Fort McKinley United Methodist Church was becoming a crumbling symbol of its increasingly troubled neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio—until the congregation’s long-time members agreed to take a risk.

While the 40 remaining attendees pondered what to do with their dying 100-year-old legacy in the community, one member said God spoke: “Satellite church, hook up with Ginghamsburg.” Likewise God was prompting interest at Ginghamsburg Church, Ginghamsburg, OH (www.ginghamsburg.org), a thriving United Methodist congregation just north of Dayton. Discussions began, leaders from Ginghamsburg did their due diligence, and merged with Fort McKinley as a restart multisite campus.

Church mergers are one of many new fronts that are creating new momentum for the multisite movement. In fact, one out of three new multisite campuses is a merger, according to Warren Bird, director of research for Leadership Network. And Leadership Network is also sponsoring an innovation lab on the topic (seehere and here).

The merger-to-multisite strategy is breathing new life into struggling churches, as it did for “The Fort,” as the Fort McKinley church is known (see photo). With campus pastor Dave Hood leading the charge, The Fort has already grown into a vibrant church of 400 that is serving its at-risk neighborhood.

Fort McKinley already serves 300-400 families per month in its food pantry/clothing shop, and a Project Neighborhood initiative last year resulted in 415 people giving more than 3,900 service hours. The church’s other outreach ministries also include a GED program, financial counseling and classes for life skills, parenting and marriage.

“Tears come to my eyes many Sundays,” say Marilyn Hess, a member at the church for more than 60 years. “I never thought I’d see another era of great activity, enthusiasm and service in this church.”

Dave Hood summarizes the Ginghamsburg-Fort McKinley multisite journey with an eye on the potential of the merger approach he experienced, asking: “How many near-empty buildings are awaiting a mighty work to be done in them?”

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Multisite Movement Gaining New Momentum in New Places is the July theme for 11 for 11: Ideas that Work.

You can learn more about mergers and other approaches that are adding fuel to the multisite model in Multisite Movement Gaining New Momentum in New Places—a resource in three parallel formats that explores trends, predictions, questions and helpful resources that are guiding some of America’s leading congregations.

• Mini-Paper
• Podcast
• Video

Any thoughts on mult-site after reading this?

1st collector for The Me I Want to Be – Week 1
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Week 1 on The Me I Want to Be Series at White’s Chapel Online.

In week 5 of the glee series Dusty talks about how to rejoice!

Week three of the glee series at White’s Chapel Online as Dusty shares Paul’s plea for unity.

@micahblalock singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in The Bridge at White’s Chapel UMC.