The ministry of Resurrection Presbyterian Church first began in the spring of 1975. Three families and a young single woman began meeting for Bible study and fellowship, led by Elder Ray Waggoner, an ordained elder from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. In September of 1975, the group petitioned the session of First Church (OPC) in Raleigh to take them under their care as a mission work in Matthews, with the original name of Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Fellowship. The group was soon examined and received as members of the Raleigh church, and given permission to hold worship services, and they began meeting in the community room of the American Bank and Trust Building of East John Street in Matthews. Rev. Richard Horner from Roanoke, Virginia preached at the first worship service, with 23 persons in attendance. Area ministers continued to provide pulpit supply for the group, along with Rev. Henry Krabbendam from Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

In June of 1976, Douglas Felch, a recent graduate of Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia and a licentiate of the OPC Presbytery of New Jersey, became the mission work’s supply pastor. He came under the oversight of the denominational internship program to help evaluate the ministry. Those reviewing the work recommended that it continue, and Doug and his wife Susan remained as self-supporting home missionaries.

The ministry continued to grow, and in April of 1978 the mission work moved to the facilities of Charlotte Christian School for morning and evening worship. In May of 1978, members of the home missions committee of the Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic visited the work. After the committee's visit, the mission work was recognized as a chapel of the presbytery in September of 1978. In December of the same year, Mr. Felch was ordained and installed as an associate pastor of the Raleigh congregation with particular responsibilities in Matthews. In January of 1979 the mission work began receiving financial aid from the presbytery.

In the spring of 1980 the congregation purchased five acres of land on Rice Road in Matthews, and the construction of a 3200 square foot meeting place was begun. The first services were held on Rice Road on November 1, 1981.

On September 20, 1980, the congregation was granted particular church status under the oversight of a temporary session appointed by the presbytery. Rev. Felch continued as supply pastor, and on August 6, 1981 he was installed as the first pastor of Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Fellowship. On the same day, Mr. Ray Waggoner and Mr. Chris Williams were installed as the church’s first elders. The first two deacons, Mr. David Matthews and Mr. Phil Porter, were installed in the summer of 1982.

 In 1984, Pastor Felch accepted a call to the Orthodox Presbyterian church in Leesburg, Virginia, and the congregation sadly said goodbye to its founding pastor.

In the spring of 1985 the Rev. Robert Y. Eckardt of Columbus, Ohio was installed as the second pastor of Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Fellowship. Pastor Eckardt, a graduate of Westminster Seminary, and his wife Karen ministered to the congregation for six years, during which time the church grew in size and outreach. During Pastor Eckard's ministry the first Woman's Fellowship was organized, the nursing home ministries grew, the church oversaw church plants in Lenoir and Etowah, North Carolina, and the name was changed from "Fellowship" to "Church." Also, a parent-run Christian school, Covenant Christian, was started by members of the church, making use of the recently purchased mobile units.  This school later merged with Covenant Day School in Matthews.

In August of 1991, Rev. Eckardt accepted a call as the associate pastor of Grace OPC, and the headmaster at Covenant Christian School, in Columbus, Ohio.

In December of 1991 Pastor John Carrick of Cheltenham Evangelical Church in Cheltenham, England was called to serve as the third pastor of Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Pastor Carrick was installed in the spring of 1992. He faithfully preached the word and also lectured at Reformed Theological Seminary. He served as pastor of Matthews OPC for two years before taking a call to serve on the faculty of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Dr. George W. Knight III graciously served as stated supply for Matthews OPC from the summer of 1994 until January of 1996. During Dr. Knight's ministry the church continued to prosper as she awaited her fourth pastor's arrival.

Nathan Trice accepted the call to serve as the fourth pastor of Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1995 while still a student at Westminster Theological Seminary, and also completing an internship at the OPC in Franklin Square, NY. Nathan Trice's pastorate began in January of 1996 with a combined ordination and installation service. Dr. Knight was soon after installed as teacher of the congregation.

When Pastor Trice arrived in 1996 the church consisted of about 80 members. The congregation grew and prospered to the point of needing additional space, and in 1998 the meeting space was enlarged (the current fellowship hall). Construction on a new sanctuary was soon begun, being completed in November of 1999.

In the spring of 2003 a group from Matthews OPC was sent out to form a daughter congregation in south Charlotte named Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Rev. Cliff Blair, a student at Greenville Presbyterian Seminary and intern at MOPC, was ordained and installed as the organizing pastor in June of 2003. Also in 2003, the current Education Building of MOPC was completed.

