Christ Presbyterian Church
Monday, September 06, 2010
- A Fellowship of Love

Our History

Started in 1978 with Buzz Kell as pastor during the ferment of the charismatic movement, Christ Presbyterian Church moved to its present location during the early 80s, occupying the former Calvary Presbyterian Church building. Doug McMurry was called to be pastor in 1985 and under his leadership cultivated a church devoted to prayer and city-wide spiritual renewal. Beginning in 1992, the Lord brought several interns to serve under Doug's leadership and Chris Walker, one of these interns, became our Associate Pastor in 1998.

Christ Prez has been involved in the development of a number of innovative ministries, both here in Richmond and around the world.

  • Richmond Metropolitan Crisis Pregnancy Center in 1983.
  • Set Free Ministries in the early 1990’s--an Exodus-type ministry to homosexuals.
  • The Stable Theater in the 1990’s--a drama ministry that performs 3 full-scale productions a year.
  • In 1999, The Mobile Member Care Team, a team of professionals based in Accra, Ghana, who minister healing to traumatized missionaries on the field in Africa.
    Mission trips to Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Ghana.
  • Serving as a church home and support for a number of missionaries at the local YWAM base with emphasis in such areas as Kings Kids, Principles of Christian Youth Ministry, Jewish Studies and Family Ministries.
  • Ministries of Christian unity and racial reconciliation such as the Reconciliation Coalition and the March for Jesus.
  • Common Ground, a prayer fellowship for Richmond area pastors learning to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and on each other.
  • Serving as host for the Three Feathers Gathering, a weekly Native American expression of worship and fellowship.
  • "Care Communities" Sunday School, in which parents take an active part in discipling their children in mixed-age and multi-modal classes.
  • Eternity Church with Third Presbyterian Church and Victory Life Christian Fellowship, an international, multiethnic, church with a call to Richmond's inner city.

Doug McMurry has written and published several books on diverse topics such as marriage, prayer, Christian discipleship, and the power of God. He was also instrumental in birthing The Dunamis Project, through the ministry of PRMI (Presbyterian and Reformed Ministries International). This is a six-part series of conferences designed to help church leaders open up to the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in their personal lives and ministries. Locally, he has been key in instigating city-wide prayer in the greater Richmond area, drawing pastors together across racial and denominational lines, to work together and pray together as "the Body of Christ in Richmond."

Chris Walker had the vision to form a contemporary evening service called Crossroads, which eventually joined with an international fellowship that moved to our sanctuary from Third Presbyterian and became Eternity Church. As one of the leaders of this fellowship Chris felt called to move on in ministry with them when they obtained their own building in 2002.

In February, 2004, Doug stepped down as pastor to pursue his vision for city-wide ministry full-time and Will Smith, another one of our former interns, became our interim pastor from early 2004 through 2006.

In February, 2007, Kevin Germer was installed as pastor of Christ Prez and another chapter in our history is now unfolding.