A new congregation of the United Church of God started on the Sabbath of June 4 in Kinston, North Carolina, with a total of 19 people gathering at the Hampton Inn for the first meeting. It began, perhaps appropriately, on the day of the Churchwide fast. At the second service on June 18, there were 22 in attendance.

Though the numbers are relatively small, the excitement and enthusiasm were high. Quite a few members have been traveling two to three hours one way to attend the Raleigh, North Carolina, congregation, and some have not been able to attend at all. The new congregation is a good central location between several sizable cities less than an hour away, bringing a congregation to the huge area in the eastern part of the state.

The new Kinston congregation will be meeting on the first and third Sabbaths of each month for a while. It is pastored by David Mills, who also pastors the Charlotte, Asheboro and Raleigh, North Carolina, congregations.