Towson United Methodist Church
Encyclopedia
Towson United Methodist Church is a large United Methodist Church
in the historic Baltimore County, Maryland
suburb of Towson
. Its past, rooted in 19th century America
, and subsequent growth in the two centuries since then, have closely paralleled the nation's political and sociological trends. It was a congregation split asunder in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War
in a border state of divided loyalties, which eventually reunited and built a church in the post-World War II
era of the 1950s, a time of reconciliation and rapid growth by mainline Protestant denominations, especially in the more affluent suburbs.
The 1,200-member church, currently pastored by Rev. Roderick Miller, has a number of community outreach programs, including an accredited child care center and a Boy Scout
troop, and actively supports a home for unwed mothers, overseas missions, and Habitat for Humanity
projects. The congregation worships in a 1,000-seat sanctuary built in 1958. The large building's prominent spire is a landmark visible for miles from the nearby Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695
). Towson United Methodist Church is located on Hampton Lane at interchange #27B of the Baltimore Beltway and Dulaney Valley Road (Md. Route 146
), one-half mile (one km) west of Hampton National Historic Site
.
. In the 1790s, Rebecca Ridgely, the wife of Charles Ridgely
and described as an ardent Methodist, began holding prayer meeting
s at the Ridgelys' grandiose Hampton Mansion
, located one-half mi (one km) east of the present church site. By 1825, the first Sunday School
was started in a private home near a blacksmith's shop on York Road. In 1839, the citizenry of sparsely populated Towsontown, as the village was called by then, built the tiny community's first church in a wooded location north of Joppa Road and east of Dulaney Valley Road. The site was previously used for a powder magazine
built by Gen. Nathan Towson prior to the British attack on Baltimore in September 1814, during the War of 1812
. Called Epsom Chapel, the 1000 square feet (93 m²) structure was built of stones salvaged from the arsenal. Led by Methodist Episcopal
minister Daniel Helpler, Epsom Chapel was dedicated and opened for Towsontown's first public church service on Sunday, November 10, 1839. In line with Methodist practice of the time in rural areas, circuit rider
ministers would travel on horseback to preach to the villagers at Epsom Chapel. With the designation of Towson as the county seat in 1854, the town began to grow more rapidly. The small chapel was shared with other denominations until the 1870s, when Towson's increasing population spurred the construction of larger churches.
The Methodist movement was growing rapidly in pre-Civil War
America, but was beset by disputes about slave-holding and the rule over the church by bishop
s, resulting in a formal split into two groups in 1844. The faction in favor of giving church authority to a hierarchy
of bishops called themselves the Methodist Episcopal Church
and took an anti-slavery stance in the north. Those in opposition formed the Methodist Protestant Church
in the United States. As the impending Civil War loomed over the nation in the 1850s, local Towson Methodists continued to worship together at Epsom Chapel.
This ended in 1861, when a reed organ
was purchased for Epsom Chapel, sparking a disagreement over the use of musical instruments in worship. A minority opposed to the idea joined the southern-leaning Methodist Protestant Church, withdrawing from Epsom Chapel to worship at Towson's Odd Fellows Hall
during the Civil War. In 1867, the Methodist Protestants returned to Epsom Chapel, but met separately on Sunday afternoons.
and built at a cost of $29,000, the 350-seat church was completed and dedicated on October 26, 1871.
The M.E. Church's eighty-seven members soon found themselves in financial difficulties, however, having gone heavily in debt to build their new sanctuary. The chairman of the church's building committee had advanced his personal funds to complete the construction, thereafter becoming embroiled in years of litigation with the church. By 1874, the church was drawing larger crowds under then-pastor Joseph Stitt, who was described as an "excellent leader of singing". An afternoon Sunday school session was particularly popular, "principally devoted to learning new hymns, which attracted many of the young people of the town, especially the young men", noted one account. When the ME church held its twenty-fifth anniversary celebration in 1896, it opened with prayer and a piano concert, "favored with a beautiful selection sung by Mrs. Randolph Murphy", said a contemporary report.
