Our Background
FOUNDING
Our church was first established in Southwest Durham by 31 charter members in 1967 as “Triangle Presbyterian Church” in response to the growing development of the Research Triangle Park. The congregation was originally located near the intersections of highways 54 and 55.
NEW LOCATION
Twenty years later developers made a substantial offer to purchase the land and facility, allowing for a larger campus to be built in its current location at the corner of highway 54 and Tudor Place. The congregation moved into the facility and held the first worship service on October 11, 1987. When the congregation took occupancy of the new facility it was debt-free.
EXPANSION
This facility was quickly outgrown and in 1993 major addi-tions to the sanctuary and Christian education space were added. A second expansion occured in 2002 adding a Family Life Center, full-size commercial kitchen, a Welcome Center, 5 additional classrooms, 2 offices, and more re-strooms.
CHANGE OF DENOMINATIONS
In 2016 the church transitioned denominations from the PCUSA into ECO, a Covenant Order of Evangelical Presby-terians. This move allowed the congregation to remain faithful to its understanding of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. Concurrent to embracing this new denomination, Triangle Presbyterian Church adopted a new name, Triangle Grace Church.
Triangle Grace Church & ECO
Background of ECO
Our denomination is called ECO: A Covenant Order of Evan-gelical Presbyterians. It was birthed in 2012 as a new body of covenanted, connectional churches of whom most were previously a part of the PCUSA denomination. Currently it has approximately 130,000 members, 400 churches organized into 22 presbyteries, and 500 pastors.
This idea of ECO is that our denomination has a passion for strengthening the ecosystems of local churches. ECO be-lieves that the church is a living organism that needs life-giving resources to help it grow, thrive, and multiply. ECO is committed to cultivating a healthy, diverse, resource-rich ecosystem where pastors and congregations can flourish.
Theology and Polity of ECO
ECO is committed to an evangelical and reformed view of faith and scripture. Its primary theological document is called the Essential Tenets which members, called “Covenant Partners,” assent to as their guiding set of theo-logical convictions. ECO maintains a commitment to histor-ic theological confessions which include the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Confession, the Westminster Larger Cate-chism, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and the Theo-logical Declaration of Barmen.
The polity of ECO remains Presbyterian. Coming out of the PCUSA, ECO has created a simpler leadership structure with a deep desire to foster mission and ministry by reduc-ing bureaucracy. The mission statement of ECO reflects this priority, “We desire to build flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ.”
Click here to go to the ECO website.
Click here to read the Essential Tenets of ECO.