Curtis Mulder
Co-Pastor, Ekklesia Church at Raleigh
919-600-7189 | curtis@ekklesiaraleigh.org
On a bitter, cold winter day in December of 2003, where the temperature in Alberta, Canada was around -22ºF, I received a phone call from the most southern gentleman I’d ever heard offering me the chance to candidate for a position with the Worship Arts at a church in South Durham. After a fair amount of research, we found that the Triangle seemed like a great place to live, consistently being at the top of lists for education and being the home of a renowned research hub. My wife, Rachel, and I took this as a sign that the Lord was speaking and telling us to move our family to the Triangle. We made the move in April of 2004, with daughters Kyra and Megan in tow, and have truly loved our decision. We don’t ever plan to move unless we have to!
I have been working in Vocational Ministry for 22 years. I am currently the Co-Pastor at Ekklesia Church at Raleigh, focusing on teaching, discipleship, and helping lead our worship team. We meet at Athens Drive High School on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM. Our church is truly unique in that our philosophy/goal is to be connected to the community, not held captive by four walls. We meet in a public space so that we can be forced to build a community that is more than just a building. We want to be a church that moves and builds relationships with the neighbors we have.
Some advice that I would give to newcomers to the area (like we were) is to find someone who knows the area well and can give good advice on where to live. When we moved from Alberta, Rachel came down and looked at 32 houses in one day! It was extremely helpful to have that guidance. Also, I would tell people to be courageous. Make an effort to go out and meet your neighbors! If you need an egg to make some brownies, go next door rather than to the supermarket! You just might be surprised at the relationships you can make.
Some of my favorite things to do in the Triangle are to tour the local breweries and dine out at the amazing restaurants. Raleigh and Durham have some of the best breweries in the nation and have been noted as great cities for food lovers. Some of our favorite restaurants are Sitti and Beasley’s in downtown Raleigh, but our ultimate favorite is Vinos Finos Tapas and Wine Bar in Lafayette Village. Some of the best food you will ever have in your life! A definite must-try!