Although the two Methodist congregations had remained estranged since the split in 1861, both groups did come together in 1895 for a "Great Revival" in Towson. The joint services were attended by throngs and the "preaching was with power", newspapers commented. At the beginning of the 20th century, the increasingly large and prosperous congregation added eleven stained glass windows
to the M.E. church, including Christ the Good Shepherd by Heinrich Hofmann
. In 1921, a new pipe organ
was installed by M. P. Möller
.
The Methodist Protestant group continued to use Epsom Chapel until 1908, when they built a $6,000 church seating 150 persons at the corner of Allegheny and Bosley Avenues. Located in the heart of Towson near the County Circuit Courthouse, the Towson Methodist Protestant Church was constructed of stone with a slate roof and a bell tower.
With the merger in 1939 of the Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) and Methodist Protestant (M.P.) denominations in the U.S., Towson's Methodist Episcopal and Methodist Protestant churches were known thereafter as First Methodist Church and Second Methodist Church, respectively.
in 1945, mainline Protestant church attendance increased significantly in the U.S. By early 1952, faced with facilities fast becoming inadequate for the burgeoning population of suburbia in the postwar
period and with a boom in modern commercial development of Towson's core area starting to displace older buildings, the two churches formed a joint committee to evaluate a merger. The committee recommended that the two churches become one, concluding:
In April 1952, more than ninety years after the two churches split, the congregations of both finally voted to reunite, merging on and adopting the name Towson Methodist Church. The members of both Methodist churches then began worshiping together at the First Methodist Church. Plans to construct a much larger building with ample parking were announced when the two churches merged and 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) of undeveloped land, originally part of the Ridgelys' Hampton estate and north of the planned alignment of the Baltimore Beltway (I-695
), were purchased soon thereafter from Goucher College
.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 7, 1956, and construction of the new church was completed by the John K. Ruff Company in May 1958, with a service of dedication held on May 11, 1958. A crowd of 1,250 attended the ceremonies in the new sanctuary, with an overflow of 550 persons watching by closed-circuit television
in the lower level Fellowship Hall.
The old First M.E. Church structure adjacent to Prospect Hill Park Cemetery on McCurdy Avenue (now Investment Place) and York Road was abandoned and eventually demolished in 1965. An illuminated display of the stained glass
windows in the former church is located in the foyer of the current building. The Second M.P. Church structure was sold in 1954 to the Women's Club of Towson and still stands today—in 2005, the building was resold to an office development firm and is now used by an insurance agency. The erstwhile Epsom Chapel eventually became a meeting hall for Boy Scout troops in the 1920s–1930s. It was subsequently abandoned and finally demolished in 1952 to make way for construction of a parking lot for the old Hutzler's
department store, now a Barnes & Noble
store near the present Macy's department store
and Towson Town Center mall
. No trace of Epsom Chapel exists today, except for an historical marker
placed near the site by the Baltimore County Historical Society, designating it as the "cradle of Methodism in Towson".
The current name, Towson United Methodist Church, was adopted in 1968 to reflect the merger in that year of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren
denominations in the U.S. On Pentecost Sunday, May 11, 2008, the fiftieth anniversary of the present sanctuary's completion was celebrated by a reenactment of the original May 11, 1958, dedication service.
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Towson United Methodist Church is an L-shaped structure, with the main sanctuary on a north-south axis. Designed by architect J. Alfred Hamme and completed in 1958, the church is built of red brick
in the Georgian architectural style
, with a prominent, floodlighted spire surmounted by a 9 feet (3 m) porcelain enamel
gold cross visible at 3–5 mi (5–8 km) distance on the Beltway. The imposing front facade is of cut stone from Pennsylvania
, with the 18 feet (5 m) high main entranceway capped by a curved stone pediment
. Inside, the sanctuary has three aisles with a rear balcony and can accommodate up to one thousand persons. Rows of Corinthian columns
standing on 4 feet (122 cm) bases flank the pews along both side aisles. The pulpit and doors are made of mahogany
.
