PITTSBORO, N.C. — A Pittsboro church has been a serving its community as a source of strength and inspiration for generations. 

Mount Gilead Baptist Church is celebrating its 200th anniversary this weekend. 

While many churches across the country are seeing a decline, Mount Gilead remains a steady presence in the community. Pastor Dan Robinson has been in ministry for more than 50 years.

“Through all the changes in communication and fashion and transportation,” Robinson said. “The message of who we are has remained the same through all these years.”

When Mount Gilead was founded in 1824, there were 272 churches with 15,000 members in North Carolina. Now there are more than 6,000 churches with 1.5 million members, according to the North Carolina Council of Churches.

“I think the significance is just the commitment to the original vision of why we have a church to start with,” Robinson said. “And certainly it’s our faith and belief that the hope is in Christ.”

Leaders say the fact that Mount Gilead has stuck around for centuries is a testament to their unwavering commitment to their congregation. Robinson says there are members here who are direct decedents of the church founders.

Robinson and the other leaders at Mount Gilead hope this weekend’s celebration will help renew its outreach in the surrounding community.

Friday night there was a campfire, dinner and bluegrass band at the church. Saturday held more festivities, including a viewing of the contents of a time capsule buried on the church’s 175th anniversary. And on Sunday they will have a breakfast reception and a special anniversary service.