Duke Memorial United Methodist

What Duke Memorial United Methodist does

Duke Memorial United Methodist Church (Tax ID 83-2007575) is a nonprofit religious organization founded in 1886 by Washington Duke in the West End of downtown Durham, North Carolina, and operating as a local congregation affiliated with the United Methodist Church denomination. It conducts weekly Sunday worship at 10:55 AM both in person and online via YouTube, complemented by formation groups meeting in homes, breweries, and the church building, a music ministry featuring choirs and a historic organ, and dedicated programs for children and youth. The organization explicitly aligns itself around four pillars: worship, formation, justice, and inclusion, codified in a public welcome statement affirming participation regardless of age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, or ability.

Beyond worship, Duke Memorial operates a portfolio of community-facing programs that effectively function as its product surface. The Parents' Morning Out (PMO) program, in continuous operation for 38 years, provides weekday childcare for children aged 8 months to 3 years at structured monthly subscription tiers of $100, $200, $300, $400, and $500 corresponding to 1 through 5 days per week of attendance. The Duke Memorial Weekday School is operated as a related non-profit early childhood education provider. Community outreach includes the Good Samaritan Fund (financial assistance for housing, utilities, transportation, and food for Durham County residents), the annual Christmas Market (13th year in 2025, targeting 1,400 gifts for Durham children), and the Neighbor to Neighbor outreach ministry. The church also functions as a multi-tenant community hub, hosting at least nine partner non-profit organizations including Church World Service Durham, Durham Congregations In Action, BUMP: The Triangle, L'Arche NC, and the Society of St. Andrew.

Duke Memorial's revenue model is donation-led: tithes and offerings from congregation members are the primary recurring stream, processed through an OnRealm-powered online giving platform. Fee-based subscription revenue comes from the Parents' Morning Out program, with documented monthly tiers and a $50 non-refundable application fee plus biannual $75 supply fees. Secondary revenue includes event-driven donations such as the Christmas Market and Good Samaritan Fund contributions, and implicit facility-use value from hosting partner organizations. The organization is governed by a Church Council, employs approximately 15 staff and ministry personnel including Lead Pastor Rev. Hope Ledbetter-Bock, and uses a Church Center mobile app alongside its public website for member communications, check-in, and directory access. There are no funding rounds, investors, subsidiaries in the equity sense, or M&A activity disclosed; PMO and the Weekday School operate as internal program subsidiaries.

Name

Duke Memorial United Methodist

Legal name

Duke Memorial United Methodist Church

Website

https://dukememorial.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duke Memorial United Methodist Church is a nonprofit religious organization in Durham, North Carolina, founded in 1886, offering weekly worship, a 38-year-old weekday childcare program, community outreach, and hosting space for nine local nonprofit partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Worship Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Child Care Services (6244)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Childcare programs
• Community outreach
• Faith formation groups
• Financial assistance ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional church giving through tithes and offerings from congregation members
2. Parents' Morning Out Program: Childcare program fees from parents, ranging from $100-500/month based on days attended
3. Christmas Market Donations: Gift and toy donations from community members to support the annual Christmas Market event for Durham families

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Duke Memorial United Methodist Church is a local Methodist congregation providing weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and online), faith formation groups, children's and youth ministries, and community outreach programs. It operates a 38-year-old weekday childcare program (Parents' Morning Out) for infants through 3-year-olds and supports Durham residents through the Good Samaritan Fund and an annual Christmas Market.