The 3-story east-west wing has classrooms, offices, a chapel, and the John D. Hoffman library featuring an exhibit of memorabilia and historical artifacts along with archival records. Construction of the church cost $950,000 in 1958 (equivalent to almost $7 million in 2008), not including the expense of land acquisition.
pipe organ
of 2,516 pipes, including seven ranks of 16 ft. pipes and tubular chimes
. It was dedicated in memory of S. Clayton Seitz by then-organist John Duwane Hoffman on May 11, 1958. Hoffman, the church's esteemed virtuoso organist and Minister of Music between 1957–1988, was a graduate of Union Theological Seminary
's renowned Master of Sacred Music
degree program, after having earned Bachelor of Music
and Master of Music
degrees at the University of Denver
. At Union, Hoffman studied the organ with Clarence Dickinson and Vernon De Tar. In addition to serving as the church's organist and choral director, Hoffman was professor of organ at Towson State University. He died unexpectedly on July 4, 1988 of complications following heart bypass surgery
. The church library is named in his memory. World-famous organists who have performed at the church's organ include Pierre Cochereau
, Flor Peeters
, and Marilyn Mason.
A 2-octave Schulmerich electronic carillon of twenty-five bells was installed in the tower in June 1958. It was played from the organ console by a carillonneur on Sunday mornings before and after services, as well as on special occasions, such as Christmas Eve and as part of the traditional noontime nationwide peal of church bells on the Fourth of July
. Hymns were also played daily on the carillon by a music roll
until it was discontinued in the 1990s.
. Additional classrooms in an expanded education wing are planned in future phases of a multiyear master plan adopted by the church in 2005.
To help fund the future works, the church announced plans in January 2008 to sell 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) of undeveloped, wooded property it owns on Hampton Lane to Shelter Development Corp. for construction of a senior citizen housing complex. A zoning change application was submitted to Baltimore County officials to allow sixteen residential units per acre (current zoning limits density to two residential units per acre) for a total of 80–100 beds. The Hampton Improvement Association, representing neighboring Hampton, Maryland
residents, said they " ...oppose[d] zoning changes that would allow higher density residential development and require trees to be knocked down". Then-pastor David Cooney told the Baltimore Sun, "We entered into this with Shelter, believing this is a good use for the land — that this is a good company and a needed service". In the face of community objections, however, Shelter and the church subsequently announced on March 3, 2008, that the development plans had been dropped. A Shelter official said that his company and Towson United Methodist Church had jointly come to the conclusion that "this is not something we are going to pursue". Pastor Cooney said, "It had become clear that we weren't going to be able to reach a compromise and we certainly don't want to be at war with our neighbors". In the wake of the plan's shelving, the president of the Hampton Improvement Association told the Towson Times that his group wishes to work with Towson United Methodist Church to find an alternative use for the land besides commercial development, as they "don't want to preclude the church from trying to get some money out of it." In April 2008, Dr. Cooney said that the church "did not set out to sell this land; the proposal came to us, and we have no other plans to sell or develop the land".
in 1976, receiving a B.A. in Religion. He then studied at Wesley Theological Seminary
in Washington, D.C.
, earning a Master of Divinity
degree in 1982. While ministering at Union Chapel United Methodist Church in Joppa, Maryland
, Miller continued his postgraduate studies, receiving a Doctor of Ministry
degree in Church Revitalization from Chicago
's McCormick Theological Seminary
in 1992. He was later Lead Pastor at Bethel UMC church in Ellicott City, Maryland
(1994–2005), after which he was named Director of Connectional Ministries for the denomination's Baltimore-Washington Conference, serving in that role 2005–2011.
