At 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United Church of Chapel Hill is known for two distinct Sunday worship traditions that begin together at 10:30 a.m. Festival Worship draws on choral music, children, preaching, prayer and weekly communion, while La Mesa is a multicultural service in English and Spanish shaped by grace, justice, hope and love. The church is also a long-standing center for covenant theology, bilingual formation and public justice work, with music, childcare and community care woven into the life of its congregation.
Two Sunday Services, One Covenant
Sunday morning follows a steady rhythm at United Church of Chapel Hill. During the September through May program year, faith formation for adults, children and youth begins at 9:15 a.m. Adults gather upstairs, while children and youth meet downstairs. Two worship communities then gather at 10:30 a.m., and coffee hour follows in the Fellowship Hall at 11:30 a.m.
- 9:15 a.m. - Faith formation classes for adults, children and youth.
- 10:30 a.m. - Festival Worship in the Sanctuary and La Mesa in the Assembly Hall.
- 11:30 a.m. - Fellowship Hour with coffee and conversation in the Fellowship Hall.
On the third Sunday of each month, an 8:45 a.m. Gospel Worship service takes place on the church lawn. Festival Worship and La Mesa each typically last just over an hour. ASL interpretation is provided during Festival Worship and joint services, while La Mesa uses consecutive interpretation so English and Spanish speakers can hear and participate fully. On occasional Sundays, Festival Worship and La Mesa combine for bilingual worship in the Sanctuary, usually followed by a congregational meal, special program or church business meeting.
Music, Children, and Communion at Festival Worship
Festival Worship has the scale of a great parade of God's people. The Chancel Choir and other ensembles provide rich music, children have a moment in which they help the congregation reflect on God's word, and the service includes prayer for the community and careful attention to preaching. The service always concludes with an invitation to communion as the congregation comes forward to receive bread and cup.
Communion is offered every week, and anyone may participate. The church uses intinction, dipping bread into a cup of juice, and gluten-free bread is available. Worship leaders can also bring the elements to anyone unable to come forward. Guests entering the Sanctuary are greeted and offered a nametag and bulletin. Hearing assistive devices and large-print bulletins are available for the service.
Festival Worship is also livestreamed through the church's YouTube channel, allowing those unable to be in the building to join the worship.
La Mesa Makes Room for Every Voice
La Mesa is the church's multicultural and bilingual worship service, presented in English and Spanish. Consecutive interpretation and bilingual bulletins allow anyone who understands either language to participate fully. Scripture, sermons, prayers, communion and songs led by the La Mesa Choir center the service on God's grace, justice, hope and love. The Coro de La Mesa leads with contemporary sacred music in both languages, with a particular emphasis on composers from Latin America.
One distinctive feature of La Mesa is the question time that follows the sermon. The preacher poses a question and invites reflection in a testimonial style. Members tell and listen to stories, recognizing one another's humanity with greater compassion and bearing witness to God's presence in ordinary life. Communion is offered each Sunday, and God's table is understood as a sacred gathering place where all are welcome.
The congregation also gathers for Taize worship on various Friday evenings throughout the year. Taize worship weaves Christian song and chant with prayerful silence, scripture reading, prayer and further silence.
Faith Formation Across the Generations
Children's Faith Formation is designed as a safe place to hear sacred stories with wonder and curiosity, in a community dedicated to inclusion, joy and love. Adults have several Sunday options at 9:15 a.m. Faith and Family offers conversation and support for parents, while Spiritual Growth generally centers on the weekly discussion of a book. Community Forums usually feature a speaker presenting information about a special topic, organization or church ministry.
Youth in grades 6 through 12 have dedicated classes that emphasize love, social justice and personal faith development. Middle-school and high-school curricula move through the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, church history, theology and the use of Scripture in the world today. Confirmation is offered every other year as a process of discernment in which young people study scripture, theology, history and the core beliefs of the United Church of Christ. At its conclusion, each participant decides whether to seek confirmation as a member, and the congregation celebrates that person's faith journey either way.
