We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine:…read more Parking: 4 Location: 4 Decor/ambiance: 5+ Customer Service: 5+ MAN... Mannnn O Mannnnnn... New Hope... This has to be one of the most amazing churches in the RDU area. The experience from beginning to end was top notch. Its churches like New Hope who are leading the way for this new age church. New Hope is such a welcoming atmosphere. I was able to attend church in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a beannie and NO ONE LOOKED AT ME AS IF I WAS OUT OF PLACE! I was floored. I actually feel as if I fitted right in. I love the multicultural attendance. There is an amazing ratio of nationalities represented at New Hope. The word from the senior pastor was great. He was detailed yet easy to follow. He was engaging yet full of substance. They offer so much! They have a really sweet looking children's church! It looked so cool I wanted to experience it for myself. Just a few tips, get their at least 15 minutes before service time to enjoy the time to mingle. They have a full service starbucks out front and it was pretty packed at the 10:45 service. Also get there early to take advantage of the best parking options. With that being said, give New Hope a try. I look forward to coming back soon!

The church is large but they draw to be very engaging. There are a number of community outreach…read moreprograms, volunteering efforts and children's events.

A perfect place if you like the way contemporary mega churches worship but don't like the crowds,…read morethough I am sure it will grow larger over time. They have a children's church and the midweek service is as exciting as Sunday morning worship. Fiery preaching with academic depth.

This church has a small family type of feel. When you walk in the doors you can feel the presence…read moreof the Holy Spirit. However, the members leave a lot to be desired, as well as the pastor. If you want to go to a church where you will receive the message God has for you, then this is the place. If you are looking for a church home where the members actually speak to you, welcome you with open arms, and the pastor makes an effort to learn your name, you might just want to keep searching.

The River Church has two services on Sunday at 9 and 11 am. They also have services at 12 noon and…read more7 pm on Tuesday. The praise & worship ministry and the awesome band is able to usher God in during the service prior to hearing a great word preached by Bishop Ronald Godbee. Bishop Godbee is a kind man of God that cares about people and teaches from the Bible. The church has multiple ministries including a nursing home ministry, dance ministry, media, and a ministry dedicated to the health of the members of the church. The River often gives back to the community by having events such as back to school events with free book bags and supplies for individuals in the community and giving away food during the pandemic. There is also a separate curriculum that is taught to the children in the church for those that attend 4life during the service. The church also has safety measures in place such as taking temperature and providing hand sanitizer to those that worship at the church. I def recommend visiting the River Church in Durham.

My first visit to The River Durham started off amazing on 7/6/2025! The usher who greeted me was…read morethorough and made sure I felt welcome upon entering. I really enjoyed the praise and worship and loved experiencing a down-south Black church atmosphere. The bishop delivered a sermon titled "Justice and Mercy," and I appreciated how he addressed heavy-hitting topics that most pastors wouldn't usually touch upon. He expressed empathy for those who felt justice was not served in the verdict from the Diddy trial, and he talked about how our justice system often fails us. He highlighted many inequalities within our systems, including the political system and the rollout of "The Big Beautiful Bill". He also pointed out that the Constitution wasn't written with 'us' in mind. I admired how the Bishop could take a more radical left-wing stance in support of the Black community while also calling for God's mercy to be the true source of justice. However, things took a drastic turn when the sermon began to derail. The Bishop made comments laced with homophobic rhetoric that left me feeling uncomfortable. He said, "I don't agree with a homosexual lifestyle because it interrupts the community," and "I want the church to be a place for homosexuals to run to." I was shocked to hear this unnecessary commentary, as it had nothing to do with the original sermon topic and disrupted the flow of his message. How can someone's individual sexuality impact an entire community?? Let people love who they want to love. It was astounding to hear a pastor, who is calling for justice in our community, spewing antiquated homophobic views. Even if he holds a mindset of "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," he wasn't leading with love. I don't understand how he expects the queer community to view this church as a safe haven if this is how he approaches it. I pray Bishop Ronald engages in more research and discussions with more progressive pastors on this subject. For example, Pastor Mike Walrond from First Corinthians Baptist Church in Harlem discussed this topic on Jerrod Carmichael's show with his mother, who has a similar mindset. This pastor provided biblically-based guidance on this issue, and I hope Bishop Ronald takes the time to review this scene because he risks alienating congregation members and visitors. This church's demographic leans a bit younger, which made the situation even more surprising. As an ally of the queer community, I understand that their struggle for equality is similar to the ones that we have historically faced in the Black community. The statement that had me the most flabbergasted was something about losing homosexuals due to their sin. He started off talking about people who live a life of crime in the streets. And he remarked about not wanting to have to bury them. But then he circled back to people who are "battling sexuality" and said that and "if they don't get it right he's going to have to bury them". (I'm paraphrasing but that was the sentiment). This is hyperbole at its finest. This notion that being gay leads to demise, in the same way that it does for someone living a life of crime, is such a false equivalency. I have friends who are queer and I would never want to invite them to a church that preaches with this mindset. If God made us all in His own image, wouldn't He have considered homosexuals during that creation? Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors. Gay people are simply trying to live their lives. I've also heard from queer people who have attempted to "pray the gay away" due to pastors preaching in this manner. No one asks to be oppressed, and people do not choose to be born this way; yet God still loves them in the way that He loves you and I. I was honestly quite disgusted, and I'm surprised I didn't get up and walk out, but I kept waiting for the bishop to redeem himself. I was shocked to look around and see that those around me seemed unfazed, which reflects the church body and perhaps indicates they are just used to this rhetoric. This will be my first and last visit to River Durham. It's a shame because this church seems to be doing amazing work in the community, such as giving back to small businesses. Right now, there's a focus on non-profit companies that are making it impact in the area. I definitely know that there is a need in that space. I just hope that the Bishop realizes there is a need to also shift his mindset around the queer community because they need his support too. I pray you do better. In Jesus' name.