The mission statement of Towson United Methodist Church is: "To proclaim the Word of God and to make disciples of Jesus Christ". The church's staff of twelve includes assistant ministers, directors of music and education, and building and administrative personnel. It is a part of the denomination's Baltimore-Washington Conference (district). In addition to Sunday morning worship services, the 1,200 member congregation participates in graded Sunday school classes, various adult Bible study classes, youth activities, and a midweek "Praise, Prayer & Healing" service. The music program includes both adult and youth choirs, as well as handbell ringers. The church's Alleluia Singers, a 50–voice ensemble of high school-age young people, sings frequently for weekly worship services and tours the eastern U.S. each summer.
from Iliff School of Theology
in Denver, Colorado
. He is the son of Rev. C. Douglas Cooney (1928–2003), who was also a Methodist minister at various churches, including the First Methodist Church of Hyattsville, Maryland
, as well as an official of the Methodist denomination.
Other former senior ministers of Towson Methodist Church and its predecessor First Methodist Church, with their years of appointment, are:
troop, overseas missions, the Susanna Wesley House for unwed mothers, and actively participates in Habitat for Humanity
projects. Over the years, members of the Towson Methodist Men's group and Women's Society of Christian Service (now United Methodist Women) have supported Meals on Wheels
, the League of Women Voters
, and Head Start, as well as serving as volunteers at local hospitals and the Maryland School for the Blind
. For more than thirty years, the church has hosted a weekly meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous
. The large size of the sanctuary makes it well-suited for community gatherings attracting sizable crowds, such as concerts by the Handel Choir of Baltimore
and an annual memorial service for fallen Baltimore County firefighters. Nationally-known guest speakers, such as Tony Campolo
and Millie Dienert, have also spoken there.
Towson United Methodist Church started the Hampton Lane Child Development Center in 1978. An accredited child care center, it now serves approximately fifty children ages 2–5 years old.
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
in the historic Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
suburb of Towson
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
. Its past, rooted in 19th century America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and subsequent growth in the two centuries since then, have closely paralleled the nation's political and sociological trends. It was a congregation split asunder in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in a border state of divided loyalties, which eventually reunited and built a church in the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era of the 1950s, a time of reconciliation and rapid growth by mainline Protestant denominations, especially in the more affluent suburbs.
The 1,200-member church, currently pastored by Rev. Roderick Miller, has a number of community outreach programs, including an accredited child care center and a Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
troop, and actively supports a home for unwed mothers, overseas missions, and Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat For Humanity International , generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat, is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing, a self-described "Christian housing ministry." The international...
projects. The congregation worships in a 1,000-seat sanctuary built in 1958. The large building's prominent spire is a landmark visible for miles from the nearby Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
). Towson United Methodist Church is located on Hampton Lane at interchange #27B of the Baltimore Beltway and Dulaney Valley Road (Md. Route 146
Maryland Route 146
Maryland Route 146 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 45 in Towson north to MD 23 near Jarrettsville. MD 146 connects Towson with Loch Raven Reservoir, an impoundment of Gunpowder Falls. The state highway also serves the northern Baltimore County...
), one-half mile (one km) west of Hampton National Historic Site
Hampton National Historic Site
Hampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The estate was owned by the Ridgely family...
.
The beginning; 1750s–1850s
First settled by brothers William and Thomas Towson in 1752, the hamlet now bearing their name remained mostly farmland until the 1830s, with no churches and little more than a roadside inn/tavern for travelers on York Road (now Md. Route 45)Maryland Route 45
Maryland Route 45 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as York Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Baltimore north to the Pennsylvania state line in Maryland Line, where the highway continues as SR 3001...