The youth group meets for dinner and fellowship as well as art classes, day trips, lunches, games, recreation and service retreats. Youth are invited into the full life of the church, including worship, music, service, outreach, boards and committees. Twice each year, young people lead an all-ages Festival Worship service. Intergenerational activities include youth work in nursery care, Confirmation mentoring and collaborative Faith Formation projects such as an All Saints' Day remembrance and building a free food pantry.
United Church Preschool serves children ages 2 to 4 in a play-based program of three hours per day. Child-led activities support social and emotional development and give children time to learn from one another in the church's indoor and outdoor spaces. United Church Preschool is directed by Anitra Grove, Minister to Children.
A Covenant Built on Difference
United Church of Chapel Hill does not ask everyone to hold identical beliefs. Its shared covenant includes people who understand God in different ways and who arrive with Roman Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and Unitarian backgrounds. It also includes people who describe themselves as spiritual but not religious, agnostic or atheist. Uniformity of belief is not what defines the church; a commitment to covenant with one another is.
The congregation understands its life through God's promise to remain faithful to Creation. The rainbow in Genesis is a lasting image of that promise, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is understood as another dramatic renewal of it. In response, members seek to build a community that reflects God's love and justice toward neighbors. Joining the covenant means becoming a responsible and active part of the community through gifts of time, talent and treasure. It does not require agreement on specific beliefs or allegiance to a political or ideology.
Baptism is understood as a visible sign of God's presence. United Church of Chapel Hill baptizes anyone who desires to come into the presence of God, and infants, adolescents and adults may be baptized at any time by request. People who wish to join the congregation can take part in orientation sessions offered throughout the year.
Four formal covenants express the church's public commitments:
- Racial Justice Covenant, adopted in 2024: The church recognizes racism as prejudice combined with power, confesses its participation in racial divisions, and commits to learning about racial harm, speaking the truth, listening carefully, remaining humble and restructuring the church so that the gifts of all people shape its life and work.
- Open and Affirming Covenant, adopted in 2022: The congregation affirms and supports all sexual and gender identities as beloved creations, celebrates queer individuals and relationships, and commits to love, acceptance, learning and an ongoing practice of welcome.
- Economic Justice Covenant, adopted in 2007: The church vows to provide service and care, study the roots of poverty, seek long-term ways to empower people without power, oppose unjust policies, practice responsible stewardship and unite with other organizations addressing poverty and injustice.
- Creation Covenant, adopted in 2019: The church acknowledges ecological sin and pledges to care for creation, protect the planet's health, recognize the vulnerability of living systems and integrate human and Earth justice into worship, education, ministry and public advocacy.
Justice in the Public Square
Seeking justice is central to the congregation's identity and appears regularly in sermons, shared deliberations and the organization of ministries. Racial equity, immigration, queer inclusion, women's empowerment, climate change, gun violence and the moral problems of war are among the recurring subjects of its public engagement. The church regards politics and spiritual life as connected rather than separate, encouraging active participation in civic life and a prophetic understanding of God's will for the nation and world.
This commitment has a notable history. In the early 1990s, the church was known throughout North Carolina as a leading light for LGBTQ equality. It also took part in the Moral Mondays Movement, when members participated in civil disobedience at the state Capitol with Dr. William Barber. Today, that legacy continues through an Open and Affirming community, racial equity work and direct relationships with immigrant and asylum-seeking families.
Food security is a weekly practice. Nonperishable food is gathered in the lobby outside the Sanctuary each Sunday, placed in a basket and blessed with the offering before being sent to food security partners. A separate ministry team gathers food from area grocery stores each week and delivers it to the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service. The congregation also maintains mission and outreach funds that support benevolence and social justice projects proposed by the community.