A homeschool cooperative venture for children in grades K-8 was started by members of MOPC on the church campus in 2006, originally as part of the Classical Conversations organization, but eventually becoming an independent tutorial program. In 2009, a Christian high school was started by members of MOPC, with the name “Greyfriars Classical Academy.” A few years later the tutorial program united with the high school academy as one program under the Greyfriars name.

In order to accommodate continued growth in the congregation, in 2010 the present sanctuary was enlarged and remodeled, and the parking lot was expanded.

A new OPC congregation was planted in Gastonia, North Carolina in July of 2011, with an intern of MOPC, Joby Fowler, being called as the organizing pastor. The new church, Reformation Presbyterian Church, was overseen by our daughter congregation, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, making it a “granddaughter” congregation of MOPC.

In January of 2015, Mr. Justin Rosser was ordained and installed as a second Pastor of MOPC. Pastor Rosser had complete his M. Div. degree at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, and had been serving for the previous 2 years as a full time intern of MOPC.

At the recommendation of the elders, and in order to present the church to our community in a more winsome and gospel-focused way, in September of 2019 the congregation voted to change the name of the church from Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Church to Resurrection Presbyterian Church (OPC).

In June of 2023 the church gathered after morning worship to celebrate a new building project with a groundbreaking event on the lawn. The demolition of the original meeting place for the church will provide for a new 7,400 square foot Education Building, as well as a new 8,200 square foot Fellowship Hall on the other side of the current sanctuary. The anticipated completion date is late fall of 2024.

Milestones:

Spring 1975

The Ray Waggoner, Bob Wildrick, Chris Williams and Jane Long households began meeting together on Sunday evenings.

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September 1975

The first worship service was held at the American Bank and Trust building in downtown Matthews. 

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June 1976

Mr. Douglas Felch came as a summer intern, with his wife Susan, to facilitate a new church plant.

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June 1976

The first baptism in the church was performed: Ann Francis Waggoner (Leigh).

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September 1978

The core group became an official mission work of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

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September 1980

The mission work was organized as a church under a provisional Session appointed by the presbytery, and took the name Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Fellowship.

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August 1981

Rev. Douglas Felch was installed as the congregation’s first pastor, and Ray Waggoner and Chris Williams were installed as the first ruling elders.

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November 1981

The first worship services were held at the newly constructed building on Rice Road (the present fellowship hall).

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June 1982

David Matthews and Phil Porter were installed as the first deacons.

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September 1984

Rev. Felch accepted a call as pastor of Bethel OPC in Leesburg, Virginia.

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September 1984

Great sadness came to the church when member John Headley (6 years old) was tragically killed crossing the street. The Crepe Myrtle trees that line the church driveway were given by the Headley family as a memorial to John.

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Spring 1985

Rev. Robert Eckardt was installed as the congregation’s second pastor.

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August 1991

Rev. Eckardt accepted a call as the associate pastor of Grace OPC, and the headmaster at Covenant Christian School, in Columbus, Ohio.

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April 1992

Rev. John Carrick, of Cheltenham, England, was installed as the congregation’s third pastor.

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July 1994

Rev. Carrick accepted a call as professor of practical theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Greenville, SC.

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Fall 1994

Dr. George Knight began his ministry to the congregation as stated supply.

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January 1996

Rev. Nathan Trice was ordained and installed as the congregation’s fourth pastor.

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Fall 1998

The worship facility (the present Fellowship Hall) was enlarged and remodeled.

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November 1999

Construction was completed on the present sanctuary and the first worship services were held there.

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September 2000

The “Silver Anniversary” of Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Church was celebrated.

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April 2003

Matthews OPC planted Redeemer OPC, Charlotte, with officers and members from MOPC.

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2003

The current Education Building was purchased and installed as modular units.

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Fall 2009

Families from MOPC started Greyfriars Classical Academy, which began on campus with 9th grade in the fall of 2009.

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2010

The current sanctuary of MOPC was enlarged and renovated, and the parking lot was expanded.

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July 2011

Joby Fowler, an intern at MOPC, was called as church planter of Reformation Presbyterian Church in Gastonia. 

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January 2015

Rev. Justin Rosser was ordained and installed as a second pastor of the church. 

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September 2019

The congregation voted to change the church name from Matthews Orthodox Presbyterian Church to Resurrection Presbyterian Church.

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June 2023

Groundbreaking for the new fellowship hall and education building.