. In the 1790s, Rebecca Ridgely, the wife of Charles Ridgely
Charles Ridgely
Captain Charles Ridgely was born in Maryland in 1733 to Colonel Charles Ridgely and Rachel Howard.Together with his father and brother, Captain Charles established the Northampton Iron Works just north of Towson, Maryland under what is presently Loch Raven Reservoir. He built the massive Hampton...
and described as an ardent Methodist, began holding prayer meeting
Prayer meeting
A prayer meeting is, as its name describes, a meeting of people for the purpose of prayer as a group. Prayer meetings are normally conducted by one or more members of the clergy....
s at the Ridgelys' grandiose Hampton Mansion
Hampton National Historic Site
Hampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The estate was owned by the Ridgely family...
, located one-half mi (one km) east of the present church site. By 1825, the first Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
was started in a private home near a blacksmith's shop on York Road. In 1839, the citizenry of sparsely populated Towsontown, as the village was called by then, built the tiny community's first church in a wooded location north of Joppa Road and east of Dulaney Valley Road. The site was previously used for a powder magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
built by Gen. Nathan Towson prior to the British attack on Baltimore in September 1814, during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Called Epsom Chapel, the 1000 square feet (93 m²) structure was built of stones salvaged from the arsenal. Led by Methodist Episcopal
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
minister Daniel Helpler, Epsom Chapel was dedicated and opened for Towsontown's first public church service on Sunday, November 10, 1839. In line with Methodist practice of the time in rural areas, circuit rider
Circuit rider (Religious)
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations...
ministers would travel on horseback to preach to the villagers at Epsom Chapel. With the designation of Towson as the county seat in 1854, the town began to grow more rapidly. The small chapel was shared with other denominations until the 1870s, when Towson's increasing population spurred the construction of larger churches.
Division and separate churches; 1860s–1950s
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
America, but was beset by disputes about slave-holding and the rule over the church by bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s, resulting in a formal split into two groups in 1844. The faction in favor of giving church authority to a hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
of bishops called themselves the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and took an anti-slavery stance in the north. Those in opposition formed the Methodist Protestant Church
Methodist Protestant Church
The Methodist Protestant Church is a regional Church body which was officially formed in 1828 by former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, remaining Wesleyan in doctrine and worship, but adopting congregational governance....
in the United States. As the impending Civil War loomed over the nation in the 1850s, local Towson Methodists continued to worship together at Epsom Chapel.
This ended in 1861, when a reed organ
Melodeon (organ)
A melodeon is a type of 19th century reed organ with a foot-operated vacuum bellows, and a piano keyboard. It differs from the related harmonium, which uses a pressure bellows. Melodeons were manufactured in the United States sometime after 1812 until the Civil War era...
was purchased for Epsom Chapel, sparking a disagreement over the use of musical instruments in worship. A minority opposed to the idea joined the southern-leaning Methodist Protestant Church, withdrawing from Epsom Chapel to worship at Towson's Odd Fellows Hall
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
during the Civil War. In 1867, the Methodist Protestants returned to Epsom Chapel, but met separately on Sunday afternoons.
Towson Methodist Episcopal Church (First Methodist Church)
The northern-leaning Methodist Episcopal congregation, which continued worshiping at Epsom Chapel during the Civil War, began building their own church nearby, with the laying of a cornerstone on August 14, 1869. The Towson Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church, a neo-Gothic brick structure, was located on York Road next to the present Prospect Hill Cemetery, one block north of the intersection with Joppa and Dulaney Valley Roads. Designed by Edmund George LindEdmund George Lind
Edmund George Lind was an English-born American architect, active in Baltimore, Atlanta, and the American south.Lind was born in Islington, now a part of London, England; his father, Alexander Lind, was an engraver who had fought on the British side at the Battle of Bunker Hill...
and built at a cost of $29,000, the 350-seat church was completed and dedicated on October 26, 1871.
