A 260-Year-Old Church on Old Salisbury-Concord Road
New Gilead Reformed Church sits on Old Salisbury-Concord Road in the New Gilead community of Concord, North Carolina, where it has had a continuous presence since 1766. The congregation is one of the oldest in Cabarrus County, with roots reaching back to the German settlers who arrived on Coldwater Creek northeast of Concord. Many current members are direct descendants of those first Lutheran and Reformed families who organized what was then called the Coldwater Church.
The church's longtime verse, displayed at the top of its communications, comes from John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Sunday Mornings for Every Age
Sunday morning begins with Sunday school. Adult Sunday School starts at 9:40 am, and Children's Sunday School for kindergarten through fifth grade begins at 10:00 am. The main worship service follows at 11:00 am.
Children are woven into the full morning. A staffed nursery is open throughout the 11:00 am service for infants through PreK, and after the children's message during worship, K through fifth graders are invited to leave for children's church with volunteers from the children's ministry.
For those who cannot be in the sanctuary, the service is livestreamed at 11:00 am on the church's YouTube page, with a link also posted to Facebook. Recordings remain available afterward for anyone who wants to catch up.
Traditional Worship with Hymns, Prayer, and Communion
The service lasts about an hour. It includes roughly 25 minutes of Bible-based teaching, traditional hymns led on both organ and piano, a time when prayer requests and praises are lifted up aloud, and Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month.
Carolyn Cline directs the choir, and Melanie Misenheimer serves as organist and pianist, leading the music each week. The combination of choir, organ, and piano gives the service a clearly traditional feel.
There is no dress code. The congregation invites visitors to come as they are and "plan to leave refreshed and renewed." Once the service begins, the other doors are locked for the safety of the children, and the main front door of the sanctuary remains unlocked throughout the morning for latecomers.
From Coldwater Creek to ECO
New Gilead's long history has had a few notable turning points. The Coldwater Church was organized in 1766, and the congregation celebrated its bicentennial in 1966. In 2007, the members voted to be dismissed from the United Church of Christ. Most recently, in 2021, the congregation voted to join ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, connecting New Gilead to a national network of churches along with resources, training, discipleship opportunities, and a global missions network. Today the church belongs to the North Carolina Presbytery of ECO.
Pastor Kevin Davis and Rev. Larry Bolick
Rev. Kevin Davis was installed as pastor in March 2025. He grew up in Concord and Kannapolis and is happy to serve the community he has always loved. He and his wife Lisa met at seminary, where they both earned Master of Divinity degrees. They married in May 2021 and have two daughters. Lisa works as a pediatric chaplain with Hands of Hope and is in the ordination process with ECO. Pastor Kevin earned a B.A. in Religious Studies at UNC Charlotte, an M.Th. from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and an M.Div. from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte. He was ordained at New Gilead on March 2, 2025 by the North Carolina Presbytery of ECO.
Rev. Larry Bolick, who served as pastor of New Gilead from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, returned as the church's visitation pastor during the time between settled pastors. He has since retired again, and the congregation thanks him for those years of service.
Ministries for Every Season
Sunday school classes for adults, youth, and children all meet around 10:00 am on Sunday mornings, each studying scripture, enjoying fellowship, and thinking practically about how to apply what they are learning to daily life.
The Young at Heart Friends gather on the second Monday of every month for a meal, a program, birthday celebrations, and outings. The Thursday Night Friends get together for dinner at restaurants around town. The Women's Guild runs fundraisers, manages the kitchen, prepares funeral meals, donates to missions, and creates fellowship opportunities. The men of the church cook the famous BBQ chicken for fundraisers whose proceeds the Women's Guild uses to support ministries and organizations throughout the year.
Children's ministry extends well beyond Sunday morning with events at the church and off-site, pizza parties, inflatables, and water play. The children's ministry volunteers also run hotdog fundraisers, with proceeds going back into events for the kids.
Serving Cabarrus County
Outside the church walls, the Benevolence and Outreach committee works to be the hands and feet of Christ in the community, vetting opportunities where New Gilead can help. The congregation participates in the Meals on Wheels program throughout Cabarrus County, delivering meals to older adults who need fresh food at home. Online giving is available through the church's Church Center page, and a YouTube archive of past services goes back through the church's online worship life.