The Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church has existed for over 170 years. But after a long service period, on March 27, the NC Conference of UMC announced that the church would be closing. The decrease in membership, which is the struggle mostly right now in churches, is the main reason for their closure.
Although this was a hard decision, the Harbor District superintendent, Rev. Tara Lain, stated they were committed to ensuring the church's legacy would continue to live on through a rebirth.
UMC Church Colses Due to Decline in Members
According to WECT, the church's leaders and members were appreciated for their faithful service. The NC Conference looks forward to a new chapter focusing on outreach, service, and community engagement.
The church members were shocked when they knew that the conference had decided to close the church. The conference plans to maintain ownership of the building and repurpose it to serve the community.
The church's closure was a complete surprise to members who thought they were attending an informational meeting about the upcoming vote for disaffiliation. The church's history dates back to 1847; many members have followed for decades.
Despite the closure, the North Carolina Conference plans to find new ways to serve the community by using the church space to provide shelter and assistance following significant storms, help unsheltered people, become a gathering space for seniors and persons with disabilities, and a welcoming space for worship and study for one or more new United Methodist faith communities.
The NC Conference of The United Methodist Church has released an announcement for the closure of Fifth Avenue UMC. In the article shared in WWAY3, the decision was reached after careful consideration and prayerful discernment. It was due to declining membership and the local community's clear, present, and pressing needs.
Fifth Avenue UMC was closed despite being a difficult decision with the community's best interests in mind. The building will now provide a place for new ministries to be established and for current churches needing a home to serve the growing population of downtown Wilmington.
A spokesperson for the NC Conference has also noted that the conference does not usually send messages about closed churches. Still, due to the divisive climate in The United Methodist Church, they wanted to be as transparent as possible.
Also Read: Mahanoy City Mourns as Church Shuts its Doors After Years of Service
Participation of the Pine Valley Methodist Church to the Split Within the UMC
Last year, the United Methodist Church (UMC) experienced a split, with several congregations departing to join the more conservative Global Methodist Church due to disagreements over LGBTQ rights.
According to Port City Daily, over 200 UMC churches voted to disaffiliate from the denomination in North Carolina, including Pine Valley Methodist Church, which has a rich history dating back to 1847. The disaffiliation equaled roughly 32% of the North Carolina Conference's congregations and 22% of its membership.
Despite the split, Pine Valley Methodist Church released a statement expressing its commitment to finding new ways to thrive in adversity. The North Carolina Conference plans to continue serving the community meaningfully through the location. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
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