Although the two Methodist congregations had remained estranged since the split in 1861, both groups did come together in 1895 for a "Great Revival" in Towson. The joint services were attended by throngs and the "preaching was with power", newspapers commented. At the beginning of the 20th century, the increasingly large and prosperous congregation added eleven stained glass windows
Stained Glass Windows
Stained Glass Windows was an early broadcast television program, broadcast on early Sunday evenings on the ABC network. The program was a religious broadcast, hosted by the Reverend Everett Parker....
to the M.E. church, including Christ the Good Shepherd by Heinrich Hofmann
Heinrich Hofmann
Johann Michael Ferdinand Heinrich Hofmann was a German painter of the late 19th to early 20th century. He was the uncle of the German painter Ludwig von Hofmann. He was born in Darmstadt, Germany and died in Dresden, Germany...
. In 1921, a new pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
was installed by M. P. Möller
M. P. Moller
Mathias Peter Møller was a prolific Danish organ builder. He was a native of the Danish island of Bornholm. He founded the M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Company in Greencastle, Pennsylvania in 1875...
.
Towson Methodist Protestant Church (Second Methodist Church)
With the merger in 1939 of the Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) and Methodist Protestant (M.P.) denominations in the U.S., Towson's Methodist Episcopal and Methodist Protestant churches were known thereafter as First Methodist Church and Second Methodist Church, respectively.
The reunited church; 1950s–present
Following the reunification of the two branches of Methodism in 1939, First Methodist Church and Second Methodist Church of Towson continued as separate entities for another thirteen years. After the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1945, mainline Protestant church attendance increased significantly in the U.S. By early 1952, faced with facilities fast becoming inadequate for the burgeoning population of suburbia in the postwar
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
period and with a boom in modern commercial development of Towson's core area starting to displace older buildings, the two churches formed a joint committee to evaluate a merger. The committee recommended that the two churches become one, concluding:
In April 1952, more than ninety years after the two churches split, the congregations of both finally voted to reunite, merging on and adopting the name Towson Methodist Church. The members of both Methodist churches then began worshiping together at the First Methodist Church. Plans to construct a much larger building with ample parking were announced when the two churches merged and 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) of undeveloped land, originally part of the Ridgelys' Hampton estate and north of the planned alignment of the Baltimore Beltway (I-695
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
), were purchased soon thereafter from Goucher College
Goucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
.
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
in the lower level Fellowship Hall.
The old First M.E. Church structure adjacent to Prospect Hill Park Cemetery on McCurdy Avenue (now Investment Place) and York Road was abandoned and eventually demolished in 1965. An illuminated display of the stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows in the former church is located in the foyer of the current building. The Second M.P. Church structure was sold in 1954 to the Women's Club of Towson and still stands today—in 2005, the building was resold to an office development firm and is now used by an insurance agency. The erstwhile Epsom Chapel eventually became a meeting hall for Boy Scout troops in the 1920s–1930s. It was subsequently abandoned and finally demolished in 1952 to make way for construction of a parking lot for the old Hutzler's
Hutzler's
Hutzler's, or Hutzler Brothers Company, was a department store founded in Baltimore by Abram G. Hutzler in 1858. From its beginning as a small dry goods store at the corner of Howard and Clay Streets in Downtown Baltimore, Hutzler's eventually grew into a chain of 10 department stores, all of...
department store, now a Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
store near the present Macy's department store
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and Towson Town Center mall
Towson Town Center
Towson Town Center is a large indoor shopping mall located in Towson, Maryland. It was the largest indoor shopping mall in Maryland prior to the completion of Arundel Mills in late 2000 in Hanover and the 2007 expansion of the Annapolis Mall.- History :...
. No trace of Epsom Chapel exists today, except for an historical marker
Historical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
placed near the site by the Baltimore County Historical Society, designating it as the "cradle of Methodism in Towson".
The current name, Towson United Methodist Church, was adopted in 1968 to reflect the merger in that year of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren
Evangelical United Brethren Church
The Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
denominations in the U.S. On Pentecost Sunday, May 11, 2008, the fiftieth anniversary of the present sanctuary's completion was celebrated by a reenactment of the original May 11, 1958, dedication service.
