We moved to this area in January. We looked for a church before someone recommended The Summit to us. We have found our new home church here and are blessed by the weekly gospel message. All the pastors are amazing and the volunteers are very friendly and welcoming. We began to volunteer a few months ago and glad we did. We highly recommend you come experience it for yourself. read more

Absolutely love Summit!! I did a two-year long Church search and knew instantly that I found my Church home after I met the people here, and heard messages from the most knowledgeable and Gospel centered pastors I've ever heard! The middle school ministry at Capital Hills has been excellent for my granddaughter! She feels welcomed and is growing in her faith. (I go to the Capital Hills location and to the Blue Ridge location depending on who is visiting with me:)) I've also visited the Garner location and loved the folks there! read more

Exemplary church from knowledgeable Christ centered sermons to multi-faced outreach to genuinely living the Christian life of the Bible. A truly alive place. Very warm and welcoming. Don't miss giving it a try; you will not be disappointed. read more

I met two members of this church while drinking coffee. After a long chat I found I was interested in joining and gave them my email address. Never heard back from them and I got the impression that they were "fair-weather Christians" and didn't want to actually help someone struggling with life/faith. All I was searching for was fellowship and spiritual guidance....All I got was the "cold-shoulder"... I have only recently found Jesus, but I do know this much....Faith means not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk. Not enough of those who profess the doctrine of our Lord actually live by the example Jesus set for us. We are at war with evil and I consider myself a soldier in that battle. A war that most are as of yet unaware of, but a war none the less. The Lord's people come in all shapes, sizes and from every socio-economic level. We have the least to lose but often in history we have been called upon to fight the most. You will not find the Lord's people wearing finery and sleeping in fancy houses. But you will find them under bridges, living in tents and boxes. These are the true children of God who will share what little they have and tend to look after each other. My health is failing, and my cancer has come back. Probably don't have too long but I am not afraid at all for after 49 years I have finally found the Lord. My only fear in this world is failing God and I plan on devoting what time I have left to helping people...all kinds of people for we all are God's children...God Bless and know that some are already fighting the battle of Light over Darkness. Take it from someone who chooses to walk the walk and not just talk... Michael read more

I was looking for a church to lead me in loving my community the way I see Jesus did in the Gospels. I sought outreach to all people with God's love and invitation to "Come and see"- regardless of any other detail about them. I found it at Summit. Worship is powerful in the truth of the Word, and Small Groups let me know my neighbors. Truly each week we are sent out to love, serve and share the Good News of God. read more

Dangerously deceived eternal security Calvinist teacher (as are many SBC pastors), which is a false gospel. Amazing refutation of eternal security: https://youtu.be/lY6GB54KXV4 His teachings are similar to the false teachings of Joseph Prince: https://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/joseph-prince-destined-to-reign.htm I attended Summit Church while I was a student at college. At the time, I would've rated his church 5 stars because I didn't know much about the Bible (I was a new Christian). Things I like: JD is a passionate preacher and gifted communicator who is very likeable and funny. His church plays contemporary music and is modern with warm and nice people. His sermons teach a lot about the Bible and he always ties it to the gospel. He definitely has a heart for the lost. Things that concern me: His gospel has some false teachings. 1) He stresses penal substitution a lot (because he loves J.I. Packer), which is the idea that God poured out His wrath on Jesus on the cross in your place (no scripture says this). I actually always felt funny hearing him preach this. This teaching actually denies that it is Jesus' blood (the perfect sacrificial Lamb's) satisfies the wrath of God. In other words, they make the blood of Christ powerless and cause you to trust in something other than the blood of Christ as propitiation for your sins! "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" Romans 5:9 It's unnecessary for God to punish Jesus on the cross because his blood atones for our sins and satisfies God's wrath as our sacrifice. If Jesus took our punishment by dying then why do we still physically die? Penal substitution just doesn't make any sense and it's something JD preaches a lot about. It confused me a lot when attending Summit Church but now that I see Christ's death and blood as our sacrifice, not penal substitution, it makes much more sense. God also will pour His wrath on the inhabitants of the earth (read Revelation) so clearly He didn't pour it all out on a Jesus. We need to warn people of God's wrath (which comes after the second coming of Jesus) so they will repent of their sins and believe in Jesus -- not the false teaching that God's wrath was already poured out on Jesus... http://forums.insearchoftruth.org/viewtopic.php?t=3773 2) The idea that Jesus died and went to hell after the cross is refuted in the scriptures. He told the thief on the cross next to Him, "Today I will see you in paradise." 3) He is a Once Saved Only Saved Calvinistic Southern Baptist preacher and this is a concerning. The Bible clearly states you can lose the Holy Spirit (your salvation). Just read the parable of the sower, vine and the branches, etc. David himself prayed "do not take your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11) after he committed murder and adultery and repented of his sins. Calvinists do mental gymnastics and say these people were "never converted" which isn't in any apostasy scripture. If you believe you can't lose the Holy Spirit or salvation, as the apostasy scriptures teach, then my concern is this is a license to sin. Again, see this refutation of eternal security: https://youtu.be/lY6GB54KXV4 read more

