Harbor United Methodist Church was formed in 1996 by Pastor Camille Yorkey and a small group of local residents with the support of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. They believed a new church was needed in the growing Monkey Junction area of Wilmington. After months of phone calls and organizing, Harbor began, first worshiping at Myrtle Grove Middle School, and then moving into a newly built sanctuary on Masonboro Loop Road. Our identity has developed over the years as a warm and welcoming family for all ages and a place for deep spiritual growth with Christ. We are an active, vibrant, and growing congregation seeking to be a beacon of God’s hope and love in our community and world.
Harbor’s Mission
Harbor’s mission is to make disciples for the transformation of the world. Harbor is dedicated to sharing God’s love through our missions, our ministries, and our outreach.
Harbor’s Values
Heartfelt Worship
Abundant Generosity
Robust Hospitality
Bold Faith Sharing
Ongoing Faith Development
Relational Community Support
Harbor’s Vision
We envision a Harbor that continues to sail into the ocean of possibility. We envision a Harbor powered by the winds of the Holy Spirit, continuing to move us into unchartered waters. Harbor’s future lies in God’s imagination, and we’re excited to see how God continues to use our church to impact the world.
We will discover God’s possibilities for Harbor by faithfully
…tending to the wounds of the brokenhearted.
…setting aside judgment for acceptance.
…feeding hungry souls the Bread of Life.
…proclaiming the fullness of God’s generosity.
…praising the name of Christ through our lives.
…and striving to help people discover the depths of God’s love.
Our future excites us because it’s greater than our imagination. It lies in the vast ocean beyond the horizon. Harbor’s sails are up, we’ve caught the winds of the Holy Spirit, and with faith as our compass, we’re Boldly Sailing into God’s Possibilities.
Our United Methodist Beliefs:https://www.umc.org/en/what-we-believe
The North Carolina Annual Conference: https://nccumc.org
Harbor District: https://harbordistrictnc.org
In June 2021, Harbor’s Church Council drafted the following letter:
Grace and peace to you, Harbor United Methodist Church.
Regarding the 2022 General Conference vote on Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation and Restructuring:
The United Methodist Church is a global mission, with congregations all over the world who praise and worship God’s presence in our lives. The United Methodist Church is also a house divided. There is an active debate within the United Methodist Church regarding the LGBTQ+ community: whether to allow ordination of non-heterosexual pastors within the church, and whether to permit non-heterosexual wedding ceremonies. A 2019 special General Conference sought to resolve these issues, but ended only with an affirmation of the current policy disallowing non-heterosexual clergy or marriages and did not address the way forward from our divisions. The 2020 General Conference intended to provide a way forward, with desiring congregations given permission to split from the United Methodist Church to form their own denomination(s). The vote on Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation and Restructuring, originally planned for 2020, has now been pushed to August 29-September 5, 2022. The most likely outcome from the 2022 General Conference will result in congregations who do not want to be part of a more inclusive United Methodist Church leaving the denomination, and The Book of Discipline will be changed to grant equal participation rights to parishioners and clergy regardless of their sexual orientation.
The vote on whether the United Methodist Church will divide has not yet happened, but it will. While this council would prefer to wait until after any vote becomes official to discuss Harbor’s future, we believe waiting would be a disservice to our church and a dereliction of our duty as leaders in our congregation.
The Harbor Church Council, in seeking God’s direction in the midst of strife, believes the only way forward for both Harbor and the United Methodist Church is through accepting God’s love as all-encompassing and ever-present, and the LGBTQ+ community is as deserving of God’s love as anyone else. In the face of debate and division, Harbor will remain as it has always been: a United Methodist Church and a safe harbor for everyone in this world, no matter who they are or whom they love. It is our hope and belief that the United Methodist Church, at the 2022 General Conference, will approve changes to the Book of Discipline granting full inclusion to all God’s people within the United Methodist Church.
You are invited to watch this video recorded by Pastor Russ Nanney for the congregation and community of Harbor Church