Current building and facilities
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
in the Georgian architectural style
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, with a prominent, floodlighted spire surmounted by a 9 feet (3 m) porcelain enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
gold cross visible at 3–5 mi (5–8 km) distance on the Beltway. The imposing front facade is of cut stone from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, with the 18 feet (5 m) high main entranceway capped by a curved stone pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. Inside, the sanctuary has three aisles with a rear balcony and can accommodate up to one thousand persons. Rows of Corinthian columns
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
standing on 4 feet (122 cm) bases flank the pews along both side aisles. The pulpit and doors are made of mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
.
The 3-story east-west wing has classrooms, offices, a chapel, and the John D. Hoffman library featuring an exhibit of memorabilia and historical artifacts along with archival records. Construction of the church cost $950,000 in 1958 (equivalent to almost $7 million in 2008), not including the expense of land acquisition.
Organ and carillon
Towson United Methodist Church has a 3-manual, 49-rank CasavantCasavant Frères
Casavant Frères is a prominent Canadian company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building fine pipe organs since 1879. As of 2008, they have produced over 3800 organs.- Company history :...
pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
of 2,516 pipes, including seven ranks of 16 ft. pipes and tubular chimes
Tubular Bells
Tubular Bells is the debut record album of English musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1973. It was the first album released by Virgin Records and an early cornerstone of the company's success...
. It was dedicated in memory of S. Clayton Seitz by then-organist John Duwane Hoffman on May 11, 1958. Hoffman, the church's esteemed virtuoso organist and Minister of Music between 1957–1988, was a graduate of Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
's renowned Master of Sacred Music
Master of Sacred Music
The Master of Sacred Music degree is a two to five year post-baccalaureate degree that combines academic and musical studies. The closure of graduate programs in organ performance across America has made the MSM increasingly the de facto degree for advanced studies in church music; MSM graduates...
degree program, after having earned Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
and Master of Music
Master of Music
The Master of Music is the first graduate degree in Music awarded by universities and music conservatories. The M.Mus. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy...
degrees at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. At Union, Hoffman studied the organ with Clarence Dickinson and Vernon De Tar. In addition to serving as the church's organist and choral director, Hoffman was professor of organ at Towson State University. He died unexpectedly on July 4, 1988 of complications following heart bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
. The church library is named in his memory. World-famous organists who have performed at the church's organ include Pierre Cochereau
Pierre Cochereau
Pierre Eugène Charles Cochereau , was a French organist, improviser, composer, and pedagogue.- Biography :Pierre Cochereau was born on July 9, 1924 in Saint-Mandé, near Paris. In 1929, after a few months of violin instruction, he began to take piano lessons with Marius-François Gaillard...
, Flor Peeters
Flor Peeters
Flor Peeters was a Flemish composer, organist and teacher.-Biography:Born and raised in the village of Tielen , he was the youngest child in a family of eleven...
, and Marilyn Mason.
A 2-octave Schulmerich electronic carillon of twenty-five bells was installed in the tower in June 1958. It was played from the organ console by a carillonneur on Sunday mornings before and after services, as well as on special occasions, such as Christmas Eve and as part of the traditional noontime nationwide peal of church bells on the Fourth of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
. Hymns were also played daily on the carillon by a music roll
Music roll
A music roll is a storage medium used to operate a mechanical musical instrument. They are used for the player piano, mechanical organ, electronic carillon and various types of orchestrion. The vast majority of music rolls are made of paper...
until it was discontinued in the 1990s.
Renovation and expansion project
Towson United Methodist Church is in the midst of a $3 million phased renovation and expansion project started in 2006. In the first phase, completed in 2007, an elevator and additional facilities were installed for improved disabled accessibility, along with a new fire sprinkler system and replacement of the building's climate control system (HVAC)HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
. Additional classrooms in an expanded education wing are planned in future phases of a multiyear master plan adopted by the church in 2005.
