OUR HISTORY
Approximately a decade after the Civil War, a small band of devout people gathered regularly in the home of Mrs. Amanda Thomas in southeast Fayetteville for prayer, exhortation, comfort, and charity. Mrs. Thomas, a member and devoted Christian woman, graciously allowed her home to serve as their meeting place without charge. Dedicated to redemption and desiring a more profound understanding of God’s Word, this faithful group longed for a leader who could teach them and minister to their spiritual needs.

Answering their call, Bishop D. A. Payne of the African Methodist Episcopal Church sent Rev. J. E. Barham, a church builder, outstanding preacher, and respected Bible scholar. Because there was no adequate meeting place, Rev. Barham secured City Hall for worship and later rented McKeithan’s Hall. It was there, in September 1879, that he organized St. Luke AME Church with thirty members.

The Annual Conference took place at St. Stephens AME Church in Wilmington, North Carolina, in October 1879. Rev. Barham returned to St. Luke and began organizing the small congregation for the work of Kingdom building.

As St. Luke established itself in Fayetteville, interest in the new church continued to increase. Rev. Barham and the members of St. Luke, along with several White citizens of Fayetteville, extended an invitation for the Annual Conference to be held in the city. While the 1880 Annual Conference was held in Raleigh, the Conference agreed to convene in Fayetteville the following year, in 1881.

A PERMANENT HOME WAS ESTABLISHED
By 1881, St. Luke was struggling, and Rev. Barham was reassigned to help save the church, which was in danger of closing. The Annual Conference appointed a committee to work with the Trustees to purchase property for a permanent church home.

That year, a lot was purchased for $85. A church was built, but construction expenses resulted in a heavy mortgage. Concerned that the property might be lost and the membership scattered, Rev. Barham and friends of the church persuaded the Church Extension Board to pay the mortgage and hold the deed. The church property was further secured through a donation from the Annual Conference in 1900. Rev. Barham, who led the committee appointed by the Conference, paid $79 of the purchase price. The property was located on Hay Street near the site where the Prince Charles Hotel would later stand.

After establishing the church, Rev. Barham asked the Bishop to send a strong minister to the new charge. Rev. W. D. Cook was appointed but remained only a few months before leaving for school in Washington, D.C.  Rev. W. C. Cole was then appointed to lead the congregation. Rev. Barham later returned to Fayetteville to assist Rev. Cole with preparations for the Annual Conference, arranging for sessions to be held in the Baptist Church and Farmer’s Hall.

In 1901, Rev. Barham asked Bishop B. F. Lee, Presiding Bishop, to relieve him of the charge after having served St. Luke, on and off, for approximately twenty years. Following his departure, the church continued under the leadership of Rev. Hurts in 1903, Rev. McEady in 1906, Rev. C. C. Alexander in 1910, and Rev. Deberry in 1914.

The congregation worshiped in the Hay Street church until the property was sold in 1917 during the pastorate of Rev. Adam Smith. Under Rev. Smith’s leadership, the Trustees and members agreed to relocate the church to Cashwell Street. The congregation moved into the new building in August 1918 and worshiped there until April 1978.

Rev. W. A. Fordham succeeded Rev. Smith. From 1920 to 1928, Rev. John Mallette and Rev. G. R. Gullins introduced new programs and welcomed new members into the church.

GROWTH THROUGH CHANGING TIMES
In 1928, during the administration of Rev. C. C. Ferguson, St. Luke purchased a parsonage, providing its ministers with a church-owned residence rather than rented housing.

Rev. Crowell, Rev. James Grady, and Rev. Dr. Claud L. Stephens Sr. served the congregation from 1930 to 1939, laying the foundation for a new era.

Rev. Dr. Stephens came to St. Luke during the Great Depression of the 1930s and accomplished what must have seemed like an insurmountable task: paying off the mortgage on the church property. One account recalls the distribution of “dime gleaners,” through which a $500 mortgage payment was made in dimes. Rev. Dr. Stephens was followed by Rev. I. H. Alston.

In 1939, Rev. L. R. Pearce was appointed to St. Luke. During his ten years of leadership, membership increased, and new clubs and auxiliaries were organized. In 1940, he led the officers and members in building a modern brick parsonage and adding a brick veneer to the church.

In 1950, Rev. I. J. Miller was appointed to the charge. He continued the spiritual and temporal work begun under Rev. Pearce, and St. Luke hosted the Annual Conference during his pastorate.

In 1954, Rev. Dr. Clarence Walker was appointed as pastor. Under his leadership, the officers and members paid the church’s outstanding debts and developed new programs for Kingdom building. That same year, Bishop Hemingway called Rev. Dr. Walker to serve as Presiding Elder of the New Bern District.

