Open Access

Raeford United Methodist Church is located on Main Street in Raeford, NC.  The three-story church building, although beautiful, is over sixty years old and is not compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.  

The church has made modifications to create access through the front door to the main sanctuary and reconfigured pews for wheelchair stations.  This allows our wheelchair bound congregants and visitors in addition to our aging population with limited mobility to attend Sunday services.  The hallways beside the pulpit and lectern have been altered to be on one level, and a Handicap accessible bathroom has been constructed within the 2nd floor education building area.  Even with all this progress, the 3rd floor remains inaccessible, and the 1st floor is only accessible by exiting the building and walking around the outside of the building.

Our goal is to make our church fully accessible to the disabled.  We plan to add an elevator to the rear of the building for access to all floors.  To this end the church has formed a planning committee and begun contacts with engineers and contractors.  We have plans to begin as early as July 2020!

 

Our church is committed to this worthy project and appreciates any support provided by the online community.

Current estimates of costs are approximately $200,000.00 for elevator installation and $100,000.00 for new ramps and restrooms.  The church has raised $118,000.00 through donations and fund-raisers so far. Anyone with a donation of $1,000 or more will be listed on a plaque hung next to the elevator once it is complete.