Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to sign up for this event?
Yes. Registration has closed, but if you are still curious about attending, please contact the campus minister directly.
Can I bring my family?
Absolutely! This is meant to be a chance for our alumni to reconnect, and that includes meeting one another's families. Children are welcome at every event of the weekend. In addition, childcare will be available during the Saturday evening banquet dinner, and the Congregation at Duke Chapel offers a nursery and Sunday School during the University worship service on Sunday morning.
Is there a cost to attend?
We are asking for a voluntary contribution of $25 per person to defray our costs for the event, but we welcome you to decide what you are able to give. After registration, you'll be directed to a secure page where you can make this payment.
How do I park at Duke?
The closest parking areas to Duke Chapel are the Bryan Center surface lot and the Bryan Center visitor garage (aka Garage 4), both accessed via Science Drive. Parking costs $2 per hour. Be advised that there is a men's basketball game on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 pm which will affect parking availability and campus access beginning at 5 pm.
Guests and visitors may also register for a free "NGT Permit," which grants you free access to most gated lots on nights and weekends. (To do this, non-Duke users will first have to sign up for a guest user account with Duke parking.) The permit comes as a QR code that you scan upon entering and exiting a gated lot.
Where do I stay?
There is no specific hotel for this weekend's events. There are many hotels in good proximity to campus, including the Hilton Durham (3800 Hillsborough Rd.), Courtyard by Marriott (1815 Front St.), the Hilton Garden Inn and Residence Inn by Marriott (both along Main St. near East Campus). There are a few boutique hotels downtown, including Unscripted Durham (202 Corcoran St.) You may also find some good Airbnb offerings. Because UNC is hosting the football game vs. Duke that Saturday, you may find that hotels nearer to Chapel Hill are harder to book than those located farther north. In any case, it is a good idea to make reservations early.
What about COVID-19?
Wesley continues to follow the policies and recommendations of Duke University. As of August 2023, this means that all visitors to campus are "strongly encouraged" to be fully vaccinated, but there is no requirement. Similarly, masking is welcomed in all campus spaces, but is no longer required, even inside Duke Hospital. We do encourage you to utilize COVID-19 rapid tests as you travel (especially if you are flying), to avoid unintentionally spreading infection.
Why is this the fortieth anniversary? Hasn't there always been a Methodist student ministry at Duke?
Well, yes and no. To be sure, the formation of students in the Methodist tradition was a primary focus of Duke from its founding. During the middle of the twentieth century, a vibrant Methodist Student Fellowship flourished, before morphing into a series of ecumenical ministry efforts in the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1983, a group of interested students came together under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Mike Weber, a nearby United Methodist pastor, to form the Wesley Fellowship. The North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church began to invest in ministry to Duke undergraduates for the first time. From that new beginning has grown forty years of grace-filled, justice-oriented, life-changing ministry that we know and love as Duke Wesley.
Yes. Registration has closed, but if you are still curious about attending, please contact the campus minister directly.
Can I bring my family?
Absolutely! This is meant to be a chance for our alumni to reconnect, and that includes meeting one another's families. Children are welcome at every event of the weekend. In addition, childcare will be available during the Saturday evening banquet dinner, and the Congregation at Duke Chapel offers a nursery and Sunday School during the University worship service on Sunday morning.
Is there a cost to attend?
We are asking for a voluntary contribution of $25 per person to defray our costs for the event, but we welcome you to decide what you are able to give. After registration, you'll be directed to a secure page where you can make this payment.
How do I park at Duke?
The closest parking areas to Duke Chapel are the Bryan Center surface lot and the Bryan Center visitor garage (aka Garage 4), both accessed via Science Drive. Parking costs $2 per hour. Be advised that there is a men's basketball game on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 pm which will affect parking availability and campus access beginning at 5 pm.
Guests and visitors may also register for a free "NGT Permit," which grants you free access to most gated lots on nights and weekends. (To do this, non-Duke users will first have to sign up for a guest user account with Duke parking.) The permit comes as a QR code that you scan upon entering and exiting a gated lot.
Where do I stay?
There is no specific hotel for this weekend's events. There are many hotels in good proximity to campus, including the Hilton Durham (3800 Hillsborough Rd.), Courtyard by Marriott (1815 Front St.), the Hilton Garden Inn and Residence Inn by Marriott (both along Main St. near East Campus). There are a few boutique hotels downtown, including Unscripted Durham (202 Corcoran St.) You may also find some good Airbnb offerings. Because UNC is hosting the football game vs. Duke that Saturday, you may find that hotels nearer to Chapel Hill are harder to book than those located farther north. In any case, it is a good idea to make reservations early.
What about COVID-19?
Wesley continues to follow the policies and recommendations of Duke University. As of August 2023, this means that all visitors to campus are "strongly encouraged" to be fully vaccinated, but there is no requirement. Similarly, masking is welcomed in all campus spaces, but is no longer required, even inside Duke Hospital. We do encourage you to utilize COVID-19 rapid tests as you travel (especially if you are flying), to avoid unintentionally spreading infection.
Why is this the fortieth anniversary? Hasn't there always been a Methodist student ministry at Duke?
Well, yes and no. To be sure, the formation of students in the Methodist tradition was a primary focus of Duke from its founding. During the middle of the twentieth century, a vibrant Methodist Student Fellowship flourished, before morphing into a series of ecumenical ministry efforts in the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1983, a group of interested students came together under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Mike Weber, a nearby United Methodist pastor, to form the Wesley Fellowship. The North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church began to invest in ministry to Duke undergraduates for the first time. From that new beginning has grown forty years of grace-filled, justice-oriented, life-changing ministry that we know and love as Duke Wesley.