Edenton Street United Methodist Church

What Edenton Street United Methodist Church does

Edenton Street United Methodist Church (ESUMC) is a 501(c)(3) United Methodist congregation headquartered at 228 W. Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, with origins traceable to the early nineteenth century (firmographics record 1811; a secondary source records 1820). It is a Lighthouse Congregation within the NC Conference of the United Methodist Church, with 44 employees, of whom 21 are named on the public staff roster, led by Lead Pastor Rev. G. Kevin Baker and supported by a full pastoral team, directors of operations, music and worship arts, youth, children and family ministries, and a CFO (Patty Gravinese).

ESUMC runs two Sunday worship expressions — The Sanctuary (traditional services at 8:00 and 11:00 AM, also livestreamed and broadcast on WPTF Radio FM 92.9 / AM 680) and The Gathering (contemporary service at 9:00 AM in Kerr Hall) — extended digitally through a custom mobile app, the First Read and Good Neighbors podcasts on Spotify, and an email newsletter. Co-located on the same downtown campus are several operating ministries: Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center (state-licensed adult social/health day program since 1991, accepting VA and Medicaid CAP-DA reimbursements at $86+/day), the Early Childhood Program (ECP) weekday preschool, the Doorstep Ministry (emergency rent and utility assistance for Wake County residents), Learning Together (developmental daycare relocated to ESUMC in 2022 across six new classrooms), and The Well Mental & Spiritual Care (a mental health services ministry founded in 2024 by Rev. Amanda Rigby and Dr. Elizabeth Waters).

The revenue model is hybrid and mission-driven. The primary funding stream is voluntary tithes and offerings collected in services and channeled through Pushpay's online giving platform; secondary fee-for-service revenue is generated by the Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center and the Early Childhood Program, while Doorstep Ministry and congregational programming are funded entirely by donations. Mission-aligned community-partner relationships include founding affiliation with Methodist Home for Children (1898), Urban Ministries of Wake County (1981), and the White Flag cold-weather shelter initiative. The 2035 Vision framework, including a February 2026 discernment process for redevelopment of the Dawson Street parking lot, indicates forward deployment of physical assets to expand programmatic capacity.

Name

Edenton Street United Methodist Church

Legal name

Edenton Street United Methodist Church

Website

https://esumc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1820

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Edenton Street United Methodist Church is a historic downtown Raleigh United Methodist congregation operating two Sunday worship services and an in-house ministry ecosystem that includes the Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center, an Early Childhood Program, Learning Together daycare, The Well Mental & Spiritual Care, and the Doorstep emergency-assistance ministry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Faith-Based Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Worship services
• Adult day care
• Faith formation
• Community outreach
• Religious education

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary donations from congregation members collected during worship services and through online giving platforms. Primary revenue source supporting church operations and ministries.
2. Adult Day Care Services: Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center generates revenue through daily fees for adult social/health day program services. Rates start at $86/day based on days reserved and level of assistance needed. Accepted VA and Medicaid CAP-DA providers.
3. Ministry Program Fees: Revenue from various ministry programs including the Early Childhood Program (ECP) weekday preschool.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Edenton Street United Methodist Church is a downtown Raleigh congregation offering weekly worship services (traditional and contemporary), faith formation programming, and a portfolio of in-house ministries that include a state-licensed adult day care center, an Early Childhood Program preschool, a developmental daycare, a mental and spiritual care ministry, and an emergency financial assistance program. Revenue is generated through congregational donations and fee-based services such as adult day care.

