Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Herring.
Hi Adam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, and church has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve been involved in church my whole life. At 17 years old, I felt a call to ministry, and from that point forward, I’ve tried to pursue that calling with passion and purpose.
Over the years, a lot of my ministry has centered around preaching, evangelism, and encouraging people with the Gospel. I’ve always wanted to communicate God’s Word in a way that is real, practical, and relevant to everyday life. I believe Scripture is timeless, but it also speaks directly to where people are right now.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, and later earned my Master of Divinity from Pentecostal Theological Seminary. I’m also an ordained Bishop in the Church of God.
Since 2017, I’ve had the honor of serving as the Senior Pastor of Capital City Church of God here in Raleigh. I’ve been here almost ten years now, and it means a lot to serve a church with such a rich history. Capital City has been ministering in Raleigh for close to 100 years, so I see myself as part of a much bigger story. I want to honor what has been handed to us while also helping lead the church into the future. The church has grown significantly over the last few years, and we are in the early phases of a building program.
During my time here, we’ve walked through some major seasons together. I led the church through COVID, when everything changed almost overnight. We also had the opportunity to be present for our community during the Hedingham shooting. Those moments remind me that ministry is more than preaching on Sunday. It is being present when people are hurting and offering hope when people need it most.
Along with pastoring, I also serve in the United States Air Force Reserve as a chaplain at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro. That has given me another way to serve, encourage, and walk alongside people in different seasons of life.
I’ve been married for 17 years, and my wife and I have four children, three daughters and one son. They are a huge part of my life and ministry.
One of the main messages I try to carry is that life is not always about where you are right now. It is about what God can do in your life and what you can become. I’m very goal-oriented, and I believe the Gospel is about advancement, development, and next steps. Your past does not define you. Through Christ, the rest of your life can truly be the best of your life.
This fall, I’m also beginning law school part-time at Campbell University School of Law. I really feel like God has opened that door to prepare me to serve people in even greater ways. I fully intend to keep pastoring, but I’m also trying to let God order my steps. Scripture says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,” and I believe that. I believe God opens doors, gives direction, and uses every season to prepare us for the next one.
So that’s my story. I’m a Raleigh native, a husband, a father, a pastor, a chaplain, and someone who believes deeply in encouraging people. As a church, we want to offer the Gospel, serve our local community through partnerships like the Raleigh Dream Center, feed those in need, support missions around the world, and keep pointing people to the one place where true hope is found: Jesus Christ.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not always a smooth road. But I don’t think real ministry ever is.
When you are in the people business, you quickly learn that people go through real things. They go through loss, fear, sickness, tragedy, uncertainty, family struggles, financial pressure, and moments they never saw coming. And as a church, our job is not just to preach to people when everything is going well. Our job is to walk with people when life gets hard.
COVID was one of those seasons. Like a lot of churches, we had to figure out how to keep going when everything changed overnight. Many churches shut down or struggled to recover. We had to remain flexible. We offered services online, we had outdoor services, and we did whatever we could to keep people connected, encouraged, and spiritually strong. It was not easy, but it taught us a lot about adaptability, faith, and the importance of staying connected as a church family.
Another major challenge was the Hedingham shooting. Our church is in the Hedingham community, so that tragedy hit close to home. Many people connected to our church and community were affected by it. I never imagined when I started pastoring that I would be leading through a pandemic or walking with a community through something like a mass shooting, but life is unpredictable. You have to be ready. You have to be flexible. And most of all, you have to be present.
So no, it has not always been a smooth road. But I do believe those struggles have made us stronger, more compassionate, and more committed to the mission. They have reminded us that the church is not just a building or a Sunday service. The church is a people, and we are called to bring hope, encouragement, and the love of Christ into real-life situations.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What I do is pretty simple: I try to encourage people and point them to Jesus.
As a pastor, a lot of my work is preaching, teaching, counseling, leading, and helping people take their next step in life. I believe the church should be a place where people can find hope, healing, direction, and community. So much of ministry is walking with people through real life, through the good seasons and the hard seasons.
I would say I’m probably most known for practical preaching. I try to take the truths of Scripture and communicate them in a way that people can understand and apply to their everyday lives. I don’t want people to just hear a sermon. I want them to leave encouraged, challenged, and believing that God still has more for their life.
One of the main messages I carry is that your past does not define you. Life is not always about where you are right now. It is about what God can do in your life and what you can become. I believe the gospel is about hope, advancement, development, and next steps.
I’m proud of the way our church has remained committed to people. We serve our local community, partner with organizations like the Raleigh Dream Center, help feed those in need, and support missions around the world. I’m also proud that Capital City has been ministering in Raleigh for close to 100 years, and we are still here trying to make a difference.
What sets us apart is that we are regular, common, down-to-earth people. We are not trying to impress anybody. We are just real people trying to love God, love people, and serve our community. We want folks to feel welcome, encouraged, and comfortable enough to take their next step with Christ.
Personally, I think what sets me apart is that I see ministry as more than a job. This is a calling. Whether I’m pastoring, preaching, counseling, or serving as a chaplain, the heart is the same: I want to serve people, encourage people, and help them move forward.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I would not say I take risks just for the sake of taking risks. I try to be prayerful and wise. But I do believe faith always requires some level of risk.
Anytime a person steps out, leads people, makes a decision, or follows what they believe God is calling them to do, there is going to be some uncertainty. For me, risk is not about being reckless. It is about being willing to move forward when I may not have every answer, but I do have conviction.
Pastoring itself comes with risk. You are leading people through real life. You are making decisions that affect families, ministries, finances, and the future of the church. When I came to Capital City in 2017, that was a step of faith. I knew the church had a great history, but I also knew there was a responsibility to help lead it into the future.
COVID was another season where risk and leadership came together. There was no perfect playbook. We had to make decisions about online services, outdoor services, safety, connection, and how to keep the church moving forward. You had to be flexible, but also steady.
I also think going to law school is a risk. Not many pastors do that. It is a big commitment, especially while continuing to pastor and serve my family and community. But I believe it opens up so many more opportunities for me, and even for our church, to serve people in greater ways. I see it as another door God has opened, not to pull me away from ministry, but to expand the way I can help people.
Serving as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve has also involved risk. It required stepping into a different environment and learning how to minister to people outside the normal church setting. But I believe it has made me a better pastor and leader.
When I look at Scripture, it seems like some of the people who missed out the most were the ones who refused to step out.
So my view is that the biggest risk is not always stepping out. Sometimes the biggest risk of all is inaction. It is staying where you are because you are afraid, and then looking back later with regret, wondering what could have happened if you had moved forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.capitalcitycog.com/
