It is with great joy and gratitude that the parish of St Basil the Great can announce the establishment of our building committee for our next church! The committee was formally established by the parish council this past January, and the members of this committee, appointed by the parish council, met for the first time this past March.
Along with the explosive growth throughout the Wilmington area over the past 20 years, St Basil’s has likewise seen a tremendous growth in our spiritual family – thanks be to God! What started out in 2007 with a handful of the faithful meeting in an Episcopal church has blossomed into over 200 people in attendance for our Paschal liturgy in 2025.
In 2012, the parish, with generous support from donors and the diocese, acquired our current property, and our building was constructed in 2015. It is a single structure of approximately 4000 sqft, with roughly 50% dedicated to a fellowship hall and the other 50% for worship. On any given Sunday, the fellowship area is used as overflow for worshipers to participate in the liturgy since we cannot all fit in the nave! Likewise, it is often difficult to find seating after liturgy during our meal/coffee hour, or squeeze through the “crowds” around the buffet tables and restrooms.
The current building was never intended to be a permanent, all-inclusive structure, but it is amazing and wonderful just how quickly we have outgrown it! There is sufficient space on the land acquired by the parish in 2012 for a new, separate church building, which brings us to the establishment of our building committee as we set our sights on the future of St. Basil and the continued spread of the Orthodox Catholic faith to the greater Cape Fear region!
Our current building committee, led by Father Andrew, currently consists of:
Aaron Brantley
Jamie Davis
Valimir Maksimovic
Jennifer Ronca
Stephen Sekela
While we have only just begun meeting this past March, and there has already been much research, discussion, and concrete steps taken towards this daunting, yet exciting goal. Please continue reading below for a summary of actions, tasks, and goals discussed thus far:
Planning considerations/assumptions; current tasks:
Building to accommodate approximately 250 parishioners;
Section of cemetery along the road/driveway may be taken up by the new building;
Parking is an issue NOW, and we will endeavor to address this issue even before longer-term construction efforts begin;
Discussions on how/when to best share information with parishioners, and best methods to solicit input/feedback/questions;
Contact established with sister parishes in the Carolinas to share lessons learned/best practices/advice on building projects;
Contact established with deanery and diocesan representatives.;
Presentations on church building design terms and styles prepared.
Near-term goals:
Creation of a building project page on the church website;
Updated site map/survey of property (location of future church AND expanded parking)
Establishment of a building fund campaign
Selection of a designer
Artistic rendering of the new church!
Please be patient with the committee as we find our footing and figure out the best paths forward to communicate with the parish and begin the early stages of seeking out designers and architects for this important task. We will continue to provide updates as regularly as possible.
We are confident that with the dedication, prayers and talents of our parishioners, and with the grace of the Lord, we will “soon” be able to worship together in our new St. Basil’s church!!