Grace Church History Continued
While many of the early members were slaves, community leaders were also attracted by the
Gospel preached here. Membership increased and additional property was purchased, extending
church holdings to Front Street. In 1815 Bishop Asbury ordered the church rebuilt and the
parsonage enlarged.
Gospel preached here. Membership increased and additional property was purchased, extending
church holdings to Front Street. In 1815 Bishop Asbury ordered the church rebuilt and the
parsonage enlarged.
As growth continued, the sanctuary was enlarged and classrooms added in the basement. In 1843,
fire destroyed the church building. A new structure on the same foundation was consecrated as
Front Street Methodist Episcopal Church South (the Methodist Episcopal Church divided over the
issue of slavery into northern and southern parts), soon to become the largest, most prestigious
Methodist congregation in North Carolina. The remains of Meredith were placed beneath the porch.
In 1865, with the end of the Civil War, 635 black members withdrew to organize St. Stephen A.M.E.
Church at the corner of Fifth and Red Cross streets. Front Street Church continued, but in 1886 was
destroyed by fire, along with most of Wilmington’s waterfront buildings. It was decided to relocate the
church to the corner of Fourth and Mulberry streets. The name was changed to Grace Church and
the city soon changed the name of the street to Grace Street to honor the contributions of the church
to the city. Walsh Hall was constructed in 1916 and is still in use.
In 1939, with the uniting of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the name became Grace Methodist
Church.
On March 21, 1947, another fire destroyed the sanctuary, auditorium and chapel. The present Neo-
Gothic sanctuary was constructed in 1950. The education building was constructed in 1958. In
1968 with the merger of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, our
church became Grace United Methodist Church.
Grace is the “Mother Church of Methodism” in the Wilmington area, having had a major part in
beginning the Fifth Avenue, Trinity, Wrightsboro, Epworth and Pine Valley congregations. Two of
Grace’s pastors have been elected Bishop and eleven sessions of the Annual Conference have been hosted here.
Most importantly, lives have been touched and changed by stirring worship, educational programs, and inspiring music.
On June 28, 1998, Grace and Sunset Park United Methodist Churches merged to create the current Grace Church. The merger has borne much fruit, as Grace Church has strengthened its outreach to the community and to the world, while creating a nurturing spiritual home for its members and the
community.
On June 28, 1998, Grace and Sunset Park United Methodist Churches merged to create the current Grace Church. The merger has borne much fruit, as Grace Church has strengthened its outreach to the community and to the world, while creating a nurturing spiritual home for its members and the
community.
In 2005, the Grace membership approved the building of the Bullock Activity Center that would
include a gym, new kitchen, new church offices, and a gathering space. This addition allowed Grace
to grow in membership and through the hard work and dedication of many people, the Bullock
Activity Center was completed in 2010.
On December 24, 2022, Grace celebrated its 225 th anniversary. We are grateful to God for what we
have been able to accomplish in these first 225 years, and we continue to pray for God's guidance
and empowerment as we seek to build on our legacy of offering Christ to the world from the heart of
downtown Wilmington.