Providence United Methodist Church sits on Providence Road in southeast Charlotte, North Carolina, with a second campus at St. John's on Monroe Road. The two campuses joined together in 2014, and the merged congregation now gathers across both locations under a single mission: to be the growing body of Christ, glorifying God and serving others. The church's stated vision, Loving God, Worshipping Boldly, Changing Lives, is lived out through a packed Sunday morning schedule, a nationally recognized music ministry, a Weekday School for young children, and one of the broader local mission networks among Charlotte United Methodist churches.
Three Sunday Services, One Sunday Family
Providence offers three Sunday morning worship services at the Providence Road campus, each with its own character so that regular attenders and first-time guests can choose the style that fits them best.
The 8:30 AM Relaxed Traditional service in the Sanctuary keeps many of the elements of the later traditional service but feels more intimate. Hymns are chosen by the gathered congregation, and music is provided by soloists, instrumentalists, and small ensembles drawn from the Chancel Choir. There are no acolytes and no procession except on special Sundays, and communion is celebrated kneeling at the altar rail on the first Sunday of each month.
At 9:00 AM the contemporary service, called The Net, gathers in Wolfe Hall. A praise band leads casual, creative, contemporary worship with children's moments woven in, all in less than an hour. The Net draws an intergenerational crowd and is offered both in person and online.
At 10:55 AM the Traditional service fills the Sanctuary with the full Chancel Choir, acolytes and crucifer, the pipe organ, and robust congregational song. Solo instrumentalists and ensembles join at special times of year, the word is read and proclaimed, and the congregation responds with affirming the faith, giving gifts, and going out into the world. Communion by intinction is celebrated the first Sunday of each month.
The St. John's campus, located at 4305 Monroe Road, continues to share ministry and mission with Providence following the 2014 merger.
First-Time Visitors
Providence makes a point of welcoming guests. Designated guest parking spaces are reserved in front of the church along Providence Road. The Hospitality Team greets at both the Sanctuary and Welcome Center portico entrances each Sunday morning, and a Welcome Desk just inside the Welcome Center offers printed information and answers to questions. Team members wear Hospitality name tags so they are easy to find.
A professionally staffed nursery for infants through preschool is available each Sunday, with a safe, loving environment open from 8:15 AM to 12:15 PM. Children are encouraged to take part in worship with their families, and Sunday School classes are offered during the 10:00 AM hour for ages 3-5 and for kindergarten through 5th grade. There is no dress code; the congregation shows up in suits and dresses, business casual, and jeans, often on the same Sunday.
Service lengths are predictable. The 8:30 AM Relaxed Traditional and 9:00 AM Contemporary services each last about 45 to 50 minutes, and the 10:55 AM Traditional service runs about one hour. Services are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook and archived afterward.
A Music Ministry Known Across Charlotte
Providence's Music Ministry has earned a reputation as one of the leading church music programs in the region, both for the quality of its congregational music and for its concert programming offered free to the wider Charlotte community.
The anchor is the Robinson Family Pipe Organ, a Parkey OrganBuilders Opus 14 that incorporates the rebuilt Aeolian-Skinner organ (Opus 1472) originally housed in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The instrument was removed, restored, and reinstalled at Providence in 2013, where it now leads congregational singing, accompanies multiple choirs, and is featured in special concerts.
Each year from September through May, the Music Ministry presents the Providence Chamber Music Series. Professional musicians from around Charlotte perform chamber music across genres, and all recitals are free to the public. The David Bashor Memorial Organ Concert Series runs alongside it, presenting organ recitals by talented organists from the Charlotte area and beyond. The series is named in memory of Dr. David Bashor, a longtime Chancel Choir member who served for more than a decade as chair of the organ committee.
There are many ways to join in. Adult vocalists can sing with the Chancel Choir (adults and high school seniors) or the Encore Choir (senior adults). Ringers can join the Providence Handbell Ringers or the youth Asbury Ringers, which welcomes rising 6th through 12th graders with no musical experience required. Children's Music for younger children includes singing, handbells, instruments, and learning about worship leadership. The Music Ministry also gathers for fellowship and enrichment events and takes Encore Choir on fall and spring trips to assisted living facilities.
The staff team behind the program includes Adam Ward, Director of Music Ministries; John Richardson, Organist and Music Associate; Tyris Washington, Contemporary Worship Leader; and Lisette Helveston, Music Ministry Administrator.
Missions: Home, Table, Planet
Providence organizes its mission life around three strategic goals, expressed in shorthand as Home, Table, and Planet. The aim is to keep ministry balanced across the local neighborhood, the wider Charlotte community, and the world.
