Exhibit 5

               [WILLIAMS, MULLEN, CHRISTIAN & DOBBINS LETTERHEAD]


                               September __, 1998



Board of Directors
Mid-Atlantic Community BankGroup, Inc.
7171 George Washington Memorial Highway
P.O. Box 1310
Gloucester, Virginia  23061-1310

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         This letter is in reference to the  Registration  Statement on Form S-4
dated September 4, 1998, filed by Mid-Atlantic  Community  BankGroup,  Inc. (the
"Company")  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange   Commission  pursuant  to  the
Securities  Act  of  1933,  as  amended  (the  "Registration  Statement").   The
Registration  Statement  relates to 2,000,442 shares of Common Stock,  $5.00 par
value per share (the  "Shares"),  which Shares are proposed to be offered to the
shareholders  of  United  Community  Bankshares,  Inc.  ("UCB")  pursuant  to an
Agreement and Plan of Reorganization,  dated as of July 8, 1998, between UCB and
the Company, and a related Plan of Merger (collectively, the "Agreement").

         We have examined such corporate  proceedings,  records and documents as
we considered  necessary  for the purposes of this opinion.  We have relied upon
certificates  of officers of the Company  where we have deemed it  necessary  in
connection with our opinion.

         Based upon such examination,  it is our opinion that the aforementioned
Shares, when issued against payment therefor pursuant to the Agreement,  will be
validly issued,  fully paid and nonassessable under the laws of the Commonwealth
of Virginia.

         We hereby  consent to the  filing of this  opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption "Legal
Opinion"  in the  Joint  Proxy  Statement  forming  a part  of the  Registration
Statement.

                                           Very truly yours,


                                           WILLIAMS, MULLEN, CHRISTIAN & DOBBINS


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