9 investigates: Churches fight to keep congregation as community members pushed out of homes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — You don't have to go far to find a church in Charlotte, they are a staple in almost every neighborhood.

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As those neighborhoods change, so do the houses of worship.

In the 1960s and 1970s, urban renewal resulted in the city's destruction of Brooklyn, an African American neighborhood home to thousands.

In the midst of all the change, the Brooklyn Presbyterian Church searched for a way to survive.

"It was a challenge, but it was a good challenge," Etta Lynn, a former member of Brooklyn Presbyterian Church, said.

Brooklyn Presbyterian Church's solution was to merge with Seventh Street Presbyterian Church.

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The church has stood on the corner of Seventh and College Streets since the 19th century.

Together, the two churches became First United Presbyterian Church, a ministry that has found ways to thrive despite Uptown's rapid change.

Built in the 19th century, the First United Presbyterian Church in Uptown has stood the test of time and the test of a rapidly changing neighborhood.

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"Uptown is constantly changing, we expect it to dramatically change over the next 5 to 10 years," Pastor Lorenzo Small Sr. said. "The one thing we believe and are confident will remain is our presence."

As pastor, it will be Small's job to guide the congregation through the future, no matter how many high-rises pop up next door.

Today in neighborhoods throughout Charlotte, older buildings and homes are being knocked down in the name of progress.

Even as new buildings and businesses pop up seemingly every day in uptown, having lived through it once, First United members feel they can survive it again.

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"Our history gives us the faith to move forward," Small said. "We are here, we intend to remain here. We want to work with you and be part of the change."

One neighborhood experiencing rapid change is Smallwood in west Charlotte.

Luxury homes are replacing older ones.

Darryl Gaston, the pastor of Smallwood Presbyterian Church, said gentrification has caused a drop in attendance.

"Because of that decline in the rental housing stock, that has had some effect on the congregation," Gaston said.

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Gaston said his church has no debt and no intention to sell, but that hasn't stopped developers from approaching  with checkbooks.

"I think that if Smallwood Presbyterian Church was not on that corner of West Trade and South Gardner that we would truly be missed," Gaston said.

The Rev. Amantha Barbee, pastor of Statesville Avenue Presbyterian Church, said this is an example of the pressure some churches face when their neighborhoods gentrify.

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She's passionate about protecting affordable housing in Charlotte and said churches and their new neighbors have to work together.

"The new folks have to embrace the churches, and the churches have to embrace the old folks," Barbee said.

That's exactly what Gaston is doing by hosting community meetings and outreach programs.

"I matter, you matter and we all matter," Gaston said.

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Community efforts are what have allowed First United to boom for more than 150 years.

"Be a part of a process, be at the table, that's what we are doing and trusting God for the rest," Small said.

Like the Bible says, love your neighbor as yourself.

Cox Media Group