Pandemic wipes out Fayetteville church, community staple

Joe Murphy, pastor of God's New Anointed Outreach Ministries, said his congregation was saving up money to buy the building and not have to rent it anymore. But the pandemic changed all that. He had to stop members from coming to church, and during that time, some left all together.

But the first major blow came shortly after the pandemic began. Murphy says someone broke into the small church and stole everything inside except for the pews.

"They took like PA systems, they took amplifiers, pianos, sound systems," he said.

A couple months after that, Murphy made the decision to sell the church.

Murphy has been working for God's New Anointed Outreach Ministries on Wilmington Highway for 10 years.

He remembers standing in the pulpit in front of his congregation preaching having what he called "some good old fashion church."

"When COVID-19 hit, we just like went down," he said. "It just went away."

The pastor says he's not bitter but instead is looking toward the future. He will hold onto the wonderful memories his small church brought.

"I miss it, and I think about it all the time," he said. "But, whatever God's plan he got for me, that's where I'll move. That's what I'll do."