I have thought for a while about writing this review, and pray I've made the right decision. A number of weeks ago, Pastor Loritts posted on instagram a quote expositing a verse where he concluded our brains are the captains of our thoughts - his point was that you can control what you think. To an extent, I agree. But as somebody who has experienced trauma, and a husband of a trauma survivor, I asked "what about survivors of trauma? Sometimes they struggle with thoughts they can't always control". He responded something along the lines of, "obviously when something is obvious, do the obvious". His point was seemingly that trauma response is an obvious exception to his original post. My heart sunk, feeling cut down by a pastor instead of engaged with. My goal was to help trauma victims feel seen, but instead I was left feeling incredibly unseen. I responded to his post saying something like, "I don't feel that's an obvious exception. The church is pretty trauma illiterate and it can be important to point out caveats." I then invited Dr Loritts to a discussion in direct messages to clear things up, and mentioned that I felt hurt by his comment - it felt he wanted more affirmation of his viewpoint than healthy engagement with me. A few minutes later, my comment was deleted and I was blocked on instagram. A friend of mine messaged him and asked why, and she was subsequently blocked as well. She asked on a Twitter post (a different platform than this began) why this happened, and she was blocked there as well. A number of other individuals messaged her saying they've had similar experiences when engaging with Dr. Loritts about topics related to mental health or trauma. I reached out to some friends who work with Dr. Loritts to see if he'd be open to talking with me in person, since they know me personally and know my intentions. He declined to speak with me, saying he sought accountability, his colleagues didn't think he was wrong, he's not mad at me, and he can use his social media platform as he wishes. My original review was longer, and perhaps a bit out of spite. I edited it to leave just the details of what happened hoping that if others have a similar experience, they can speak up and change might happen. read more

This has been my wife and our kids church for almost 15 years. Jd Greear preaches about as well, week to week, as is possible. Conservative yet not uptight. He Gospel is preached. Great music. Great programs for children (we have 5 and they all love it). A place where God's presence is felt. John Posey Home Instead Senior Care read more

The Summit Church - Pastor Greear - Churches Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I'm from the northern VA/DC area and came down to Durham to visit some friends. Overall great church experience. Pros: Appreciated the friendly staff that guided us to our VIP parking spot and greeted us the moment we got out of the car so we would know exactly where to go. They even gave us a little "welcome" goodie bag :). Worship team was pretty good-- especially that jazz pianist.. wow; they sang a good mixture of old hymns and modern praise songs. The good news of the gospel was spoken and the content of the message was great. Announcements and offering came at end so the flow of worship was smooth from worship to sermon. Con: I attended the 11:30 am service and I think the sermon was a recording of the 8 am service; I'm not sure how I feel about it- I know many people don't really care but i just personally feel like it's not as personal as listening to a live preacher. Pastor was a pretty fast paced speaker- perhaps it would be helpful for some longer pauses throughout the preaching for emphasis on his points and give time for digestion. Will attend again if back in the area. read more

I love this church so much! Every aspect of this church is so great, authentic, and gospel-seeped. The worship services are inspiring. The sermon messages are challenging, convicting, educational, and entertaining. The people/greeters are friendly. (Though keep in mind it's a big church, so a lot of the congregants don't know/recognize each other so they may seem standoffish. But don't let that dissuade you). It's a multi-campus church with 6 other satellite campuses (I go to the awesome Chapel Hill campus at East Chapel Hill High). Each campus has a different feel to it - the main campus at Brier Creek is in a large warehouse, West Club is in a small neighborhood church so it has the traditional pews and stained glass windows, and Chapel Hill is in a high school auditorium. The other 3 I haven't been to but they're probably awesome because the Summit is awesome. Also, the Summit attracts an incredibly diverse group of people. There are families, college students, young and old single people, and people from all different ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds that attend. It's really inspiring to be a part of such a diverse church family, and you'll definitely be welcome! After you've visited a service, the next step is to get connected by joining a small group. I've been to a few small groups before finding my current one, but all the small groups are incredibly welcoming and friendly. read more

I've been going to this the Summit Church for 5 years, i've never felt more at home at a Church. I hear a lot of complaints for things that are silly. Yes Summit does have quiet a few campuses but it's because it's preaching and community is so good they keep outgrowing their buildings and they don't want people to travel 30 minutes to church -- they want people in community in THEIR community which I think is awesome. It is a bigger church so I tell people all the time that if they wanna feel connected they actually have to get involved. Go to a small group, start serving, talk to people, go to events!! It'll start feeling like you're home almost immediately. read more

Relocated from So California & were members of Saddleback Church for 10 yrs...Our family are grateful to find a Church Family that is all about making an impact in this World we live in...From the Teaching to Corporate Worship to Youth & Small Groups...Loving God, Others & Serving are evident in this Church Body. Thank You Lord for leading Us to Summit Church, NC read more

