Developer turns former Methodist church in Uniontown into a music venue with first concert Friday

Greensboro resident and real estate agent Pride Forney has spent years dreaming about two things: helping the Black Belt region thrive and creating a place where music and art could bring people together. 

This spring, those dreams are becoming reality inside one of Uniontown’s most historic buildings.

Forney has purchased the former Uniontown United Methodist Church on Water Avenue and is transforming the 1858 sanctuary into Re-Union Music, a new venue she hopes will become a cultural anchor for West Alabama. The first concert is set for Friday, May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring New Orleans trumpeter James Andrews and the Crescent City All Stars.

In an interview inside the sanctuary, Forney said the building immediately felt like a place worth saving. 

“It just immediately felt like a place that should be saved, but also should be celebrated,” she said. The church closed in 2025 after membership dwindled to two longtime caretakers, Mary Barton and Mary Howell, who continued cleaning and maintaining the sanctuary even after services ended. “They have been amazing stewards of this building,” Forney said.

Forney, who once managed the Birmingham band Jim Bob and the Leisure Suits, said her love of music and the creative world made the idea of a venue feel natural. She believes art can help reconnect people to places that have been overlooked. “Art is a bridge. Art is a connector more than anything else I can think of,” she said. “People will go places they might not go, but they will go for great music.”

Uniontown’s location also played a role. Sitting at the crossroads of Highway 80, the town links Selma, Demopolis, Marion and Greensboro. Forney sees it as a natural stop for touring musicians and a missing piece in the network of independent venues across Alabama and the Mississippi Delta. “This becomes kind of a natural place to connect to the Mississippi blues,” she said.

Inside the sanctuary, Forney plans to keep the historic space intact and use it for acoustic shows, readings and intimate performances. Musicians who have already visited told her the acoustics are exceptional. “They said they want to record in here because it is so good,” she said.

More from this section

Americans would spend most of income for peace of mind

Colombian guerrillas offer peace talks with Petro successor

Man Utd beat Liverpool, Spurs climb out of relegation zone

The side yard will host outdoor amplified concerts, and an adjacent 19th century house will serve as lodging for visiting musicians. Local musician and graphic artist Jason Irvin will live on site and help run a print shop in what preservation architect Rose Scott Long believes may have once been the church’s former slave quarters and kitchen.

Downstairs, Forney hopes to build a recording studio with guidance from Selma engineer Zach Terrell, who has worked with Jason Isbell and major national festivals. She also plans to offer music classes in the former Sunday school rooms, modeled after the free youth lessons offered by Mason Music in Birmingham.

The project has drawn strong support from Uniontown leaders. Forney praised Mayor Christopher Jones, the city council and Police Chief Mike Kizer for helping her move the vision forward. “It is all coming together,” she said.

The May 8 concert will be the public’s first look at Re-Union Music. Andrews will perform in the side yard before leading a second line walk down Water Avenue. Attendees may bring blankets, chairs and coolers, though glass is not allowed. Food trucks will be on site, and admission is free.

Forney said the name Re-Union Music reflects her hope for the town’s future. “It is about revitalizing, re-imagining, bringing people back home to celebrate their place,” she said. “And Uniontown.”

The concert will take place at 502 Water Avenue in Uniontown. There will be an elevated police presence during the concert.

Watch an interview with Forney and the Black Belt News Network here.