CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (RNS) — Chapel Hill Bible Church seemed perfectly positioned to attract a diverse membership. And for many years it did — boasting that 20% of people attending were nonwhite.

Chapel Hill Bible Church seemed perfectly positioned to attract a diverse membership. And for many years it did — boasting that 20 percent of people attending were non-White.

The United Church, Chapel on the Hill, located above Jackson Square at 85 Kentucky Ave., served as the city's main church during World War II. Dedicated in 1943, ...