In the Spring of 1909, a prayer group of about a dozen people desired to start a church. A small room in the home of Adrian Spain was the original meeting place thus the beginning of what is now called the Living Waters Christian Community.
A short time later the upstairs room of a grocery store on Angier Avenue became the mission. In October 1909 the North Carolina Conference of the Pentecostal Holiness Church accepted the mission into the Conference. The name was then changed to the Edgemont P.H. Church.
In 1912, while the P.H. Church Annual Conference was being held at the Edgemont P.H. Church, an oil lamp was overturned causing extensive damage to the one-room meeting place. Mr. Spain once again opened his home as a meeting place. Later a lot was purchased across the street from the Spain home, the first church building was erected. The church was completed in 1914 and was named the Lyon Street Pentecostal Holiness Church.
The Lyon Street P.H. Church operated from 1914-1937. While Rev. Jack F. Goins was pastor, the church bought property at the corner of Hyde Park Avenue and Taylor Street at a cost of $1,000. The indebtedness for this lot was paid off while Rev. T. A. Melton was pastor and plans for a new church were started. The Lyon Street building was torn down and some of the materials were used in the new church. During construction, the church met in the Edgemont School auditorium. The Hyde Park P.H. Church was completed in the fall of 1938. In 1940, while Rev. C. A. Stroud was pastor, the lot at the corner of Taylor and Maple Streets was purchased at a cost of $1,000. The lot was to be the site of the parsonage. The parsonage was completed in 1944. Rev. Doyle Zachary was the first pastor to live in the new parsonage. The next phase was an Educational Building which was completed in 1960. In 1978, while Rev. C. C. Carpenter was pastor, the land was purchased for the Living Waters P.H. Church.
The land indebtedness was paid off after Rev. Larry Queen was sent as our pastor in 1978. The Lord game Linda Queen the name of our church Living Waters P.H. Church. The name was later changed by the congregation to Living Waters Christian Community. The first service held on this property was in a tent, where the parking lot is presently located. Rev. J. Arthur Wells, former pastor at Hyde Park Church, was the evangelist. The official dedication date of the present sanctuary was October 30, 1983. The congregation that moved from the Hyde Park Church numbered 60 adults and children. Over the next decade the church experienced tremendous growth with many of the nation’s greatest evangelists and teachers conducting services. Pastor Queen pastored until 1995 when he and Linda became evangelists for the IPHC World Missions. Ron Watts became the Pastor on January 1, 1995 after serving as associate for 3 years under Pastor Queen.
Living Waters Christian Community | 1104 LYNN RD., DURHAM, North Carolina 27703 | (919) 596-6909