Local mission partnerships run deep. PUMC supports Oakhurst STEAM Academy, a partner school, providing teacher support, school supply drives, training opportunities for faculty, and volunteer math tutors through Heart Math Tutoring. Roof Above, the organization formerly known as Urban Ministry Center and Men's Shelter of Charlotte, works to combat homelessness; each winter Providence opens its downstairs Mission Center to host overflow shelter guests, providing meals, showers, laundry access, cots, and conversation. What's Next walks alongside at-risk youth throughout their teenage years through tutoring, mentoring, meals, and support. Crisis Assistance Ministry receives more than $1,000 each month from Providence to help neighbors with utilities and rent. The Relatives' On Ramp resource center serves young adults aged 17 to 24 who are homeless or displaced, helping them move toward education, employment, and housing. Charlotte Rescue Mission's Dove's Nest women's recovery program and Rebound men's program receive regular volunteer teams who prepare and serve meals.
Regionally and beyond, the church supports disaster relief through the United Methodist Committee on Relief, providing volunteers and donations for tornado, flood, hurricane, and wildfire response in the southeastern United States and abroad.
Internationally, Haiti has been a strategic mission focus for more than forty years. Providence's involvement includes clean water initiatives, economic development through micro-loans to women in northern Haiti, medical mission teams that treat more than 3,000 patients per week, and educational projects. The Cap Haitian Ministry Center, originally funded by Providence UMC as a two-year pilot, is now an independent nonprofit supported by many contributing partners, including Providence. The Haiti Mission Foundation continues to receive significant support from Providence United Methodist Women and the wider congregation. A team from Providence has also served alongside other United Methodists in Mukachevo, Ukraine, leading a five-night camp for eighty youth new to the Christian faith, themed Closer to God.
Providence also serves as a collection site for Project Agape, a Western North Carolina Conference ministry supporting brothers and sisters in Armenia.
Recurring hands-on opportunities include preparing and serving meals at Charlotte Rescue Mission on the second Monday of each month, volunteering with Second Harvest Food Bank on the third Thursday, and the annual Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event.
The Rev. Brandon Dirks serves as Minister of Missions and Strategic Initiatives and oversees this work.
Children's Ministry from Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children's Ministry at Providence is built around the conviction that the relationships children build now will become seeds for a lifetime of faith. The ministry focuses on faith development, worship involvement, missions, intergenerational opportunities, and fellowship.
On Sunday mornings, infants through preschool are welcomed to a professionally staffed nursery open from 8:15 AM to 12:30 PM. Children ages 3 to 5 and kindergarten through 5th grade gather for Sunday School from 10:00 to 10:45 AM, with songs, creative learning exercises, Bible stories, and crafts. Elementary-aged children participate in Children's Church during the Sunday School hour once a month.
Children are also encouraged to take part in the 8:30 AM Relaxed Traditional, 9:00 AM Contemporary, and 11:00 AM Traditional services. Throughout the year they help lead worship by reading Scripture, leading prayer, and participating in skits and readings.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the children's calendar includes music programs such as Children's Music and Genesis Ringers, family retreats like the Camp Tekoa Family Retreat, intergenerational events including the Fall Festival with trunk-or-treating, face painting, hayride, and bounce house, and the annual Blessing of the Animals, held on the grassy area behind Wolfe Hall with Scripture and a blessing offered for each animal.
Cannon Hunt serves as Director of Children's Ministries, a role she stepped into in September 2024. She is a lifelong member of Providence whose family has deep roots in the congregation.
PUMC Youth: Share, Surround, Send
PUMC Youth organizes its ministry around three verbs: SHARE the Good News of Jesus Christ, SURROUND youth with opportunities for spiritual growth and Biblical Truth, and SEND themselves out to those who are hurting or in need.
Youth Group meets every Sunday from 5:30 to 7:00 PM during the school year, with dinner provided each week, and is open to students in grades 6 through 12. The middle school and high school each have their own annual fall retreat, and a beach trip is part of the summer rhythm. Sip + Study offers a once-weekly meetup at a local coffee shop or bookstore during the school year, giving students a chance to work on homework together. Youth Prayer Partners is a recent addition inviting young people to grow in prayer, encourage one another, and build new connections.
Mission and service are central. Mission Mondays run each summer, sending youth out Monday mornings from 9:00 AM to noon to serve across Charlotte through UMAR, Loaves and Fishes, Classroom Central, and other partners. Summer mission trips in recent years have taken students to Asheville, Raleigh, the Florida Keys, and Atlanta, working on hurricane relief, hunger projects, and food pantry sorting. The youth also unload and run the famous PUMC Pumpkin Patch each October as a fundraiser.
