Called for Connection —dawson lot project

“Promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you... Pray to the Lord for it, because your future depends on its welfare.” — Jeremiah 29:7

DISCERNING THE FUTURE OF OUR DAWSON STREET LOT

OUT OF OUR VISIONING

Through a year of prayer, listening, and discernment, we shaped our Vision for 2035: Called for Connection — a 10-year plan inspiring us to be a spiritually alive community, transforming lives through connection with God, with one another, and with our neighbors.

A major strategy that came out of our visioning is to “further and boldly deploy the physical assets of our church to increase connection, belonging, and opportunity in downtown Raleigh.” To do so, our congregation expressed a willingness to explore development opportunities of our Dawson Street lot (off of Edenton and Dawson Streets) that would contribute to the flourishing of our church and community.

In February 2026, our Church Council approved the hiring of Urban Consulting Group and its partners Yard & Co. and Baker Tilly to lead us in our discernment process. We are excited to begin this work and to discover what God has in store for our Dawson Street property!

WHY NOW?

Our church family has expressed a willingness to explore development possibilities, and leadership recognizes the value in doing so now in the absence of immediate pressure to develop for financial gain. We can take our time dreaming and discerning how God wants us to steward the resources he has given us for the flourishing of our church and our community.

What must be true

Guiding this process are six components that must be part of any development on our Dawson Street lot property.

  1. Alignment with ESUMC’s Vision, Mission, and Values

  2. Parking Availability at Current Level or More 

  3. Addressing Challenges of Marginalized Communities

  4. Maintaining Existing Programs and Facilities

  5. Meaningful Community Engagement

  6. Strengthen the Long-Term Financial Future of ESUMC

 

GENERAL ROADMAP AHEAD

PHASE 1: Mobilize & Listen (2-3 months)

Engage internal and external stakeholders in listening sessions to assess where our church’s capacity and passions align with community needs and what is feasible.

PHASE 2: Co-Design & Development Options (2-3 months)

Engage the church and community in co-design workshops to create a range of potential ideas.

PHASE 3: Concept & Feasibility (2-3 months)

Narrow down preferred concept options and assess feasibility.

A legacy of launching good

We give thanks to God and the leaders who came before us for giving us the opportunity to dream time and time again. Our 200+-year-old story is filled with faithful visionaries who worked tirelessly to build a firm foundation on which future generations could stand. Today, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and invested deeply in our community — both inside and outside our church walls.

Our history reveals a pattern: when faithful people gather at Edenton Street, ideas for the good of our city take root and grow into ministries, nonprofits, and new expressions of faith.

  • Dreaming and discerning begins! Building on a long history of faithful service, we now begin to discern how this property might spark new ministries, meet emerging needs, and help our city flourish.

    A HISTORY OF COMMUNITY IMPACT:

  • The Well opens its doors at ESUMC. Rev. Amanda Rigby and Dr. Elizabeth Waters founded The Well “to create pathways toward healing and wholeness in the community by offering accessible and affordable mental and spiritual care.”

  • ESUMC opens the doors of our Bulla Youth Building to serve as a host for White Flag. When temperatures turn cold on winter nights, unhoused women in our community are offered a warm place to be and extended radical hospitality by church members.

  • Relocates to ESUMC, enabling it to open six new classrooms and grow its work in fostering inclusive learning for children of all abilities and backgrounds. 

  • After meeting for a season in our Bulla building, the Southeast Raleigh Table (SER\T) is launched from ESUMC. Today, SER\T is located and thriving in southeast Raleigh.

  • Church on Morgan is launched out of Edenton Street. Located in the heart of Raleigh, Church on Morgan is a vibrant community of people reminding us of the beauty of God and each other.

  • ESUMC members Jackie Craig and Beth Smoot launch The Green Chair Project to provide home essentials to people coming out of crisis. This passion project between two friends began in an ESUMC closet and today has served over 34,000 people. 

  • ESUMC plants Wakefield UMC in Wake Forest.

  • ESUMC opens an adult day center to provide a loving, safe weekday place for individuals facing the challenges of aging, Alzheimer's, dementia, and other chronic conditions.

  • ESUMC is one of 12 churches that establish Urban Ministries, initially to provide emergency food and financial relief to Wake County residents. Today, its mission has grown to “to serve and advocate on behalf of those affected by poverty by providing food and nutrition, promoting health and wellness, and laying the foundations of home.”

  • The idea for the Methodist Home orphanage came out of a meeting in our church basement. No longer an orphanage, today, the Methodist Home for Children services include foster care, adoption, early childhood, family preservation, juvenile justice, and more.

MEET OUR CORE TEAM

Our discernment process will include input from church members, pastors, and staff, as well as community stakeholders, city and county officials, neighboring churches, nonprofits, and local businesses. Throughout this process, three church members and one staff person will serve as a core team, working with and serving as liaisons to our consultants to move the process forward.

FRALEY MARSHALL, CO-LEAD

FLEMING HERRING, CO-LEAD

AMY BULLINGTON, CORE TEAM MEMBER

EMAIL US W/QUESTIONS OR IDEAS

RENAE NEWMILLER, CORE TEAM MEMBER