Stephen Dufresne grew up in Rhode Island in a devout Roman Catholic family.  At the age of 21 while serving in the Air Force his self-righteousness was shattered.  Left without hope of redeeming himself he heard the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone; he repented of his sins and trusted in Christ.

Having sensed a call to the ministry early on, Pastor Dufresne pursued an undergraduate degree in History at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.  It was there that he came to an understanding of the doctrines of grace as understood in the reformed faith. He graduated in 1994 and the following week reached a real achievement by marrying his wife Donna.  He worked while attending Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and graduated in 2001.  He served several years at an Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and was called to pastor Providence Presbyterian Church beginning in January 2006.  Pastor Dufresne and his wife Donna are thankful that the Lord has given them a daughter, Angelique, who is now 5 years old.

Why Pastor Dufresne accepted the call to serve at Providence Presbyterian Church. 

“Our first visit to Providence Presbyterian Church revealed a real unity of purpose.  The folks were very open about their faith and showed a love for the Lord.  They expressed a desire to see others come to know the fellowship they have with Christ and with one another.  It was evident that that love motivated them to seek others.  Our second visit to Providence confirmed our first impression—these are people to whom and with whom I can minister as a pastor and with whom my family could build strong faithful friendships.  They are optimistic and look to the future.  I was also impressed by the elders and deacons of the church who are experienced and take seriously their call to care for the members.  In a day when many people are tired of being marketed to like consumers at a mall or hooked into the church through entertainment, the members at Providence offered a refreshing and honest approach.  I and my family are thrilled to be here among these folks and thank God for them.”