Olivia Tobin serves as Director of Youth Ministries, and Mendy Godman handles youth forms and logistics.
Adults at Every Stage
Providence offers a layered set of options for adults, whether single, married, raising kids, or in the second half of life.
Sunday morning classes provide one entry point, with topics for those curious about faith, those looking to grow spiritually, and those seeking community along the way. Small Groups of up to fourteen people meet at various locations, days, and times during the week, designed for participants to grow in faith and walk through life together.
Young adults have a dedicated Small Group meeting every Sunday at 10:00 AM in Room A-107, with childcare and Sunday School available for children of all ages. Connections in Christ is a newer ministry aimed primarily at the 55+ community, with programs on the third Tuesday of each month in the Atrium that include fellowship, refreshments, a speaker, and music. Plans include day trips and an annual overnight trip. Stitching Divas, a knitting and crochet group, meets Wednesdays at 10:00 AM in Room A100. Pickleball fills Wolfe Hall Monday through Thursday from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, with a beginner class on Wednesdays. Men's Basketball brings together multiple weekly pickup sessions for men of various ages and skill levels.
College students are remembered through the College Link program, in which congregation members pray for and stay in touch with Providence UMC college students by sending occasional cards, gift cards, and care packages.
The Rev. Teresa Dunn serves as Minister of Discipleship and Adult Education and connects adults to the right group or class.
United Methodist Women
Providence United Methodist Women is part of the global United Women in Faith, and is open to all women, regardless of church affiliation, interested in making new friends, helping others, and growing spiritually.
Small-group Circles meet September through May, offering fellowship, guest speakers, book studies, spiritual growth, and mission opportunities. The current Circles include Deborah (retired women interested in contemporary topics and service), Hannah (members of the Joy Community and women with different abilities), Martha (active women ages 40 to 60), Miriam (women focused on nurturing relationships with God, each other, and the community), Priscilla (working women, mothers, and newly retired), Ruth (working women and mothers ages 40 to 50), Tabitha (younger working women and mothers with small children, with nursery care available), and a new Nighttime Circle for women whose schedules rule out daytime meetings. At-Large Membership is also available for women who cannot attend a regular Circle meeting.
The annual Cookie Walk raises funds, with hundreds of volunteer hours producing more than $20,000 in donations split between UMAR and Partners 4 New Hope Hospital. Providence UMW supports mission partners including Roof Above (with twice-monthly sandwich-making and serving at the soup kitchen), the Haiti Mission, What's Next, Dove's Nest at Charlotte Rescue Mission, and UMAR.
Caroline Hare can be contacted for more information on Circles or General Meetings.
The Weekday School
The Weekday School at Providence is a developmentally appropriate, play-based preschool serving children ages six months through five years. It operates from September through May, with school hours of 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Registration opens in January for the following school year.
The mission of the school is to communicate God's love as revealed through Jesus Christ and to provide an environment where each child can grow spiritually, socially, cognitively, physically, and emotionally. The program is Christian in character while acknowledging and respecting the different religions and cultures represented among its families. Children experience Christian education in the classroom, in Chapel, and in Tiny Chapel, where they worship through song, Bible stories, and prayer.
Classrooms are set up in a learning-center style, with materials and centers that change as the curriculum and skill sets emphasized shift. Centers include Creative Art, Sensory Experiences, Block Area, Dramatic Play, Manipulative, Writing Area, and Reading Area.
In-house field trips bring the wider world into the preschool. Weekly Music with Mrs. Whitley introduces musical concepts. The St. Jude Trike-A-Thon has been a spring tradition for 25 years, raising more than $162,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Story Cafe pairs the love of reading with the art of cooking.
Anna Smith is the Weekday School Director, with BJ Hilliard as Assistant Director.
Stephen Ministry: Christ Caring for People Through People
Stephen Ministry is a lay caring ministry in which trained congregation members provide one-to-one care to people going through a difficult time, including grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or relocation. Stephen Ministers are trained to listen, care, encourage, pray, and walk alongside.
Providence's Stephen Ministry team includes Sandy Arey, Candy Batchelor, Darlene Brown, John Calcagni, Martha Carpenter, Lisa Cline, Deborah Dukes, Dulcy Michel, Duncan Morton, Gail Shepherd, Jerry Thomas, Deni Thompson, Marlene Trahan, Rev. Valerie Wilson, Jim Wollin, and Susan Wollin. Training involves twenty sessions, including an all-day Saturday retreat. Marlene Trahan, Susan Wollin, and Jim Wollin serve as primary contacts for those seeking a Stephen Minister.
