He said to them, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
The story of Epworth United Methodist Church might be compared to the story of the mustard seed. It was a seed planted and germinated, which grew into the greatest of shrubs. After the Annual meeting of the Durham Methodist Society on May 18, 1951, plans were made to organize Epworth Methodist Church. At that time church membership was 18 people worshiping at Hope Valley Elementary School. In 1952, the church was officially chartered. Between 1951-1954 the congregation grew to 61 people, and plans were made to launch a building program. Many Methodists in Durham contributed to the cost of the lot and the building.
In May 2014, Epworth made the decision to become a Reconciling Congregation. This formal acknowledgment made to our local community and the world recognized our commitment to welcome our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters in all areas of our ministry.
In the last several years, Epworth has organized a “Journeying Towards Justice” Ministry, our anti-racism team, which looks to educate, engage, and empower our congregation and community to build the Beloved Community. This summer, in conjunction with the Mt. Level Partnership, Epworth will host the Marian Wright Edelman Children’s Defense Fund “Freedom School.” The goal of Freedom Schools is to provide academically and culturally enriching experiences for children whose lives have been compromised by poverty and, most recently, by the pandemic.
Celebrating our 70th Anniversary in 2022, we give thanks for those early disciples who welcomed people into communion with Jesus Christ. As we move into the next decade, may we continue to have the courage to invite ALL people to experience God’s love through Jesus Christ.
Gracious God, only you have the ability to take the smallest degree of faith, like the tiny size of a mustard seed, and grow it into a greater fullness that would accomplish greater things and miraculous wonders through our ever-growing faith. We give our thanks and praise to God for the past, the present, and the future that lies ahead. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Rev. Donna Banks serves as the pastor of Epworth UMC in Durham, NC.
Our theme for this year’s Lenten reflections is Graceful Hospitality. 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Ten Dollar Club, now known as the New Room Society. We give thanks for our Conference’s ongoing commitment to co-creating new places for new people to gather in communion with Jesus Christ and extending graceful hospitality to all of God’s children.