When setting up her foundation, it was only natural that Mary Duke Biddle would include support for institutions close to her heart. From its humble beginnings as the Bethany Sunday School in 1886, the Duke Memorial United Methodist Church has grown into a thriving community of more than 850 members, and has been a spiritual home to generations of Duke family members.

In Ninety Years of Duke Memorial Church: 1886-1976, author Wyatt T. Dixon notes that "church records contain many references to the Dukes' interest and largesse; they show that on numerous occasions Washington or James, Benjamin or Mary Duke Biddle (or someone else of Duke descent) opened a checkbook and helped the church meet a crisis. The inevitable conclusion is: A complete appraisal of the part the Dukes have played in the history of Duke Memorial cannot be made here - if, indeed, it can be made at all."

The Duke Memorial United Methodist Church (DMUMC) has received annual support from The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation since its inception, as do two other churches: Irvington-on-Hudson Presbyterian Church and Christ Church United Methodist, both located in New York. (Grants to Duke Chapel are made under separate consideration as part of overall grants to Duke University.)

As the church has grown, and the needs of its congregation have changed, the Foundation has responded accordingly, providing funds for new buildings and facility enhancements as well as programming and outreach initiatives. For example in 1986, a Foundation grant helped restore the magnificent stained glass windows in the sanctuary, which had been installed in 1912 as a gift from the Duke family. Last year, the Foundation supported a church initiative to provide disaster relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

In addition to the robust Sunday services, the church is a vital part of the Durham community on a daily basis. A variety of child-care initiatives - from a Parents Morning Out program to a Mothers of Preschoolers support group to the accredited Duke Memorial Weekday School - keep the church's classrooms and hallways alive with the sounds of little voices (and those of their gentle caregivers). Teenagers involved in the youth ministry plan worship services for the entire congregation, as well as outreach projects and mission trips. And collaborative partnerships with other churches and neighborhood groups serve to strengthen and enhance the long-standing bond between DMUMC and the larger world.

The Reverend James Bell started attending DMUMC while enrolled in Duke Divinity School. He says that the church, a short distance from downtown Durham and Duke University, and close to Trinity Park homes and transitional neighborhoods, is literally and figuratively positioned to provide spiritual sustenance at the city's crossroads. "Our mission is sharing Christ from the heart of Durham," he says. "We are more than stone walls and stained glass," he says. "We have senior members of our congregation in their eighties and nineties who have been part of the church their whole lives, and others who just moved here or are looking for a spiritual home," he says. "Each person contributes to the vitality of the Duke Memorial community."

Service is the foundation of any church. Given the strong ties between DMUMC, Duke University, and the city of Durham, it's fitting that the church has long been at the forefront of pursuits devoted to the spiritual growth of all members of the larger community, not just those who count themselves as members. Through the congregation's Stephen Ministry, for example, lay people are trained to provide personal and confidential care to individuals in need. Becoming a Stephen Minister is a serious undertaking; it requires fifty hours of training in emotional and spiritual care, a two-year time commitment, and a vow to remain dedicated to an individual for as long as he or she needs it. Crises might range from personal—divorce, terminal illness, the loss of a loved one—to professional, such as job termination or relocation. Stephen Ministers are available for members and non-members alike.

The Reverend Frank Newsome, DMUMC's minister of youth and discipleship, says that the Stephen Ministry is one way the church reaches out to meet people where they are. Another outreach effort, Soul Cafe, provides a relaxed monthly coffeehouse for anyone interested in stopping by. Funded in part through a grant from the Foundation, Soul Cafe has become a popular intergenerational gathering place where families with young children can grab refreshments alongside a klatch of high school students or senior citizens. Located at the rear of the church, Soul Cafe's music and arts programming features high-caliber concerts in the comfort of an intimate, welcoming setting. Soul Cafe also serves as the location for occasional workshops and book discussions.

"Some people who come to Soul Cafe belong to the church and some don't," says Newsome. "There have been people who come to Soul Cafe and eventually decide to join the church, but that's not why we do it. It is not a Christian coffeehouse. In our world today, there are not many opportunities outside of church for people to gather informally to interact with others. But most people are seeking, and want to be part of something bigger than themselves. With Soul Cafe, we are recreating the atmosphere of an old-fashioned community gathering space."