With an eye on the rapidly increasing population in North Raleigh, an inspired group of lay people from several churches in Raleigh approached then-Bishop Estill in 1985 about establishing a new congregation. Word of the arrival of a new church spread among the Diocesan churches, attracting people with a pioneering spirit. On December 5, Bishop Estill celebrated our first service, attended by 75 people. A founding charter was signed by 45 members, and weekly services began in January 1986 at York Elementary School’s gymnasium, when the name Church of the Nativity was chosen by those attending. With the Bishop’s urging, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church agreed to sponsor the congregation as a parochial mission, sharing prayer books and hymnals, celebrants, communion silver, and office help until the new church could provide for itself.
Supply priests served the growing congregation for 18 months until the Rev. Rick Callaway was named Vicar in 1987, and in that year land on Ray Road was purchased. Services moved from York Elementary to yet another gymnasium, at Ravenscroft School, and then to Hale High School (now St. David’s School), before the congregation was able to build the first building on our own land. This building, now called Estill House, was opened on Epiphany, January 6, 1991, and served as worship space, classrooms, and offices. Callaway left the congregation shortly thereafter, and the Rev. Diane B. Corlett was called as the Vicar in September 1992.
At the Diocesan Convention in January 1993, Nativity became a fully self-funded parish and Mother Diane the church’s first Rector.
After years of planning and fundraising, the present worship building was consecrated in September 2001. The original building was renamed Estill House in 2004. A magnificent Andover pipe organ was added in 2007, and expanded in 2017 with the addition of 8 stops. In 2011, the Education Building, now named Curry Hall, was opened, containing eight large classrooms for the growing number of children and youth in the congregation.
In 2008, Mother Diane suffered a major stroke and retired a year later. After a series of interim priests, our second Rector, the Rev. Stephanie Allen, was called in April 2011.
Church of the Nativity is known as a leader in emphasizing environmental concerns and actions. In 2014, a nature-based preschool was opened on the grounds of the church, called the Kinder Garden, focusing on education, nature, the environment and community.
In 2017, the church was awarded a grant from the national church to develop programs to share with other churches about how to develop a responsible relationship with God’s creation. As part of our focus on creation care, in 2018 solar panels were installed to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Another focus area is to educate Raleigh and Diocesan churches (and beyond) on the principles of Zero Waste Church.
In March 2020, the Bishops of Diocese of North Carolina ordered all churches, including Nativity, to go into “lockdown” following the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus that was sweeping the world. All church services, activities and meetings were suspended, communion could not be taken to the sick, all in-person pastoral care visits were suspended, even at the time of death, and no more than 6 could be present in the Nave or offices at one time. Vestry meetings continued via Zoom and Morning Prayer services were recorded in pieces and put on YouTube to be viewed in parishioners’ homes. Despite these setbacks, pledges were paid, and in some instances increased. Nativity was granted a Paycheck Protection Program loan by the Federal government, and no staff were let go. The loan was eventually forgiven.
In-person services with communion were resumed outdoors in August 2020 but when the weather turned cold, services, including Advent and Christmas, were pre-recorded. Outdoor services resumed in the Spring, including Easter 2021, until it got too hot. Services in the Nave were allowed with limited attendance, and wearing masks. Only the host could be offered at communion, and there could be no choir or congregational singing. Two of the Christmas 2021 services were held outdoors under a tent. It wasn’t until 2022 that clergy and parishioners felt comfortable meeting indoors again. Regardless, pledges remained at previous levels or higher, indicated strong support for Nativity’s progress towards “normalcy” again.
The Nativity logo
The Nativity logo is based on the familiar Chi-Rho symbol, which combines the first two letters in Greek of the name of Christ (Chi and Rho). The logo stylizes these Greek letters into symbols of the Nativity of Christ. Instead of the Rho (which looks like a P), our logo has a shepherd’s crook. The Chi (X) becomes a manger, which is topped with a crown indicating the kingship of Christ. The crook, crown and creche are encircled with a wreath, an ancient symbol of the victory of the Resurrection over death.