By Linda WorthingtonUMConnection staff In July, Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg became the first retirement facility in the Washington region to be certified as LGBT-friendly. It was certified by SAGE, a national advocacy organization specifically focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual...
The Rev. Theodore "Ted" Daniel Marsh, Jr.,64, an Associate Member serving a three-point charge in Morgan County, W. Va., died Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, under the care of Hospice of the Panhandle. A funeral service was held Sept. 12, at Mt. Zion UMC, in Berkeley Springs, W.Va. The Rev. Michael...
As pastor of Fallston UMC, the Rev. Karin Walker, like many pastors in the BWC, have been responding to people caught in the opioid epidemic. Recently, she issued a letter to the first responders in the community who are the front lines of addressing the pain and tragedy that can accompany...
Marilyn Raker, 80, the wife of the Rev. William “Bill” Raker, a retired Elder in the BWC, died Sept. 5, 2018 after a long illness of dementia and related ailments. A Memorial Service was held Sept. 15, at Towson UMC with the Rev. Mark Johnson officiating. Inurnment was in...
By Chris Schlieckert* Two campers practice canoe safety in the pool at Manidokan Camp and Retreat Center before hitting the river. I have been to approximately 150 weeks of summer camp as a staff person. I have been a dishwasher, a lifeguard, a counselor, a wilderness guide, an...
By Beth Ludlum* "You just might be God’s answer to the question your community is asking.” This sentiment, articulated by a ministry partner in London, captured one impulse that drives the Change Maker’s Project. Launched this summer, the Change Makers Project supports young...
By Terri Cofiell* Photography is my thing. Or at least it became my thing. Back in Junior High, I wrote “camera” on my Christmas list, expecting a plastic Instamatic with rotating flashcubes. Instead, I received a 35mm aperture-priority Yashica; in my father’s words “a...
By Jerry Wicklein* Light thinks it travels faster than anything, but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it. –Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man. And this is the way it all begins: God said, “Let there...
Ancient church mothers and fathers often greeted one another with the phrase, “Give me a word.” This greeting led to the sharing of insights and wisdom. Today we continue this tradition with this monthly column. Excel By Mandy SayersLead Pastor, Glen Mar UMC, Ellicott...
By Erik Alsgaard UMConnection Staff What do you call it when 90+ elementary-aged children spend four days a week for eight weeks during the summer, reading more than 1,450 books and maintaining or improving their reading skills? In Washington, D.C., this summer, it was called Project...