This is a great church. The Pastor is awesome and so are the people. The church is a growing church…read morewith a strong emphasis on helping people (within the church and within the community). The sermons are Biblically based and the atmosphere within the church, in my opinion, is inviting and comfortable. What I really love about this church is that even though it's a small congregation right now, the things they do for the community is awesome. I also love that this church is always implementing services that will help people grow in God. I highly recommend this church and pray that if the Pastor and his beautiful wife continue to do Godly Works, the Church Services will grow to the point of no more capacity, and a new bigger Church will have to be obtained. Thanks Bridge Church of South Raleigh for all you are doing! God Bless.

My parents have been members of UPC for years. It is a beautiful church with wonderful people!read more

I'm an atheist who hasn't been to a church since I was in grade school. I was really nervous to go…read more I initially found them while attending one of their Dismantling Racism workshops- which they do regularly. Admittedly, the congregation is a good bit white... I give it four stars though because they're doing a lot of work to change that including the workshops, educating people about the racist history of the UU church and how they've worked to change that (and are still working). Today's worship was completely presented by POC and their rotating messages on their digital board, vwhich faces the road, include "black lives matter" and "love is love" with a rainbow background. I'm still an atheist, btw, but now I'm an atheist unitarian universalist and I'm not the only one!

I love ERRUF. They have a talented ministry and add so much goodness to our community.read more

We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine:…read more Parking: 5 Location: 5 Decor/ambiance: 5 Customer Service: 5 Pastor Desmond Ellis is an amazing man of God! I've known him for many many years and to witness such an amazing move happening in his life is a pleasure. Body of Believers is a church lead by Pastor Ellis and Lady Ellis. They are a church who believes in God's everlasting love. When you come and visit you will sure feel this throughout the atmosphere. I'm giving Body of Believers 5 stars as its a great church on the move making big things happen throughout the city of Raleigh.

I LOVE MY CHURCH!! If you are looking for a welcoming and comfortable place of worship; this is it!…read moreJesus and the Holy Spirit are present every Sunday. Pastor Ellis and Lady Ellis seek to foster an environment that ALL people can worship and seek Salvation. Come out and worship with us.

Yikes! I went by myself a week ago to check this church out, and while I was impressed with the…read morehospitality, I was discouraged by the pastor, and lack of biblically based sermons. Although everyone was welcoming and kind, when talking with the pastor, his eyes seemed to glaze over as he was giving me his welcome speech. It seemed a bit rehearsed, and like he was trying to be Steven Furtik. In addition, when listening to his sermons, it was evident that this pastor has no biblical teaching, hasn't attended any sort of seminary and therefore quite a bit of what he was saying wasn't connected together, was based on what old churches have said in the past, and the scripture presented didn't seem to match up to what was being said. I would check out another church that seems to have a multitude of biblically sound leaders and a responsive congregation.

If you're looking for a place to call home, look no further! From the time you walk through the…read morefront door, you'll be greeted with warm smiles & authentic enthusiasm. The Kid City program is safe & fun, & our two year daughter loves going -- happily waves "bye bye" to us every Sunday, & always comes home singing songs from their time of worship. Pastors Stuart & April truly care about who you are & what your story is & the direction your life is headed. City Light is about more than just "filling sits" -- it's a community. They even have dinner parties throughout the week, to just get to together & chat on a deeper level. :) They just launched in January & they are actively growing -- & I can speak for them, when I say, we'd love to have you visit us!