Fifth Avenue Methodist Church Congregation

Please consider helping the congregation of Fifth Avenue Methodist Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. The congregation was blindsided on March 26, 2023, when the Bishop and District Superintendent of the North Carolina United Methodist Church Conference closed the historic church in downtown Wilmington.

Fifth Avenue celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2022 and has a long, storied history in Wilmington. The active church had a yearlong celebration in 2022 – making the local and state news for its anniversary as well as a strong ministry that included ministry support to NourishNC and local homeless shelters as well as a strong senior citizen outreach program.

The cruel treatment from the Bishop and District Superintendent of the NC UMC Conference comes after the church was following a path created by the United Methodist Church for a disaffiliation process to leave the UMC. The Fifth Avenue congregation was following the guidelines set forth by the United Methodist Church and was expecting (based on the UMC’s disaffiliation plan) an opportunity to leave the UMC, like the thousands of other United Methodist Churches across the United States that have been allowed to leave the denomination without intentional harm and forced closure.

Please help us right this wrong and save our church!!

We have now taken legal action against the North Carolina United Methodist Conference and need your help with legal fees. Please consider donating to help us continue our fight!! No amount is too great or too small!!! Please pray for our congregation and may God bless you richly!!