Nondenominational Christian, Episcopal, Holiness, Pentecostal and AME Zion make up the next tier, with 11 to 12 churches each. Other religions with a strong presence in the area include Jewish, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Full Gospel, Greek Orthodox, Advent Christian, Christian Science, Islam, Lutheran, Quaker, Unitarian, Metropolitan Community, Seventh Day Adventist, Unity, Eckankar and others. An unusual sight in Bolivia, in Brunswick County, is the Thai temple rising from the coastal forests. The North Carolina Association of Buddhists has been building this temple for nearly a decade and has relied on community donations to complete the work. It represents an important addition to the region's religious and philosophical centers.
Visitors can expect to be heartily welcomed into the area's churches and temples.
The Sunday edition of the Wilmington Star-News has a comprehensive listing that includes denomination, location and service hours. The Yellow Pages of the BellSouth telephone book and the business section of the community phone book provide listings of churches and temples by denomination. For detailed tour information on area churches, refer to our Attractions chapter. If you want to attend church services while you're on vacation and you're wondering what to wear, here's some advice. Cape Fear coast people don't dress up too much for work and they love to wear very casual clothes on the beach, but they generally dress for worship.