THE MOVE TO HILLSBORO STREET
In anticipation of the arrival of Rev. Dr. E. G. Terrell, St. Luke purchased a new parsonage on Barksdale Road in the North Hills section of Fayetteville. Rev. Dr. Terrell, of Washington, D.C., was assigned as pastor in 1968.

During his tenure, the church purchased property on Cumberland Street for a new church; however, the property was later determined to be too small. A new site was ultimately secured on Hillsboro Street.

Rev. Dr. Terrell served until 1973, when Rev. H. L. Ingram was appointed pastor. As the congregation continued to grow, the Cashwell Street facilities could no longer adequately meet its needs, and there was no available land for expansion.

The Educational Center was constructed as part of the new church plan. On Sunday, April 9, 1978, Rev. Ingram led the congregation from Cashwell Street to the new Educational Center on Hillsboro Street, where worship services were held until the sanctuary was completed in 1980. Bishop Henry W. Murph held the 1980 Annual Conference in the new sanctuary.

CONTINUING THE WORK
In early 1984, Rev. Dr. Claud L. Stephens Sr., who was serving as Presiding Elder of the Central District of the North Carolina Conference, died. Bishop John H. Adams appointed Rev. H. L. Ingram as Presiding Elder to succeed him.

That same year, Rev. J. A. Humphrey, pastor of Mt. Olive Church in Wilmington, was transferred to St. Luke to replace Rev. Ingram. When Rev. Humphrey arrived, a portion of the educational building remained unfinished. Under his leadership, the upstairs portion was completed, the remaining indebtedness on the parsonage was paid, the parsonage was completely refurnished, and the church's parking area was paved. The church continued to prosper, ministries expanded, and souls were saved.

After six years of service, Rev. Humphrey retired in 1990 at the 119th Session of the North Carolina Conference.

Rev. Sheridan A. Knight was then assigned to St. Luke. In 1990, an afternoon academy was established with certified teachers and instructors, and Master Life Discipleship Classes were introduced for church officers. Rev. Knight served St. Luke for eleven years, concluding his pastorate on August 11, 2001.

A NEW CENTURY OF MINISTRY
On August 18, 2001, Rev. David L. Morrison Sr. was assigned to St. Luke AME Church from the Western North Carolina Conference. Under his leadership, a $725,000 fellowship hall was constructed in 2007. Canopies were added on both sides of the church, the sanctuary was painted, and new carpet was laid. The installation of a security system, along with upgrading of the audio and visual systems, enabled the livestreaming of worship services to be heard in the hallways, offices, and vestibules. A computer lab was also established with new computers. The parking lots were paved and marked. The new edifice was dedicated by Presiding Elder Rev. H. L. Ingram, Emeritus. The youth choir was renamed the David L. Morrison Sr. Youth Choir in his honor.  Rev. Morrison ministered at St. Luke for fourteen years and nine months before retiring in May 2015.

In May 2015, during the 146th Session of the North Carolina Annual Conference in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Bishop William DeVeaux, Presiding Prelate, appointed Rev. Artie Odom Jr. as pastor of St. Luke. Rev. Odom served the congregation for four years.

During his pastorate, Rev. Odom instituted the Leap of Faith Project. The congregation was asked to contribute $1,000 toward a $300,000 campaign to help reduce a $700,000 mortgage. Within one year, the congregation raised more than $100,000 toward the mortgage.

Rev. Odom also instituted a Fifth Sunday Contemporary Service to encourage greater participation by youth and young adults. Under his leadership, we began livestreaming our worship services. Rev. Odom faithfully preached and taught the Word of God as St. Luke continued its work of ministry.

MOVING FORWARD IN FAITH
On April 28, 2019, Rev. Dr. Orin E. Gill Sr. was appointed by Bishop James L. Davis to serve as pastor of St. Luke AME Church. He served the congregation until May 2023.  Rev. Gill had the difficult task of navigating the church during the COVID era.  Despite many churches and other institutions shutting down for more than a year, St. Luke continued to have worship services virtually using livestreaming.

In May 2023, Bishop James L. Davis appointed Rev. Dr. Theresa M. Holmes as pastor making her the first woman pastor at St. Luke. During her tenure, she worked diligently to reconnect members with the church. In her first year, pledges and donations helped reduce the mortgage from $125,000 to $50,277.73.  Through her leadership and the generous donations, pledges, and fundraising efforts of the members, St. Luke reached another historic milestone when the remaining balance of the mortgage in the amount of $21, 779.23 was paid in full on July 15, 2024.

“TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE”
In 2026, Rev. Dr. Holmes was elevated to serve as Presiding Elder. On May 1, 2026, Rev. Dr. Mycal Brickhouse was appointed pastor of St. Luke AME Church. Under his leadership, St. Luke continues its commitment to worship, discipleship, service, and community engagement as the congregation moves forward in faith.