La Mesa serves as a hub for outreach to Spanish-speaking communities. Members support immigrants and asylum seekers from many countries, especially Central and South America, through organizing, advocacy and practical assistance involving legal matters, housing and employment. A Palestinian Justice Partners group focuses on Palestinian justice, human rights and sovereignty, sharing information about the occupation, settler colonialism, persecution and violence while mobilizing the congregation for prayer, education and action.
The church's queer community gathers regularly for fellowship, learning, spiritual growth and social action through the Open and Affirming Committee. Its racial justice work includes sustained study, advocacy for racial equity and annual worship observances for Martin Luther King Jr. and Juneteenth. When the congregation sings a Negro spiritual, a special offering supports music education in African American communities in Chapel Hill and Durham. Friday-afternoon vigils bring people together to pray for an end to racism and stand in solidarity with African American communities.
Choirs, Bells, and Gospel
The music ministry supports several ensembles with distinct roles in worship and community life. Minister of Music Reyna Alston directs the Chancel Choir, Junior Choir and Chancel Bells, while Adrián Valiente directs the Coro de La Mesa and Vera Bennett conducts United Voices of Praise.
- Chancel Choir: The Chancel Choir leads Festival Worship most Sundays during the program year and also sings for major services such as the annual Lessons and Carols during Advent. Its repertoire spans more than five centuries and draws on multiple traditions and cultures, including major choral-orchestral works. Rehearsals are held Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
- Coro de La Mesa: The La Mesa Choir leads weekly worship with contemporary sacred music in Spanish and English, drawing especially on Latin American composers. Thursday evening rehearsals run from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
- Junior Choir: Young singers from age 6 through high school develop vocal technique, music literacy and ensemble skills while serving as worship leaders. Rehearsal times vary for younger and older choristers on Sundays following worship.
- Chancel Bells: The handbell and handchime ensemble expresses praise through five octaves of bells and handchimes. Youth and adults are welcome, and previous music-reading experience is helpful but not required. Rehearsals are held Mondays from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
- United Voices of Praise: This gospel choir leads the third-Sunday Gospel Worship service and welcomes people without previous music-reading experience. Rehearsals occur on Wednesdays before each monthly service.
The Chancel Choir also performs benefit concerts for nonprofit and justice organizations, carrying the church's musical life beyond its own walls.
Care Around the Table
United Church of Chapel Hill describes a culture of caregiving that begins with its Sunday welcome and extends through shared meals, regular gatherings and practical support. The pastoral care ministries include a bereavement committee that arranges a reception after memorial services; a Meal Train group that organizes meals, grocery deliveries, calls, visits and cards; a caregiver support group; and Fiber and Faith, whose handmade prayer shawls and other crafted items are given to people in need.
The groups meet in practical ways around the church calendar. The card-making group usually meets at 2:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The caregiver group meets Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., primarily on Zoom with occasional in-person gatherings. Fiber and Faith gathers after worship on Sundays. Community meals, including the meal following joint bilingual services, deepen the congregation's habit of eating together.
LGBTQ+ people participate throughout the church's worship, programs and ministries, with regular opportunities organized through the Open and Affirming Committee. United Church of Chapel Hill also maintains an enduring relationship with its sister congregation in Pesch, a village near Cologne, Germany. The two congregations have sponsored recurring exchanges for more than thirty years to share faith and values and build relationships between their communities.
Finding the Church and Entering the Building
United Church of Chapel Hill is at 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Chapel Hill. From I-40, travelers take exit 266 for NC-86 South and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, continue south for about 1.4 miles and turn right at the church sign. From downtown Chapel Hill, the route follows Columbia Street north, turns left onto Homestead Road and then right onto Aquatic Drive. Directions and visitor details include the full route.
The church lot accommodates approximately 140 vehicles. Weekend overflow parking is available in the UNC lot entered from Homestead Road before Aquatic Drive, with a gravel path connecting it to the church. On the rare occasions when both lots are full, the Homestead Aquatic Center lot, about one-quarter mile past the church, provides additional parking. The IFC shelter lot shares the church driveway and should not be used. Weekday spaces near the west-end ramp are reserved for the preschool, while the spaces nearest the building marked Priority Parking are intended for people who benefit from more accessible parking.
