A few new coats of paint, updated landscaping, a well-manicured memorial garden and a new HVAC system mean St. Alban’s, Littleton, is ready to welcome visitors. Photos by Sam Homewood and Richard Mergehenn
St. Alban’s, Littleton, uses mission proceeds grant to refresh and revitalize
By Christine McTaggart
Littleton, North Carolina, is a town of approximately 600 souls located about six miles from Lake Gaston. For much of the town’s history, St. Alban’s has been part of its fabric, standing with open doors to the permanent residents of Littleton and visitors to the nearby lake.
St. Alban’s is the only active Episcopal church in Littleton and the closest to Lake Gaston, and its building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But what makes it truly special is its people.
“St. Alban’s is sort of an eclectic group, but it’s a very active congregation,” said Dick Mergehenn, the current junior warden and 20-year member of the vestry. “Lots of members are involved in community activities, from Habitat for Humanity to the Helpful Hands and Hearts project—things within the community that make a difference, and it’s been a welcoming home for me the entire time I’ve been here.”
Prior to the pandemic, St. Alban’s annual chili sale was a town tradition, with proceeds going to The John 3:16 Center, an organization that, among its many services, provides children-centric services like after-school programs and nutritional support to families facing food insecurity.
All of this community involvement is done by a congregation of 25 faithful souls. St. Alban’s even added a few during the pandemic, but it has not been exempt from the challenges faced by so many small and rural churches. Parishioners do all they can to remain known and make their welcome clear, including signs on all four roads leading into town and in front of the church. But they know the habits of church attendance have changed, just as they know the future lies in new permanent residents and visitors alike discovering the church and accepting its welcome.
NEW LIFE IN LITTLETON
There is reason to hope that is a very real possibility. Littleton itself is undergoing a revitalization, thanks to Ed Fitz, a resident who spent his childhood in Littleton and returned often after leaving to make his way in the world. As he achieved success, he never stopped asking how he could help his hometown. When he and his wife retired and resettled in Littleton, Fitz created a $25 million trust for the town for the purpose of revitalization.
“With those proceeds, a lot has started taking place in redeveloping Littleton as a town,” said Mergehenn. “We now have a local brewery and five-star restaurant. We have a new private school with scholarships for students unable to afford the tuition. We have high-end shops in the downtown area.”
With the excitement of new energy in the town, St. Alban’s wanted to be a part of it. For years, the parishioners had wishes for the church, among them the resources to spruce up its exterior with fresh paint and increase interior comfort with a new HVAC system to replace one decades old. Their annual operating budget couldn’t accommodate those wishes, but then their own revitalization opportunity presented itself in the form of the mission proceeds disbursement offering, an initiative of the Diocese of North Carolina to share with churches the net proceeds from the sale of 200 West Morgan Street, the former site of Diocesan House.
As a small church, St. Alban’s was eligible to apply during Phase I of the offering, which designated $3 million dollars specifically for historically Black and Latino congregations, as well as churches with an annual operating budget of less than $100,000. They applied for funding to paint the church and install a new HVAC system, ensuring the church would be seen by all in town and those who entered its doors would be comfortable in every way.
The work was completed in the first half of 2025 to be ready for summer visitors to Lake Gaston. In addition to the painting and the HVAC system, the interior was painted and an old magnolia tree removed from the grounds, revealing the architecturally beautiful roof and windows alongside one side of the church.
The upgrades to the building complemented renovations to the grounds in the summer of 2024. Parishioner Jerry Lassiter led the work, resodding the lawn, tending to the shrubbery and providing care to the memorial garden. With new grounds, new paint and a new HVAC system, St. Alban’s provides a beautiful visual welcome to all who see it.
“The church looks really good,” said the Rev. Brian Benton, rector of St. Alban’s. “It pops and it’s beautiful, and people who didn’t know it was there before see it now.”
The pride of parishioners in their church comes through in every voice that speaks of it. They know firsthand how special St. Alban’s is. More than a third of the congregation are not Episcopalians; they arrived from Catholic and Lutheran backgrounds and stayed. Visitors to Lake Gaston return year after year during vacations.
“It’s just a welcoming environment, I guess is the best way to put it,” said Mergehenn. “You feel very comfortable and part of a family when you are there.”
The parishioners of St. Alban’s see all that’s happened in the last year or two as a form of new beginning. They are meeting it with hope and readiness, and a clear understanding there are still challenges to face. The most active members of the congregation are older, and in the last few years, some have been lost while others moved away. Despite the additions to the congregation during the pandemic, the church leadership also recognizes the toll the pandemic took on the rhythms of church life.
“We lost a few key folks during COVID,” said Benton. “And we gained a few. But it takes time for our newer friends to get to know us and get involved at the level of those we lost. In a way, we are really beginning again.”
They also see their congregational demographic can be a strength. “Our youngest parishioner is 61 years old,” said Sam Homewood, senior warden. “We realize that makes it hard to attract younger folks and families. But we would very much like retirees and Episcopalians around the lake
to join us.”
“One of the things St. Alban’s is really good at, especially for retired folks, is building community,” added Benton. Alongside that ability to build community is the church’s gift for welcoming returning visitors to Lake Gaston as dear friends year after year.
But whether young or old, single or a family, permanent resident or annual visitor, St. Alban’s is ready to welcome any and all. They are living in the midst of a revitalization, and they are leaning into that new beginning. St. Alban’s leadership is working with Canon Lynn Buggage, diocesan canon missioner to the east region, on sustainable ideas to welcome new worshipers and renew St. Alban’s presence in the Littleton community. Vestry member and communications volunteer Chuck Juergens is working on making Sunday services available via livestream. Conversation brings thoughts of resurrecting old traditions like the chili sale. The ideas continue to flow, and there is excitement around the possibilities they present.
Because St. Alban’s has something special to offer, with a rich history, a refreshed space, and above all, parishioners with a gift for making all who enter feel like family.
Said Mergehenn, “I just love the place.”
Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina.
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