Updated May 18, 2026, 6:44 p.m. ET
- A massive fire gutted the historic Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, one of the city’s oldest Black churches.
- Community members, clergy, and elected officials gathered the next day to show support and pray for the church.
- An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway by local and federal authorities.
Clergy from across denominations, elected officials and Wilmington residents gathered May 18 in a show of unity and faith, just a day after a massive fire gutted the historic Mother African Union Church.
The crowd assembled outside the charred sanctuary at West Ninth and North Franklin streets, praying together and offering support to one of the city’s oldest Black churches — a place that has long served as both a spiritual home and cultural cornerstone.
“The last 36 hours has really showed us how much we mean to people’s lives and how much they mean to our lives,” said the Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker II, the church’s senior pastor. “Their love, their support, their prayers, their encouragement has really caused me to fight a little bit harder.”
Whitaker said the outpouring of support has helped him begin to see beyond the devastation.
“I really believe that this is going to set us up for a future that we can’t even really fully comprehend right now,” he said.
By the morning of May 18, the scale of the damage was clear. The church’s stone walls were still standing, but its stained glass windows and roof were gone. The main steeple had collapsed, leaving behind a charred frame inside the nave.
Whitaker said the outpouring of support has helped him begin to see beyond the devastation.
“I really believe that this is going to set us up for a future that we can’t even really fully comprehend right now,” he said.
Asked about speculation circulating online, Looney said he is aware of the rumors but declined to comment until the investigation is complete.
Whitaker said part of the reason he called for the gathering was to address that uncertainty head-on.
“There’s always going to be speculation, there’s always going to be rumors,” he said. “But the best thing that I could do as leader of this church, and that some other leaders could do, is to try to give the most accurate information as we know it right now. Obviously, in the days, weeks and months to come, we’ll be able to share a little bit more, but right now, all we can give you is what we know.”
The congregation, which dates to Peter Spencer and William Anderson’s 1813 founding, has called 812 N. Franklin St. its home after leaving its former building at Eighth and French streets in 1969, according to the church’s history.
Even as the congregation faces the loss of its physical space, Whitaker made clear the church itself endures.
“Even though we no longer have our physical place of worship, we’re still the church — because the church is the called out people,” he said, adding that they were still going to do the work: whether it’s virtual, in a school or in a hotel. “The work doesn’t stop. The business still goes on of being the light of the world and the salt of the earth.”
Show of support
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry, Wilmington City Council President Ernest “Trippi” Congo II and the church’s former pastor, the Rev. Dr. Lawrence M. Livingston, were among those in attendance May 18. They joined ministers and community members in what became an interfaith moment of reflection and resolve.
Henry initiated a “call of action,” telling Whitaker to count him and his staff in for efforts to rebuild, including laying down brick, drywall and providing funds.
Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay also stepped up to the podium, calling the church “a beacon” for not only the city but also the entire state and the many leaders who have come to worship along with the community. A community, she said, that “lives on.”
“The spirit of this community will continue to blossom in this very place, and we cannot even imagine the heights we will reach,” she said.
Meyer said the gathering of leaders, community members and churchgoers serves as a reminder that this collective will not only stay strong but become stronger as a result.
One of those in attendance was the Rev. Delores Leah, one of the associate pastors under Whitaker. Leah was across the street watching the church burn in the wee hours of May 17.
Even thought they could see this was a loss, the associate pastor said, it just came over community members that they have to rebuild. She said the hope is to rebuild the church in the same spot, as the community knows them.
Charles Smith Jr., a member of the Simpson United Methodist Church in Wilmington, was also present. Having attended many services at the church, Smith similarly expressed hope that “bigger and better things” will come out of this.
Vaughn Vadsos, whose family has also gone to the church, reflected on the sanctuary’s history and presence in the surrounding community.
“I know it’s going to come back and everything, and I know they’re going to rebuild bigger and better,” Vadsos said. “Still, it hurts your heart deep down inside.”
(This story has been updated with additional editing.)
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