Great welcoming church. Each service gives enlightening and supportive stories. I love coming here every Sunday, and always feel a sense of rejuvenation. read more

The Summit Church - Churches Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The best way to describe The Summit Church is instead of JD .. Image Steve Jobs taking the stage every week introducing a new product that YOU NEED, otherwise you will look outdated and out of touch. Imagine He thinks of himself so highly that he feels the need to rent out High School auditoriums so people can watch a "Rebroadcast" of him speaking. Every Sunday JD wants you to buy his product, yes there are hundreds of Churches that share the Gospel. But it's JD's Gospel he wants you to believe in and wants you buy cause YOU WANT TO BE RELEVANT IN THIS DAY DON'T YOU? He even has cool music to get you ready for the his introduction. But understand JD is not available for house calls, hospital visits or funerals of your family or yourself. His Job is to Market his product via blog or by working with his lead researcher and staff men to come up with a message to sell his product each week. You must see the nice, but overwhelmed Campus guy who has do it all in JD's absence when he isn't on television or speaking at some overpriced conference. I got nothing again JD, but JD and Summit is nothing but a Machine, producing a product to reaching a certain group of people who will buy into their product. Yes other ages go there, but they are not the people he is trying to reach with the product and well as long as they give or stand out in the parking lot ..put to use. Sooner or later no matter how well maintained it is .. the a machine will breakdown and or be replaced with something new. So do you want to purchase this or wait for something new comes out next year. read more

A wonderful church that is part of the Acts 29 network. Lead pastor JD Greear is a very gifted pastor and you will without a doubt hear him preach the gospel every single sermon. Nothin' but love for the Summit community! read more

Best Church in the World!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing worship!!! Pastor JD is on point!!! You get to hear the gospel every week!!!! Greeters are too good to be true! They genuinely care about your experience. The parking staff did not leave me hanging to find a space on my own, very helpful there. Kids church is like Wow!!! I wanted to just go in there!!!! Only downside was when it was over and I had to drive back home to Wilmington. Count your blessings Durham! You have a Great Church!!! read more

I have visited Summit Church with friends several times over the past 10 years. I wanted so badly to like it and find a home there. If you want to get lost in a congregation and leave without meaningful personal contact then a church the size of Summit will do nicely. The music is very good but if you want to shake the pastor's hand after the service or even just meet the pastor at some point, you will be disappointed. He is unavailable except as figure on the podium or mega screen. I am told that JD is an apologist who bases his messages around defense of the faith. An apologist defends the Christian faith by presenting proofs from the Bible, logic, and other empirical and intellectual sources. One sermon I remember vividly. It centered around proving the resurrection of Jesus. I felt the gospel was cheapened by his 1+1=3 used-car salesmanship. It is a slippery slope trying to "prove" something that must be accepted on faith alone and one's personal experience with the risen Lord. read more

If you want to really understand what the Bible is about, Pastor J.D. is the one to hear it from! God has truly Blessed this man with the gift of "His Word"! This is not a stuffy church and if you don't find yourself with happy feet during the Praise and Worship time then you don't like music. There is something for all ages at this church and there is even a class for special needs called G.R.A.C.E. (God Reaching All Children Everywhere). It takes an army to run a large church like this and God's volunteer army is fabulous! This is a mission church...it reaches out to people in different locations, towns, states, and countries. read more

We've been very impressed by what we've seen since we started going to this church at the beginning of summer 2013. Very engaged congregation, energetic without being out of control, amazingly solid preaching, good worship (tends toward modern repetitive gospel songs/christian pop, but enough solid music mixed in to not completely drive this music lover nuts). Emphasis on local, national, and international mission comes through in every service, with regular "guest appearances" from missionaries in the field in U.S. and abroad. Emphasis on strengthening and encouraging believers also solidly emphasized, with regular calls to engage in the community and in small group discussions - neat tools for helping you find a good fit in this. Finally, and the reason we started trying this church, an emphasis on supporting home school parents and kids. This is not like the other emphasized items that I've mentioned, that come up weekly to monthly and are encouraged. This is something that is within the small groups and congregation, people lifting up people and encouraging others. I've been to churches (not more than once) which are very black and white about education - this isn't one of them - but the necessary support systems for a very challenging lifestyle choice are available. One last note, to Mr. Gregory T., please don't judge a massive church based on one experience with two people. Otherwise you'd have to never enter Durham because of the other sticker. :-) And that would be a shame too, right? read more

Absolutely amazing Biblical-based messages, people, music, and kids program. Love this church. Couldn't ask for a better place.

I love this church. I thought watching a pastor on a screen would be strange, but J.D. Is so good it is worth it.

When I moved to Raleigh, I wanted to find a church that had a lot to offer, but that would also provide me with a sense of community. This church is just that. Being a member of the Summit has richly blessed my life, and has been an answer to prayer in many ways. I am now a volunteer, a member of a small group, and a regular service attendee. If you are new to the area, or just interested in trying out churches in the area, I highly recommend you go to the summit! You will find the atmosphere one that is modern, inviting, and filled with the love of Jesus. read more