About Us
The history of The Shepherd’s Church is a testimony of the “great and awesome wonders” of God as He has knit individuals together to form a church body for His glory. Each person He has brought to our church has a unique role to serve and a story to share of God’s grace. As we look back at all that God has done, we should be challenged to continue to trust Him as He holds our future.
The Beginning
Our church’s story begins over thirty-five years ago. Newly graduated with a Masters of Sacred Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, Stephen Davey arrived in the Triangle area to plant a church. Stephen and his wife, Marsha, trusted God as they took this step of faith and moved across country with their twin infant sons. God took care of the details – from guiding Stephen to the location, to providing money for the rent. An advertisement in The Cary News announced the new church, initially named “Colonial Baptist,” which began with Sunday services on September 7, 1986. Twenty-eight people were in attendance for the morning service in the band room at East Cary Middle School.
From the beginning, Stephen preached in an expository style, and as word spread of the church’s solid scriptural foundation, the new fellowship began to grow. “God has given us a ministry that isn’t built around one man or one program,” Pastor Davey says.
“Sola Scriptura, the Scriptures alone, remains the primary compass for everything we are doing, planning, teaching and pursuing.” It was on that solid foundation that the church chartered its first members in 1987.
A Permanent Home
In 1989 plans for a church building began to intensify, and groundbreaking on a new building at 6750 Tryon Road occurred in 1991. But within months, the congregation was more than 450 people, and they voted unanimously to relocate as the building was quickly outgrown.
It took 9 years to find our current location – land that had been owned by one family since the 1850’s – and the congregation raised nearly 2 million dollars and purchased this strategically located corner property in 1995. The first phase included the Worship Center and the buildings now known as the Administration Center and the Family Center. Our first services at 6051 Tryon Road were held on Easter, 2001. In 2007, Student and Children’s Centers were completed which added to the growing Campus a beautiful Chapel, Café, Library and new classrooms for elementary students along with classrooms capable of streaming Shepherds Seminary courses around the world.
A Growing Ministry
“Church growth was never our intention, and it still isn’t!” Pastor Davey says. “We’ve simply responded to what God is doing.” While God has provided richly for the needs of the church, our history as a church is so much more than numbers and buildings. It’s a story about individuals serving, growing and learning together as part of a living body. As the church grew, new ministries developed to equip the body and reach out to the community.
A Growing Ministry
“Church growth was never our intention, and it still isn’t!” Pastor Davey says. “We’ve simply responded to what God is doing.” While God has provided richly for the needs of the church, our history as a church is so much more than numbers and buildings. It’s a story about individuals serving, growing and learning together as part of a living body. As the church grew, new ministries developed to equip the body and reach out to the community.
New Church Name
In February 2020—before the COVID-19 pandemic hit—our elder team began discussing a name change for our church that would better communicate our identity in Christ, and our joy in following Him. They wanted a name that communicated our loyalty to biblical doctrine instead of a Baptist denomination; an identity unrelated to a period in American history or a style of architecture. They simply and prayerfully desired a church name that would focus attention on our joy in belonging to Jesus Christ, our Shepherd. They chose, “The Shepherd’s Church, and in December 2020, our church voted to officially change the name.
Our Pastor/ Teacher
Stephen Davey, the son of missionary parents, was raised to love Christ and the gospel. In his last year of high school, Stephen committed his life to serve Christ vocationally wherever God chose to assign him in ministry. His first part-time opportunity was as a college student, serving one summer alongside his father, who had recently planted a church in Virginia Beach. As a part-time youth pastor, Stephen saw the Lord impact the lives of students with His timeless Word.
Sola Scriptura
Ministry Preparation and Marriage
When Stephen began his collegiate studies at Liberty University in 1976, he majored in Bible and minored in World History. He finished his studies at Tennessee Temple where he met his future wife, Marsha (Gladney). They married soon after graduating from college together in 1981. God has since blessed them with four children (twin boys and 2 girls) who’ve given them eight perfect grandchildren!