The Rev. Dr. Bill Jeffries, Senior Associate Pastor of Congregational Care, oversees this ministry along with the broader prayer and care work of the church.
Family and Friends of Veterans
Providence maintains an active Family and Friends of Veterans ministry, honoring members and family members who have served in the United States military. The church's roster lists dozens of names spanning generations, with active-duty service members and deceased veterans noted alongside their branch of service. The ministry connects veterans and their families with one another and with the wider life of the congregation. Rev. Dr. Bill Jeffries, a Vietnam veteran, is among those involved.
IGNITE PROVIDENCE: Reimagining Tomorrow
In 2026, Providence launched IGNITE PROVIDENCE, a collaborative visioning and strategic planning process aimed at shaping the congregation's life through 2031. The vision adopted by Church Council after a Visioning Day reads: By 2031, Providence is a vibrant, diverse, Christ-centered community calling all generations to life-changing love, discipleship, and service.
The process has run through several stages: a survey completed by more than 600 members, external research by a Research Team, a Visioning Day gathering of the congregation, drafting of a strategic framework, an Initiatives Drafting Workshop, and the selection of thirty-nine overarching strategic initiatives built from more than 300 submissions. Goal Champions are being secured for the three strategic goals: Strengthening the Core, Building the Body, and Going Forth into the World.
The Rev. Brandon Dirks, Minister of Missions and Strategic Initiatives, leads this work alongside consultant Christina Drouin and lay leaders.
Pastoral Leadership
The Rev. Steve Autrey began his tenure as Senior Pastor in July 2026, after thirty years of ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. A native of Western North Carolina, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from UNC-Asheville and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Missional Innovation at Duke. Before Providence, he served Denver United Methodist Church, where he oversaw financial recovery, staff development, facility expansion, and construction of a dedicated ministry center. He and his wife Marcy have two young adult daughters, Elizabeth and Maggie, and a German Shepherd named Zenny.
The Rev. Dr. Bill Jeffries serves as Senior Associate Pastor of Congregational Care, with a primary focus on visitation and connection with members. A longtime member of Providence who has also pastored other United Methodist churches, he is a Vietnam veteran and is married to Terri. The Rev. Brandon Dirks, Minister of Missions and Strategic Initiatives, has served on staff since 2020 and brings more than thirty years of ministry experience in youth, sports, discipleship, missions, and outreach. The Rev. Teresa Dunn serves as Minister of Discipleship and Adult Education.
Two Campuses, One Mission
Providence UMC operates from two locations. The Providence Campus at 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28211, is the main location for Sunday worship, the Weekday School, the Music Ministry, and most program life. The St. John's Campus at 4305 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205, joined Providence in 2014 and continues as part of the merged congregation's ministry in east Charlotte. The church office is open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Thursday and 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Friday.
Giving
Providence offers several ways to give. Online gifts can be made through Realm using a checking account, debit card, or credit card. Contributions may also be made by text by messaging Providence to 73256, or by mail to 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28211, with checks made payable to Providence United Methodist Church or Providence UMC. Endowment fund gifts can be made through the Western North Carolina United Methodist Foundation. The annual Estimate of Giving invites each household to prayerfully consider its commitment for the year ahead. Carlos Canarte, Business Manager, handles giving questions.
Getting Connected
Providence describes its mission in three movements: Love God, Worship Boldly, and Change Lives. For newcomers, the Membership Class introduces the church's mission, ministries, and ways to get involved. Baptisms are scheduled in coordination with membership preparation. Those interested in joining Providence are encouraged to contact the Rev. Steve Autrey or fill out a Next Steps inquiry.
Communications include a weekly e-letter that subscribers receive in their inbox, Facebook and Instagram feeds, and a YouTube channel featuring livestreamed services and other programming. Pastoral appointments are made by the bishop and appointive cabinet of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church; the most recent appointment of Rev. Steve Autrey as Senior Pastor came from Bishop Carter following a season of prayerful discernment.
Providence United Methodist Church invites its neighbors in Charlotte to come as they are, to find a worship service that fits, and to discover where they might serve. Whether the pull is toward the traditional service with the Chancel Choir and the Robinson pipe organ, toward The Net on a Sunday morning, or toward the Weekday School, a Stephen Minister, a UMW Circle, or a Tuesday night at Charlotte Rescue Mission, the church opens its doors and its mission work to anyone who wants to share in it.