Hampton, Maryland
Hampton is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 5,004 at the 2000 census. Hampton is often considered a subdivision of the nearby community of Towson and is located just north of Baltimore City, Maryland, about twenty minutes...
residents, said they " ...oppose[d] zoning changes that would allow higher density residential development and require trees to be knocked down". Then-pastor David Cooney told the Baltimore Sun, "We entered into this with Shelter, believing this is a good use for the land — that this is a good company and a needed service". In the face of community objections, however, Shelter and the church subsequently announced on March 3, 2008, that the development plans had been dropped. A Shelter official said that his company and Towson United Methodist Church had jointly come to the conclusion that "this is not something we are going to pursue". Pastor Cooney said, "It had become clear that we weren't going to be able to reach a compromise and we certainly don't want to be at war with our neighbors". In the wake of the plan's shelving, the president of the Hampton Improvement Association told the Towson Times that his group wishes to work with Towson United Methodist Church to find an alternative use for the land besides commercial development, as they "don't want to preclude the church from trying to get some money out of it." In April 2008, Dr. Cooney said that the church "did not set out to sell this land; the proposal came to us, and we have no other plans to sell or develop the land".
Ministry
Roderick J. Miller is Lead Pastor of Towson United Methodist Church, succeeding David S. Cooney in July, 2011. Miller grew up in Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Allegheny CollegeAllegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the town of Meadville. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.-Early history:...
in 1976, receiving a B.A. in Religion. He then studied at Wesley Theological Seminary
Wesley Theological Seminary
Wesley Theological Seminary is a United Methodist–affiliated seminary located in Washington, D.C., United States. The school was founded in 1882...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, earning a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree in 1982. While ministering at Union Chapel United Methodist Church in Joppa, Maryland
Joppa, Maryland
Joppa, Maryland in Harford County, Maryland is now a planning region for the county, but there was originally a town at the center called Joppa. Joppa was founded as a British colonial settlement in the early 18th century, and takes its name from the biblical town of Joppa .The town of Joppa on...
, Miller continued his postgraduate studies, receiving a Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
degree in Church Revitalization from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary is one of eleven schools of theology of the Presbyterian Church . It shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, bordering the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois...
in 1992. He was later Lead Pastor at Bethel UMC church in Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Howard County...
(1994–2005), after which he was named Director of Connectional Ministries for the denomination's Baltimore-Washington Conference, serving in that role 2005–2011.
The mission statement of Towson United Methodist Church is: "To proclaim the Word of God and to make disciples of Jesus Christ". The church's staff of twelve includes assistant ministers, directors of music and education, and building and administrative personnel. It is a part of the denomination's Baltimore-Washington Conference (district). In addition to Sunday morning worship services, the 1,200 member congregation participates in graded Sunday school classes, various adult Bible study classes, youth activities, and a midweek "Praise, Prayer & Healing" service. The music program includes both adult and youth choirs, as well as handbell ringers. The church's Alleluia Singers, a 50–voice ensemble of high school-age young people, sings frequently for weekly worship services and tours the eastern U.S. each summer.
Previous ministers
David Cooney was Senior Pastor of Towson United Methodist Church between September 1, 2001–June 30, 2011. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary and a Ph.D.Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Iliff School of Theology
Iliff School of Theology
Iliff School of Theology is a graduate theological school adjoining the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado.An average of 300-350 students attend the school each year in the following degree programs:* Master of Divinity...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. He is the son of Rev. C. Douglas Cooney (1928–2003), who was also a Methodist minister at various churches, including the First Methodist Church of Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
, as well as an official of the Methodist denomination.
Other former senior ministers of Towson Methodist Church and its predecessor First Methodist Church, with their years of appointment, are:
Community outreach
Towson United Methodist Church sponsors a Boy ScoutBoy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
troop, overseas missions, the Susanna Wesley House for unwed mothers, and actively participates in Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat For Humanity International , generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat, is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing, a self-described "Christian housing ministry." The international...
projects. