while staying quietly engaged.
Seventy-Five Years on Cloverdale Avenue
In November 2019, Highland marked its seventieth anniversary, and in 2024 the congregation observed its seventy-fifth. The story began in 1949, when Dr. Julian Lake, then pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, broke ground for a new church in Ardmore. First worship services were held at First Presbyterian on Sunday afternoons at 5 p.m. In 1950 the congregation moved to 11 a.m. worship in a new Education Building on Cloverdale Avenue, the same year a Scouting program was launched and Bill Thacker became the first Church School Superintendent.
Dr. George Staples was called as Highland's first pastor in 1950. A new sanctuary was completed in 1956 at a cost of $257,270.99, and the sanctuary was renovated in 1977 and again through the "Praise" campaign of 2007, which rebuilt the pipe organ and added two buses. The current sanctuary also incorporates several physical reminders of the church's heritage. In 2016, the oak podium that served as Highland's first pulpit was returned to the area where it served in the church's early days, where it now stands in the Gathering Place near the Archives Room. A Memorial Garden was dedicated in 1995, and a "Graceful Place" renovation of the sanctuary was completed in 2003.
Pastors have shaped the life of the congregation in turn. Dr. Eugene Kirkman became the church's second minister in 1956. The Rev. J. Benjamin Kirkland Jr. was called as the third pastor in 1974, and the Rev. Steve McCutchan became the fourth in 1983, retiring in 2006 after twenty-three years and later being elected Pastor Emeritus. The Rev. Jim Wagner served as Interim Pastor, and in 2008 the Rev. Randy Harris was called as Highland's fifth pastor.
Other milestones dot the timeline. The first youth group formed in 1954, Family Night potluck suppers began in 1963, the first Montreat Weekend was held in 1981, and under Highland's leadership the CROP Walk became an annual citywide event in 1983. The Permanent Fund for capital improvements was established in 1989. The Rev. Debbie Layman joined the staff as associate pastor in 2004. The Rev. Jon Watt was called in 2008 as Highland's first full-time Director of Youth Ministry and was ordained and installed in 2009 as the church's first Associate Pastor for Youth. In 2014, Courtney Stevens was called as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adult Ministry. In the same spirit, the Rev. Heather Ferguson, who had served as Director of Christian Education from 1995 to 2010, was called again to that role in 2020.
Highland has shared more than $100,000 annually with community agencies in recent years, and the campus itself has grown to include the Sanctuary, the Education Wing, and an Activity Building across Cloverdale Avenue. In June 2026 the congregation was awaiting the installation of a new sign in front of the Sanctuary, the most recent physical update to the campus.
The Pastoral and Program Staff
Randy Harris, Pastor, has served at Highland since July 2008. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, and Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, Harris previously served as Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian in Columbus, Georgia, and as Pastor of Pickens Presbyterian in Pickens, South Carolina. He and his wife Carol Ann have a son and daughter, Marshall and Morgan.
Debbie Layman, Associate Pastor, has served at Highland since November 2004. A graduate of Davidson College and Princeton Theological Seminary, Layman came to Highland after eight years as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian in Urbana, Illinois. Her work centers on caring for members in sorrow and joy, learning about the needs of neighbors near and far, welcoming new members, and facilitating fellowship. She and her husband Glenn Otterbacher have two adult children.
Courtney Stevens, Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults, has served at Highland since August 2014. A graduate of Queens University of Charlotte and Columbia Theological Seminary, Stevens previously served in internships at Trinity Presbyterian in Atlanta, First Presbyterian in Gastonia, and Riverside Presbyterian in Jacksonville. She describes her work with young people this way: "My hope is not that our youth leave with every question answered, but that they know they have a community that will walk with them as they grow and that church can be a place of joy, honesty, belonging, and grace."
Heather Ferguson, Director of Christian Education, returned to Highland in 2020 after her earlier tenure from 1995 to 2010; she has also served Presbyterian congregations in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Asheville. A graduate of Montreat-Anderson College, Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, and Columbia Theological Seminary, she is described as someone who "loves to identify and nurture the gifts of ministry in members of all ages."
Chris Gilliam, Director of Music, joined Highland in August 2022. He grew up in Jonesville, North Carolina, and has served as Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor at Wake Forest University since 2020 and as Director of the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus since 2015. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice performance and the Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the University of Kansas. Susan Bates serves as Organist, having begun in June 2024. She came to Winston-Salem to study music at Salem College, did graduate work at Yale University where she served as Assistant University Organist and Instructor of Undergraduate Organ, and has previously served as organist at Home Moravian Church, West Market Street United Methodist Church in Greensboro, and Centenary United Methodist Church. Haley Chapman joined the staff in November 2023 as Director of Children's Music and Handbells. A graduate of Georgia Southern University and the University of Southern Mississippi, Chapman also serves as a chorus director at Summit School in Winston-Salem and as a section leader in the Chancel Choir.
A Tradition of Music
Music has long been a defining mark of life at Highland, and the church's vision of "musically alive" worship is supported by an unusually deep program. The Chancel Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings. The Children's Choir meets each Sunday morning at 10:15 and sings in worship periodically under Chapman's direction. A handbell program rounds out the children's music offerings. The Highland Ukuleles, which meets on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in Room 126, is open to all ages and skill levels; the church will lend an instrument to anyone who needs one.
The pipe organ that supports congregational singing is the rebuilt instrument from the 2007 "Praise" campaign, and the sanctuary also houses a rich array of liturgical symbolism that the pastors are happy to walk newcomers through. An acoustic cafe, hosted in mid-February on the church campus, features musicians from the congregation in an afternoon of live music, with salty and sweet snacks and a coffee and tea bar; the tradition brings together members and their friends in a deliberately unhurried setting.
Children, Youth, and Stepping Stones
Highland has long taken seriously its baptismal promise to walk with children and their families. The nurseries for infants and toddlers are open during the 11:00 a.m. worship service and are located in the Education Wing near the Magnolia entrance on the first and main floors, with elevator access for strollers. Judy Parro serves as Nursery Staff for the Preschool Nursery, supported by trained volunteers who have completed the church's Child, Youth, and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy training.
On Sunday mornings during the school year, children from age two through fourth grade gather on the third floor of the Education Building at 9:30 a.m. Preschoolers (ages two through four) follow a curriculum called Growing in Grace & Gratitude, while elementary-aged children rotate between Godly Play and Neighborhood Workshops that explore the same Bible story through art, drama, cooking, mission, and cinema. After Sunday School, all the children are led to the Children's Choir room for a final thirty minutes of music.
Stepping Stones is a monthly program for third and fourth graders that meets on second Sundays from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. The afternoons include lunch, basic Bible skills, hands-on activities, service projects, and a closing devotional time. The 2026 - 2027 advisors are Jim Bass, Becky Reynolds, and Kathryn Michel, with Barbara Bowman and Lauren Eberle as consultants and Heather Ferguson as staff support.
Youth ministry is open to fifth through twelfth graders, and the Sunday morning rhythm begins with Youth Breakfast at 9:30 a.m. in the Activity Building before splitting into Sunday School classes. Middlers spend the year in the New Testament, while Senior Highs engage in topical conversations about faith and life. Sunday evenings bring Youth Fellowship: Middlers meet from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. and Senior Highs from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., with dinner together in the overlap. The youth ministry also plans an annual Middle School Service Retreat and participates alongside the rest of the congregation in events such as the CROP Walk.
Young Adults and Faith & Film
Highland's Young Adults group meets on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. for people in their twenties and thirties, gathering in a different location each week, often at Winston-Salem Public House. The group reads together, prays, and serves in the community, with each week offering "a new way to grow in Christ and in connection with one another." Members come as they are and are encouraged to bring a friend.
Faith & Film, a monthly gathering usually held on second Sundays at 7:00 p.m. at The Sherwood Restaurant, uses movies as "visual parables" for theological conversation. Recent films have included Hamnet, available to watch on Netflix or to rent on Amazon Prime.
Adult Education and Book Groups
On Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m., several adult classes meet alongside the children's programs. The Present Word Class gathers in Room 124 and via Zoom to study the Bible as the primary source for Christian faith and practice; the fall study focuses on the stories of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel. The Lectionary Cafe in the Salem Room discusses the scripture passages that will shape the day's sermon. Parents' Coffee and Conversation in Room 126 offers a relaxed space for parents of children and youth, with fair-trade coffee and an open invitation to come for company as much as content. Other classes that meet during the year include "You Are Changing the World, Whether You Like It or Not," which explores David LaMotte's book about how ordinary people participate in meaningful change, and "Little Steps, Big Faith," which draws on early childhood development research to help parents nurture faith in their young children.
A series of book groups meets at various points through the month. The Matthew 25 Book Group, the Poverty Book Group, the Listening to Black Voices Book Group, the LGBTQ Book Group, the Intergenerational Book Group, and the Highland Pageturners Women's Book Group each read a different selection, with the Pageturners meeting on the third Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at rotating homes. Mid-Week Bible Studies, including a Thursday morning women's group, are described on a dedicated page and updated in the weekly newsletter.
Each summer, a Documentary Series brings the congregation together for a film screening followed by a panel discussion. The August 2026 program featured Harvest of Dignity, a PBS documentary about migrant farmworkers, with a panel of experts from Wake Forest University.
Friendship Groups and Congregational Life
Highland's fellowship life is intentionally varied. Wind Down with Women provides gathering spaces for women across the life of the church. Highland "Mums" Night Out, hosted on first Sundays at 7:00 p.m. at rotating homes, builds a circle of friendship among mothers of children and youth. Drinks for Four is an informal arrangement in which small groups of men decide when and where to meet. Meet and Eat Groups reshuffle every six months into new sets of seven to nine people who commit to sharing four meals together, a structure the church describes as "a wonderful way to get to know folks in our church family." The congregation also gathers each Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Camel City Coffee for casual conversation with the pastors, and on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. for Lamentations and Laughter, a long-running men's fellowship that meets in Room 5 of the Activity Building.
Retreats and seasonal traditions are part of the rhythm. An All-Church Retreat is held in the fall, and Women's and Men's Retreats take place each spring at Montreat, North Carolina. The Dash Game in early summer brings members and friends to a Winston-Salem minor league baseball game. The Highland Picnic at Bolton Park closes out the summer. Acoustic Cafe in February and Friday Fun Nights, scheduled monthly through the school year from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., round out the calendar.
Caring for One Another
Congregational Care at Highland is organized around concrete acts of presence. The committee delivers flowers, writes Caring Cards, provides gift cards and notes to high schoolers during exams, makes birthday visits to members over ninety, and knits prayer squares for homebound members. A parents' afternoon out gives weary parents a break. Congregational Care has also partnered with Highland's preschoolers to deliver artwork in the form of St. Patrick's Day cards to elder members, and treats college-age youth with emailed Valentine's gifts.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Salem Room of the Activity Building. As shawls and baby blankets are knit or crocheted, prayers are offered for the future recipient; once a shawl is complete, the group blesses it before delivery. Recipients include adults, children, and newborns in need of comfort and healing.
Highland also offers a Caregiver Support Group and maintains an online page of mental health resources, including a guided progressive muscle relaxation exercise, a webinar on anxiety from The Mood Treatment Center, a loving-kindness meditation from a music therapist at Trellis Supportive Care, a five-sense mindfulness exercise, the Calm app, and a community-created poem titled "If the Trees Can Keep Dancing, So Can I."
Caring for the Community: The Moore Pantry and Beyond
In 2013, Highland and Temple Emanuel jointly established the Moore Magnet Elementary School Food Pantry, the first school-based pantry in Forsyth County and a model for others that have followed. The pantry offers shelf-stable items, fresh produce, fruit, bread, and frozen meat to families with children enrolled at Moore Elementary. It is open bimonthly all year long, and Second Harvest has recognized it as a leader in providing healthy food choices for entire households, not only the children. The church office receives donations through a box in the Gallery hallway and maintains an online sign-up for volunteers.
The congregation supports unhoused neighbors through the White Flag Shelter and through crisis ministries, and maintains a longer list of community partners that share in more than $100,000 of mission giving each year. The list includes ABC of NC, Action4Equity, Bethesda Center, CareNet Counseling, the Children's Law Center, Crisis Control Ministry, the Family Services Domestic Violence Shelter, the Forsyth Backpack Program, Prison Ministry, greeNest, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, iCan House, the Mental Health Association, Presbyterian Campus Ministries, Presbyterian Inter-Racial Dialogue, Riverwood Therapeutic Riding Center, Samaritan Ministries, Second Harvest Food Bank, Senior Services, the Shalom Project, the Shepherd's Center, Trinity Center, and the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission.
Caring for the World
On the first Sunday of each month, the congregation collects a Hunger Offering that includes pasta sauce for Crisis Control and the "5 Cents a Meal" offering for Salem Presbytery. Once a year, the church receives the four PC(USA) special offerings: One Great Hour of Sharing on Easter, the Pentecost Offering on Pentecost Sunday, the Peace & Global Witness Offering on World Communion Sunday, and the Christmas Joy Offering on the Sunday before Christmas. Blankets+, a Church World Service program, provides warm blankets to people in need around the world, including in the United States. The annual CROP Walk, which Highland helped turn into a citywide tradition in 1983, raises money for Church World Service, with Crisis Control Ministry and Sunnyside Ministry each receiving a portion of the proceeds. Presbyterian Campus Ministry extends support to students and faculty at the North Carolina School for the Arts, Salem College, Wake Forest University, and Winston-Salem State University.
