Based on requests from the congregation, our Board of Trustees established a Memorial Garden Committee in 2024 to research options for our church to have a Memorial Garden and Columbarium either at a local cemetery or on our own church campus.  The committee determined that our church has room available on its Live Oak Drive campus to build a Memorial Garden and Columbarium.  The Board of Trustees sought approval from the Town of Wrightsville Beach and the church was awarded a Special Use Permit on March 13, 2025.  We want to build a Memorial Garden which will include a Columbarium that consists of niches for the interment of the ashes of cremated human beings.  Each niche shall be identified with an engraved plaque with the name and dates of birth and death of the deceased.  In the Memorial Garden, there will be a dedicated area for the burial of ashes for those that would prefer that their ashes be buried.

We will have a brick wall along our south side property line that will house the columbaria.  There will be 12 units of columbaria with 30 niches in each, for a total capacity of 360 niches that can house the cremains of up to 720 people.  The Memorial Garden will hold an infinite amount of human cremains.

The Memorial Garden shall be restricted to the interment or burial of ashes of members of Wrightsville United Methodist Church at the time of reservation, spouses of members and minor children of members.  Current and past ministers of this church are included as well.  Past members who reserved niches while members of Wrightsville United Methodist Church may maintain their reservation after they are no longer members of Wrightsville United Methodist Church.  Request for exceptions to eligibility must be submitted in writing to the Memorial Garden Committee for review.  The Committee will make a recommendation to the Senior Pastor.  The Senior Pastor has the authority to approve/deny exceptions.

Church members may honor the memory of family members buried elsewhere by purchasing a memorial plate for placement on the Memorial Plaque in the Memorial Garden.

Reservation for interment in niches, or by burial, or for memorial plaques, may be made only by those eligible, as set forth above.  The reservation of a niche includes the right to exclusive use of one niche for the cremains of up to two people, one opening and closing per decedent, one urn per decedent for the placement of one person’s cremains each, one engraved niche cover, and perpetual care and maintenance of the Memorial Garden. Specific niches may be reserved by eligible persons upon payment of designated fees and execution of required documents at the time of reservation.  Church members may honor the memory of family members that are interred or entombed elsewhere by purchasing a memorial plate for placement in the Memorial Garden.

The Memorial Garden will be self-sustaining and the receipt of all funds and payment of expenditures will be in a restricted account to be known as “The Memorial Garden Fund”.

The church shall maintain the Memorial Garden in perpetuity to preserve it as a place of reverence and meditation. No flowers, flags, decorations, or other memorabilia shall be permitted inside the Memorial Garden except those flowers placed near the niche or the burial area on the day of the burial service.

 

Memorial Garden Fee Schedule

Approved by the Administrative Council on 8/24/2024

Prices Until

06/01/2025

Right to exclusive use of one niche for the cremains of one person,                 $3,000         $2,800

including: one opening and one closing of the niche, one engraved

niche cover, one urn, perpetual care and maintenance of the

Memorial Garden

 

Right to exclusive use of the same one niche for the cremains of                        $1,500         $1,200

a second person, including: one opening and one closing of the

niche, one engraved niche cover, one urn, perpetual care and

maintenance of the Memorial Garden

 

Burial of ashes in Memorial Garden with name engraved on Memorial            $1,000            $800

Plaque

 

Name on Memorial Plate only                                                                                        $1,000           $1,000

 

To obtain a copy of the Memorial Garden Agreement, click here.

Payment to the church for reservation for interment in niches, or by burial of ashes, or for memorial plaques, is not considered a charitable expense.  Donations can be made to the church and designated for the Memorial Garden, but no goods or services will be tied to that donation.

Based on our cost projections to date, we expect initial construction costs and fees for the brick wall Columbarium and the Memorial Garden to cost about $185,000.  We will need to presell about 70 niches before construction can begin to cover the cost of construction.

If we are unable to presell enough niches, burial rights, and memorial wall recognition within six months of sales, our Memorial Garden plans will be tabled and all fees paid to date will be refunded in full.

We will begin taking reservations for Columbarium niches or burial of ashes in the Memorial Garden on Sunday, March 16, from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.  Bring your completed Memorial Garden Agreement and your check to make your reservation.  Reservations will be made anytime on the following dates:

Sundays 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall

March 16

March 23

March 30

Wednesdays 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Narthex

March 19

March 26

April 2

After April 2, we will make reservations by appointment.  Please email memorialgarden@wrightsvilleumc.org.