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Message from Associate Pastor Rev. Payton Stone
Dear Mulberry Family,
I’m writing today to share an exciting step forward in our church’s journey to become more financially stable, missionally focused, and ready for the future into which God is calling us.
As many of you know, like many large, historic mainline churches, Mulberry finds itself in a season of discernment around how best to use the incredible property and assets we’ve been entrusted with. As Bill Fickling (our Chair of Finance) shared with me recently, “Our predecessors left generous donations of their hard-earned money to help future generations renovate Mulberry UMC to preserve Mulberry’s wonderful legacy. It’s time to prayerfully consider how we might use these generous donations for Mulberry’s benefit and for generations to come.”
To that end, our Executive Committee began exploring partnerships that could help us think creatively about our space and financial future. Through a connection of mine, we were introduced to Wesley Community Development Corporation (Wesley CDC), a non-profit real estate firm founded by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and The Duke Endowment. Since 2002, Wesley CDC has helped nearly 400 churches across the Southeast repurpose property to support ministry and sustainability.
We met with Wesley CDC’s President & CEO Joel Gilland and Director of Construction & Development Chad Brennan, and we were deeply impressed by their mission and track record. Projects they’ve helped bring to life include senior housing, affordable apartments, community shelters, and thoughtful redevelopment of underutilized space for new ministries.
Following that meeting, Wesley CDC submitted a Letter of Engagement for Stage One of their work with us. This proposal was brought before the Church Council on May 5th, and following the unanimous approval by church council, it was later presented to our Finance Committee and Trustees Committee. We’re happy to report that Mulberry has agreed to move forward with Stage One, which is now underway.
What’s Happening Now (Stage One)
We are currently in the data-gathering and analysis phase, which includes:
- Measuring our facility usage (both space and frequency)
- Reviewing our financial data, membership trends, and calendar of activities
- Studying patterns of congregational aging and ministry engagement
- Identifying opportunities for better space utilization and long-term sustainability
Wesley CDC will use this data to create a comprehensive report and set of findings that will be shared with our leadership and congregation. This phase is meant to give us a clear picture of where we are and what might be possible.
What’s Next (Stage Two)
If, after reviewing the Stage One findings, we want to continue our work with Wesley, Stage Two would involve visioning and planning. This includes:
- Hosting small group listening sessions with the congregation
- Engaging in scenario planning around what types of ministries or community partners might share space with us
- Exploring possible new uses for underutilized areas of the building
- Developing early-stage conceptual designs, cost estimates, and site feasibility studies
- Beginning to identify potential partnerships or tenants whose mission aligns with ours
This phase is still exploratory, but more concrete in terms of options and directions. It is designed to help the congregation discern what kind of future we want to move toward.
Where This Could Lead (Stage Three)
Should we choose to proceed, Stage Three could take us into actual boots on the ground implementation! This would include:
- Renovating or redesigning parts of our campus
- Bringing in new ministry partners, nonprofits, or mission-aligned tenants
- Developing housing or community space as part of a long-term vision
- Working with Wesley CDC on project management, permitting, and development
This is where bold ideas become reality, and where the potential for financial health, expanded ministry impact, and long-term viability truly takes shape.
Who’s Involved
We’ve convened (at the request of Wesley CDC) a Real Estate Steering Committee of eight leaders to guide our process in Stage One: Rev. Jack Varnell, Rev. Payton Stone, Bill Fickling, Bill Stembridge, Cindy Jarrard, Nita Smith, Robert Persons, and Waverly Golson.
This team will walk closely with Wesley CDC, receive updates and presentations, and help discern whether we move forward to Stage Two.
This partnership is a wonderful and timely opportunity for our church, especially as we celebrate our 200th anniversary next year! I ask for your prayers as we take these first faithful steps. Please pray for our leaders and for God’s guidance in this process.
To learn more:
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to talk more about this hopeful next chapter for Mulberry!
Grace and Peace,
Payton
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