The building has three main entrances. On weekdays, visitors enter through the Office entrance, where a doorbell and intercom are available if the door is locked. On Sunday mornings and for special events, the Sanctuary entrance or Narthex is also open. The lower level, used for weekday preschool and youth activities, can be reached by the elevator outside the Sanctuary or by the outdoor ramp at the west end. Hearing assistive devices are available for worship in the Sanctuary, and the church offers large-print bulletins.
Children are always welcome in worship, with books and activities available in both worship spaces. Nursery care for all ages is provided during both services. Families may check in at the downstairs nursery before worship or after the Children's Moment during Festival Worship. Breastfeeding and every other form of infant feeding are welcome throughout the building. A Family Parlor where Festival Worship can be heard and a private prayer room with blinds, a lockable door and an outlet are available for feeding, pumping or quiet time.
When church activities are not taking place, the building can be shared with nonprofit organizations. Building-use contributions follow a sliding scale based on the type and frequency of use. The church office is generally open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Residents of Chapel Hill and Carrboro seeking financial assistance are generally referred to the IFC, while financial assistance for church members is handled through the pastors.
Peacemaking Scholarships and Gifts That Give Twice
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Peacemaking Scholarship has awarded 46 scholarships since 2009, each worth $1,000 to $1,200. Local high-school seniors who intend to attend college may be considered if their activities, studies and career goals demonstrate potential for active peacemaking. Six fields guide the selection process:
- Nonviolent conflict resolution.
- Global community and cultural diversity.
- Social justice and equal access to opportunity.
- Ecology, conservation and responsible stewardship of resources.
- Population, human dignity and sustainability.
- Depolarization, bridge-building and cooperation across political differences.
Scholars are recognized during Festival Worship each spring, and the congregation observes Peace Sunday on the Sunday closest to the International Day of Peace.
The annual Alternative Gift Market opens the church to the wider community with goods that support justice and charitable work. Vendors have included a women's jewelry cooperative in Guatemala, handmade paper products from Nicaragua, local jam, ceramics, wool goods, fair-trade coffee, Palestinian olive oil and other handcrafted and fair-trade goods. Proceeds support Church World Service, Habitat for Humanity and the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service. The associated God's Bidding auction offers donated vacations, baked goods, event tickets, holiday foods, trips and home-improvement services. Community events include the market and related benefit concerts.
Giving is described as an act of love and a declaration of the community's shared vision. In addition to online gifts and recurring donations, the church accepts checks, appreciated securities, electronic funds, donor-advised fund grants and charitable IRA distributions. Planned-giving options include bequests, retirement assets, life-income trusts, securities, charitable gift annuities and insurance beneficiaries. Endowments support mission and outreach, the preschool, the church building and unrestricted ministry.
A Century of Covenant in Chapel Hill
United Church of Chapel Hill has served Chapel Hill for more than a century. Under the heritage and policy of the United Church of Christ, it is a congregational church governed by the congregation through elected boards and committees. The Church Council includes the officers, at-large members, board chairs and senior pastor, giving direction and coordinating the church's mission and ministries.
Its current pastoral and program leadership includes Senior Pastor Cameron Barr, Associate Pastor Caleb Wolf, Minister to Children and Preschool Director Anitra Grove, Minister to Youth and Families Jackson Ringley, Minister of Music Reyna Alston, Junior Choir Director Elizabeth Brown, La Mesa Choir Director Adrián Valiente and United Voices of Praise Conductor Vera Bennett.
The church's defining words are simple: “Everyone hears the word of God. Everyone shares the love of Christ.” Its life at 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is built around that practice - gathering people with different beliefs, languages, musical traditions and forms of experience into one covenant community, caring for children and neighbors, and carrying worship and justice together.