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Locust-based Carolina Presbyterian Church will observe a milestone on Oct. 20, as the date will mark the 50th anniversary of the church’s first worship service.
Beginnings
The Pot Roost, a sales building owned by Walter and Mary Welch, served as the site of the congregation’s initial meeting, a Wednesday night prayer gathering on Oct. 16, 1974. The church’s first Sunday worship service followed on the 20th, with 165 in attendance.
Nov. 2, 1974 marked the church’s official charter, with the congregation officially designated as “Carolina Presbyterian Church” and being received by the Central Carolina Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America. The church opened with a charter membership of 104, and with Rev. R. Thomas Cheely appointed as organizing pastor.
Cheely was called as full-time pastor of the church Dec. 22, 1974, and members arranged for services to be at the Stanfield Elementary auditorium until a permanent church facility could be built.
Missions
It has been said, “The sun never sets on the outreach and work of Carolina Presbyterian Church.”
From the church’s early years, it has conducted an annual Missions Conference, allowing members and visitors to meet those that God has called into mission work. The event provides an opportunity for church members to get to know the missionaries they support through prayers and financial giving on a personal level.
Faith Promise Giving, a concept of stepping out in faith to pledge an amount of money that only God can provide, is a concept the church adopted in its early years and continues today.
Since the adoption of the concept, testimonies have been shared with the church by missionaries of how God has provided for them, and the church now supports missionaries worldwide.
A number of Carolina Presbyterian members have experienced and answered personal calls to foreign missions. Destinations have included Africa, Europe, Honduras, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Russia. Missionaries in these areas have served in numerous capacities including construction, printing of Christian literature, and Bible translation to name a few.
Carolina Christian School
Carolina Presbyterian initiated a preschool program in the 1980s that started with a single class and has continually grown, and has led to development of a Christian day school.
In September 1999, Carolina Christian School began classes with students in kindergarten through second grades. The school continued to grow and now encompasses grades Pre-K through 12. The school is accredited through Christian Schools International (CSI), Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Cognia, and is licensed through the North Carolina Department of Non-Public Instruction.
Hispanic Outreach
With an increasing number of Hispanic families moving into the area, Carolina Presbyterian strives to reach this population. Rev. Salatiel Chuc was called to fill the need of this ministry on March 17, 2010. Services are now held in English and Spanish on Sundays and on Wednesday nights.
Church Facility
After its early days of meeting at The Pot Roost and at Stanfield Elementary School, Carolina Presbyterian began construction of a sanctuary at 406 Renee Ford Road in Locust during the 1980s. The construction, done by John R. Hartsell and crew, was helped along by volunteers from the church membership, and was completed on Sept. 17, 1989. Since that time, additional growth has necessitated further expansion.
Pastoral History
Pastors have included:
• Thomas Cheely (organizing pastor and first pastor) 1974-1980
• Eulice Thomas 1981-1989
• Joseph Sullivan 1990-1996
• Patrick Womack 1996-2011
• Michael Cannon 2011-2013
• David Yoran 2014-2021
• Cory Colravy 2021-2023
50th Anniversary Celebration
Carolina Presbyterian celebrates its 50th year of ministry as part of its annual Missions Conference.
The conference begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a dinner, followed by a missions presentation and a worship service.
A full day of activities is planned for Saturday, including helicopter rides, a hayride, and a barbecue dinner in addition to a missionary roundtable discussion and an evening worship service.
On Sunday, Andy Cheely, director of world missions for Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, will bring the message.
Cheely was born in Atlanta but spent his formative years in Locust when his father, Rev. R. Thomas Cheely, helped plant Carolina Presbyterian and served as the church’s first pastor.
The service will be followed by a covered dish lunch and a presentation on the church’s history.
Note: CPC members Dave Eddy and John Hartsell assisted with information for this article.

Toby Thorpe is a freelance writer for The Stanly News & Press.