Product overview

Edenton Street United Methodist Church is a traditional United Methodist congregation in downtown Raleigh offering a multi-faceted ministry portfolio centered on worship, community care, and social outreach. The church operates two primary worship expressions: The Sanctuary (traditional services at 8:00 and 11:00 AM Sundays) and The Gathering (contemporary service at 9:00 AM in Kerr Hall), with livestream and podcast options for remote engagement. Beyond worship, ESUMC operates several distinct ministry programs including the Doorstep Ministry (emergency financial assistance for rent/utilities), Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center (state-licensed adult day program since 1991 serving seniors with dementia and chronic conditions), Early Childhood Program (weekday preschool), Learning Together (developmental daycare), and The Well Mental & Spiritual Care (mental health services). The church also hosts the LGBTQ+ Connection group, publishes podcasts (First Read and Good Neighbors), and offers a mobile app for community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Sanctuary (Traditional Worship Service) Traditional worship service held on Sundays at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM at the Edenton Street campus, featuring classic hymns, traditional liturgy, preaching, and livestream access for remote participation. Open to all community members and visitors.
• The Gathering (Contemporary Worship Service) Contemporary worship service held on Sundays at 9:00 AM in Kerr Hall, featuring modern music, contemporary worship style, and multimedia elements. Directed by Lee Anderson, with livestream access for remote participation.
• Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center State-licensed adult social and health day program serving individuals facing aging, Alzheimer's, dementia, and chronic conditions. Provides person-centered care with activities, meals, and health monitoring. Rates start at $86/day based on days reserved and assistance level. Located at ESUMC weekdays 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Accepts VA and Medicaid CAP-DA providers.
• Early Childhood Program (ECP) Weekday preschool program operated by Edenton Street United Methodist Church providing early childhood education for toddlers and preschoolers in the downtown Raleigh community.
• The Well Mental & Spiritual Care Mental and spiritual health ministry offering accessible and affordable mental health services to the community, founded in 2024 by Rev. Amanda Rigby and Dr. Elizabeth Waters.
• Learning Together Full-time developmental daycare program providing inclusive learning for children of all abilities and backgrounds. Relocated to the ESUMC campus in 2022 to enable classroom expansion.
• Doorstep Ministry Financial assistance ministry helping Wake County neighbors pay rent or utilities. Provides emergency aid, referrals to other programs, food and diaper assistance, and prayer support. Funded entirely by donations and assists 10-12 households weekly despite ~100 weekly requests.
• LGBTQ+ Connection Group Social group for LGBTQ+ members and friends, organizing brunches, dinners, and fellowship activities. Led by Rev. Ashley Griffith, Pastor of Community Life, as part of ESUMC's explicitly affirming ministry.
• ESUMC Podcasts (First Read and Good Neighbors) Digital audio content delivered via Spotify, including the First Read Podcast previewing weekly scriptures and the Good Neighbors Podcast featuring stories of hope and transformation from community ministries.
• Livestream Worship Online streaming of traditional Sanctuary worship services and The Gathering contemporary service for remote participation, with selected broadcasts airing on WPTF Radio FM 92.9 / AM 680 Sundays 11:00-12:00.
• ESUMC Mobile App Mobile application for engaging with church life, accessing devotional content and daily prayer, event information, and connection resources for the ESUMC community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 34,000 people served through the Green Chair Project since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Early Childhood Program (ECP)coreOthersIn-house weekday preschool program located at ESUMC, providing early childhood education services to the community.
• Ruth Sheets Adult Care CentercoreOthersState-licensed adult social/health day program serving individuals with aging challenges, Alzheimer's, dementia, and other chronic conditions since 1991. Located within ESUMC.
• The Well Mental & Spiritual CarecoreOthersMental and spiritual health ministry offering accessible and affordable care. Founded in 2024 by Rev. Amanda Rigby and Dr. Elizabeth Waters.
• Learning TogethercoreOthersFull-time developmental daycare program for children of all abilities and backgrounds. Relocated to ESUMC in 2022, enabling expansion to six new classrooms.
• Doorstep MinistrycoreOthersEmergency financial assistance ministry helping Wake County neighbors with rent/utilities payments. Funded entirely by donations, assists 10-12 households weekly.
• United Methodist Church / NC ConferencecoreOthersAffiliation with the United Methodist Church denomination and North Carolina Conference. Recognized as a Lighthouse Congregation in the NC Conference.
• Methodist Home for ChildrencoreOthersOriginally founded from an ESUMC basement meeting in 1898. Today provides foster care, adoption, early childhood, family preservation, and juvenile justice services.
• Urban Ministries of Wake CountyminorOthersESUMC was one of 12 founding churches in 1981 that established Urban Ministries, now providing food, nutrition, health wellness, and housing foundation services.
• White Flag InitiativeminorOthersESUMC opens its Bulla Youth Building as a host site for White Flag during cold winter nights, offering warm shelter and hospitality to unhoused women.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• White Memorial Presbyterian Church: Large historic downtown Raleigh mainline congregation with progressive theological positioning, extensive music and arts programming, and significant community outreach. Comparable in scale, urban footprint, and progressive mainline identity.
• First Baptist Church of Raleigh: Historic downtown Raleigh congregation with comparable Sunday worship schedule (multiple services), strong music and arts program, and broad community engagement. Direct downtown peer across denominational lines.
• Highland United Methodist Church: Raleigh, NC UMC peer with comparable worship, children, and senior adult programming; serves overlapping geographic catchment and offers a similar mix of in-person and online engagement channels.
• St. Luke's United Methodist Church: Raleigh-area UMC with multi-service worship and active family, youth, and senior ministries; directly comparable in denomination and ministry portfolio breadth.
• Hayes Barton United Methodist Church: Another prominent UMC in Raleigh, NC with traditional and contemporary worship services, comparable congregation size, and similar community-engagement programming. Most direct local peer in the same city and denomination.
• Myers Park United Methodist Church: Large historic downtown Methodist congregation in Charlotte, NC with an extensive multi-vertical ministry portfolio (worship, children, senior services, community outreach). Highly comparable to ESUMC in denomination, scale, urban-historic profile, and ministry breadth.
• Christ Episcopal Church: Historic downtown Raleigh Episcopal church with traditional and contemporary worship services, active outreach ministries, and similar urban-campus footprint. Comparable progressive mainline profile to ESUMC.

Emerging players

• Methodist Home for Children: Originally founded from an ESUMC basement meeting in 1898, today provides foster care, adoption, and family preservation services across NC. Operates as an independent nonprofit but is closely tied to ESUMC's heritage and ongoing partnership.
• Green Chair Project: ESUMC member-founded nonprofit (2010) that has served 34,000+ people by providing home essentials to those exiting crisis. Closely tied to ESUMC's Doorstep Ministry mission and serves a directly comparable community.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Ministries of Wake County: ESUMC was one of 12 founding churches in 1981; today Urban Ministries provides food, nutrition, housing, and health services at a much larger scale across Wake County. Comparable faith-based social services mission, broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/esumcraleigh
• Instagraminstagram.com/esumcraleigh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edenton-street-united-methodist-church

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Edenton Street United Methodist Church