The Alternative Christmas Giving tradition, held annually in December, redirects seasonal giving toward hunger-related projects. The 2023 program supported a Family Nutrition Starter Kit, a Family of Chickens, and a Bag of Moringa Seeds through the Presbyterian Giving Catalogue, alongside local food for the White Flag Shelter.
Highland has a long-term mission partner in Guatemala. Amanda Craft was appointed in January 2009 to serve in Guatemala with the IENPG (the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala) in the area of women's leadership development. The congregation also supports El Buen Pastor, a PC(USA) new-church development serving Spanish-speaking neighbors in Winston-Salem, with a special offering received once a year.
Earth Care and the Pollinator Garden
As an Earth Care Congregation, Highland has pledged to celebrate God's grace in creation, to encourage members to keep and heal creation, to manage facilities in ways that respect the earth, and to engage public policy on environmental protection. Following worship services and congregational meals, volunteers collect compostable paper products and food scraps in bins that are picked up by Triad Composting. The fellowship meals use ceramic dishes rather than disposables to reduce waste. A recent addition to the campus is a native plant and pollinator garden near the Memorial Garden on Magnolia Street. The garden features species adapted to local soil and climate, requires less water and no pesticides, and provides vital habitat for birds, pollinators, and insects. The Earth Care Committee also partners with GotSneakers, a sneaker-recycling program that keeps shoes out of landfills.
Racial Equity: HEART Force
In June 2020, Highland's Session approved the formation of a Racial Justice Task Force, now known as H.E.A.R.T. Force, Highland's Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force. The group curates and shares an extensive set of racial equity resources organized by format, including short and long videos, books, articles, and podcasts, as well as materials designed for children, youth, and parents. Among the longer documentaries in the library are Ava DuVernay's 13th, the PBS documentary Slavery by Another Name, and Spike Lee's Four Little Girls. The list of resources for action also points readers toward the Intercultural Development Inventory, the Racial Equity Institute, the Changing the Lens training, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness.
Scouting and Other Longstanding Programs
Scouting at Highland began in 1950, the same year the congregation moved to its current campus, and remains part of the church's outreach to families in Ardmore. A Men's Basketball team was added in 1974 as part of the church's 25th anniversary observance. Presbyterian Women, organized into an Afternoon Circle meeting on first Mondays and a Morning Circle meeting on first Tuesdays, gathers for Bible study, fellowship, and service.
Governance and What "Presbyterian" Means Here
The word "Presbyterian" means "governed by elders," and Highland's leadership reflects that structure. The Session, made up of women and men elected by the congregation as Ruling Elders, governs alongside the church's three Teaching Elders, or pastors. The Diaconate is similarly elected and shares responsibility for ministry. Members of the Session and Diaconate, together with the pastors, the Director of Christian Education, and the Director of Music, form the leadership of the church. Randy Harris serves as Moderator of the Session, Debbie Layman as Vice-Moderator, John Bain as Clerk, and Miles Abernethy as Treasurer. Standing committees of the Session include Christian Education, Fellowship and Communication, Long Range Planning, Membership, Nominating, Personnel, Worship, and Youth & Young Adult Ministry. Committees of the Diaconate include Community Service, Congregational Care, Finance, Global Service, Memorial Garden, Permanent Fund, Property, and Stewardship.
Facilities and Accessibility
Highland's Sanctuary, Education Wing, and Activity Building across Cloverdale Avenue form a single campus. Maps of the Sanctuary, Staff Offices, Education Building, and Activity Building are available. The first floor of the Education Wing houses adult classrooms, the Gathering Place, the playground, the administrative offices, and the church library. An elevator provides safe and convenient access to all floors, including for those using strollers. A handicapped entrance off of Magnolia Avenue leads to the elevator for those who need it. A Memorial Garden and a Gathering Garden and Playground, the latter dedicated in July 2026, round out the outdoor spaces. A native plant and pollinator garden near the Memorial Garden adds to the sense of place.
Visiting Highland
The Sanctuary opens for in-person worship at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays during the school year and at 10:00 a.m. during the summer months. The 9:30 a.m. Christian Education hour offers classes for all ages, and the livestream on the church's YouTube channel is available for those joining from home. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, and gluten- and nut-free bread is provided. Greeters can direct visitors to the nursery, the Children's Choir room, the PrayGround in the balcony, or the adult Sunday School classes. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is closed on Friday. The address is 2380 Cloverdale Avenue NW, Winston-Salem, NC 27103, and the phone number is (336) 724-6303. Information is also available by email at info@highlandpres.org.