Education, Church Planting and Pastoring
Stephen’s love for history, combined with a desire to teach the scriptures verse by verse, led him to enroll in seminary for further training. Stephen earned his first master’s degree (MDiv) at Detroit Seminary and then his second master’s in theology (STM) from Dallas Seminary.
Following graduation from Dallas in 1986, Stephen and Marsha moved with their infant twin sons to Cary, North Carolina, to plant Colonial Baptist Church (renamed to “The Shepherd’s Church” in December 2020). From the very beginning, Stephen preached expository sermons, while Marsha created the nursery and children’s programs. In those early days, word of the new church’s commitment to Bible exposition and the doctrines of grace spread rapidly, and the fellowship was soon overflowing with attendees. Today the church sits on 35 acres, engaging in more than 100 ministries carried out by several thousand volunteers.
Shepherds Theological Seminary
Throughout his pastorate, Stephen longed to plant churches and train men and women for ministry roles in the church. That vision became a reality in 2003 with the inauguration of Shepherds Theological Seminary (STS) where Stephen serves as president. With an outstanding faculty and growing student body, STS currently meets on the campus of our church which also allows Stephen to interact with the students as well as teach Pastoral Theology and Creative Bible Teaching.
STS is one of Shepherd’s most strategic church-planting initiatives, and it is a rare privilege for our church to be able to support and participate in training our students for pastoring, counseling, teaching, military chaplaincy and a host of additional roles in ministry. As a result of our partnership with STS, Shepherd’s continues to play a vital role in launching church plants, filling numerous pastoral and ministry roles and serving the body of Christ at large. STS now has taught more than 1,000 students with more than 400 graduates, serving in 34 states and in 22 different countries around the world.
Wisdom for Heart
When Trans World Radio’s president approached Stephen about producing a radio broadcast, he agreed. After adding a program producer and taking a big step of faith, Wisdom was ready for production. In 2001, Wisdom for the Heart went on the air via TWR’s transmitter in Bath, England. For several years, Marsha coordinated everything, including duplicating sermon CDs in their bonus room at home, writing listeners and sending materials to a growing number of inmates who listened from their prison cells.
Several years later, the Bible Broadcasting Network began airing Wisdom throughout their North American network. Additionally, they began translating Stephen’s sermons into Spanish and airing the program on their South American network, reaching a vast audience.
Today, by God’s grace, Stephen’s verse-by-verse teaching is heard around the world in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin. His Wisdom Journey—teaching through all 66 books of the Bible—is being translated into Swahili, Hindi and Arabic. Wisdom’s website offers Stephen’s archives of sermon transcripts and audio teaching, free of charge.
Key Milestones
August 1986
Stephen and Marsha Davey Move to Cary, NC.
Sept. 7, 1986
Twenty-eight people respond to Cary News article and attend the first Sunday service in East Cary Middle School’s Band room.
1987
Forty-five people become “Charter Members” and the church begins supporting
1989
The church moves into its first facilities on a 7-acre tract of land.
1995
After outgrowing the property, the assembly purchases the current site of 30 acres.
2001
First worship services are held on the current property; Wisdom International launches through Trans World Radio from Bath, England.
2003
Shepherds Theological Seminary is incorporated and holds its first classes on campus.
2006
Global missions giving surpasses $5 million.
2011
The church’s 25th anniverary is celebrated.
2017
Shepherds International, a sending agency for global workers in strategic parts of the world, is created as well as The Shepherds Network, our church planting initiative.
2019
Livestreaming of sermons reaches 49 states and 32 countries.
2020
Three-year goal of planting/revitalizing 20 churches by end of 2020 is achieved; cumulative giving to global missions surpasses $14 million. The church officially changes its name to “The Shepherd’s Church” to communicate our identity in Christ—the Chief Shepherd.
2024
The church adds full-time Latino pastor and launches Spanish-speaking ministry and worship services on campus.