"That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us." - 1 John 1:3
Saint Nicholas Parish History
During the early part of the 20th Century, Wilmington's population surged in response to it acting as an important "Port City" during the two World Wars. To accommodate the large influx of Orthodox Christians now living in Wilmington, a Board of Trustees formed in 1943 and began planning and development of the Church of Saint Nicholas. In 1945 the first sanctuary, situated downtown on Second and Orange, was completed, opening its doors in June and laying the cornerstone on August 31 of that year. A few months later the faithful purchased a two-story home next door, which operated as the offices and classrooms, as well as the parsonage for the parish priest.
For over three decades, the downtown Church was our spiritual home. However, as the congregation grew the need for a larger space became apparent. The decision was made to move in 1979, and the parish sold its property (which eventually became the Children's Museum), and bought our current College Road campus on October 15, 1980. The next twenty years would see major renovations to the Church, including extensive Iconography campaigns, office and classroom extensions, and the addition of the Hellenic Center.
With the Sanctuary finally completed and dedicated, the turn of the millennium brought with it the growth of many of our parish ministries. As the Church grew, so did our impact in the region. What began as a small town parish, has since grown into a vibrant Church servicing not only Wilmington, but also Southport, Whiteville, New Bern, Morehead City, Surf City, Emerald Isle and others in the Eastern Carolinas. This process culminated with the long-awaited Consecration of the Sanctuary by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta on October 10-12, 2003.
Our Patron Saint
The Saints of the Church intercede for the salvation of all believers. In other words they pray to the Almighty God, on our behalf, to show mercy on us and to save us. The practice of adopting patron saints goes back to the building of the first public churches in the Roman Empire. Most of these churches were built over the graves of Holy Christian Martyrs. The churches were then given the name of the Holy Martyr, who then was celebrated and invoked locally as an intercessor for those who worshiped there. As time passed, and as Christianity became legalized (313 AD), new churches were able to be built even in areas where martyrs hadn't died for the faith. Thus these churches were able to choose their own Patron Saint, and from among all of the saints (not just the martyrs).
When we began our Church in 1943, the choice of who would serve as our patron saint was an easy one. Throughout the Christian world there are countless Churches named in honor of Saint Nicholas, and many of them are situated in coastal regions. This is because Saint Nicholas is also the patron saint of Seafarers. So who better to be the protector of Wilmington, "The Port City," than the protector of Sailors? We are extremely blessed to have such an incredible advocate in Heaven watching over our Church family and Wilmington community. May Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker intercede for us all! Click Here to Read About our Patron Saint, Saint Nicholas...
Saint Nicholas Vision Statement
The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is dedicated to the continuation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s ministry of salvation through the sharing of His Gospel, the participation in the holy sacraments and Orthodox Traditions, and the loving service to God and mankind. The Saint Nicholas Family is committed to providing a loving, caring and welcoming environment where all belong and grow in the faith through Worship, Service, Witness and Fellowship.

Our Parish Newsletter
As part of our services to our faithful stewards, Saint Nicholas offers a bimonthly parish newsletter to help inform our families of upcoming events, and highlight newsworthy moments taking place all year round. For your convenience we have catalogued several issues from recent years on this website. If you want an idea of what the Saint Nicholas Family is, there's no better place to look online than the pages of these publications. Click Here to View Past Issues of our Parish Newsletter
Discover Orthodox Christianity
The Orthodox Christian Church is the original form of Christianity that has maintained an unbroken ministry dating back to the original Apostles of the 1st Century. Periodically we offer a free 5-part introductory course called "Discover Orthodoxy" to help new believers get acquainted with the authentic Church of Christ.