Product overview

Duke Memorial United Methodist Church offers a comprehensive suite of ministry programs and community services centered around worship, spiritual formation, and social justice. The core offerings include weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and online), formation groups for all ages, and the Parents' Morning Out (PMO) childcare program for infants through 3-year-olds. The church provides community outreach through the Good Samaritan Fund for financial assistance and the annual Christmas Market for families in need. Additional programs include youth and children ministry, music ministry with choirs and historic organ, and the Duke Memorial Weekday School early childhood education program. The church utilizes Church Center technology for member engagement and OnRealm for online giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Service Weekly Sunday worship gatherings held in person and online at 10:55 AM, featuring dynamic preaching, music from choirs and historic organ, with streaming available via YouTube. Open to all community members.
• Formation Groups Small group gatherings throughout the week for fellowship and spiritual growth, meeting in homes, breweries, and the church building for congregants of all ages.
• Parents' Morning Out (PMO) Weekday childcare program operating Monday-Friday from 9:15am-12:45pm for children 8 months through 3 years old, offering free play, crafts, playground time, and snacks. Has served the Durham community for 38 years.
• Good Samaritan Fund Community financial assistance program providing discretionary spending for housing, utilities, transportation, and food to Durham County residents in need.
• Christmas Market Annual one-day holiday shopping event for Durham families with limited financial means, allowing parents to select and purchase Christmas gifts for their children while honoring their dignity.
• Youth and Children Ministry Ministry programs designed for children and youth, including formation, fellowship, and spiritual development activities for families with infants through high school-age children.
• Music Ministry Choir programs, historic organ music, and musical worship offerings during Sunday services directed by the Minister of Music.
• Neighbor to Neighbor Program Community service and outreach ministry connecting church members with neighbors in need across Durham.
• Duke Memorial Weekday School Non-profit weekday school for children from all families regardless of race, ethnic background, nationality, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or educational background, operated in partnership with Duke Memorial UMC.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves families across multiple partner agencies through Christmas Market
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Church World ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch World Service Durham is a local office of Church World Service, a global humanitarian organization and one of nine refugee resettlement agencies in the United States. CWS Durham welcomes refugees and immigrants from around the world into lives of freedom, hope, and opportunity in the Triangle.
• Durham Congregations In Action (DCIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCIA is a cooperative, multi-faith network offering care and support for the most vulnerable and forgotten in the community, and planting seeds in new initiatives to change lives in Durham. Its mission is to bring together congregations to promote understanding across boundaries of faith, race and ethnicity and build an inclusive community of justice and peace.
• Society of St. AndrewminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Society of St. Andrew brings people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and build caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors. SoSA is a grassroots, faith-based, hunger relief nonprofit.
• BUMP: The TriangleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUMP's mission is to foster excellence and agency in youth using the cultural assets of African diasporic music. Offers youth enrichment programming, instrumental and vocal ensembles that build musical proficiency, cultural knowledge, heritage knowledge, and resilience.
• L'Arche NCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerL'Arche North Carolina is a community discerning a place in the piedmont region of North Carolina. Called into mutual relationship, a sign of peace made known through those with and without intellectual disabilities, who share the rhythms of daily life.
• Duke Memorial Weekday SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA non-profit weekday school for children from all families regardless of race, ethnic background, nationality, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or educational background within the diverse community, in partnership with Duke Memorial United Methodist Church.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Eno River United Methodist Church: Another United Methodist Church congregation operating in the greater Durham area. Directly comparable in denomination affiliation, ministry model, and community footprint, making it the closest functional peer.
• Chapel Hill United Methodist Church: Larger UMC congregation near Durham with similar Sunday worship, formation, and community service offerings. Useful peer for understanding scale and operational benchmarks within the same denomination.
• First Presbyterian Church of Durham: Mainline Protestant congregation in downtown Durham with similar worship, formation, and community outreach programs. Comparable in theology, city-center location, and inclusion posture.
• First Baptist Church of Durham: Long-standing downtown Durham mainline church with worship, music, and community programs. Comparable in historic presence, central location, and multi-generational ministry scope.
• St. Philip's Episcopal Church (Durham): Historic downtown Durham Episcopal parish offering weekly worship, formation, and outreach ministries. Comparable in mainline denomination, urban setting, and community-service orientation.

Emerging players

• Pullen Memorial Baptist Church: Progressive Baptist congregation in the Triangle with explicit inclusion commitments and community partnerships. Comparable in progressive theological posture and social justice programming.

Others

• Duke Memorial Weekday School: Non-profit early childhood weekday school operated in partnership with Duke Memorial UMC. Comparable in mission-driven education offering and shared facilities.
• Durham Congregations in Action (DCIA): Multi-faith coalition of Durham congregations doing community service and advocacy. Already a partner; relevant as a network of comparable faith-based community programs.
• Urban Ministries of Durham: Durham-based faith-rooted nonprofit providing food, financial, and supportive services. Comparable in mission-driven service delivery and is an existing Christmas Market partner.

Regional players

• Church World Service (CWS Durham): Faith-based refugee resettlement agency whose Durham office is housed at Duke Memorial. Comparable in faith-anchored nonprofit operations but broader in mission scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dukememorial/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/dukememorialumc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duke-memorial-united-methodist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duke Memorial United Methodist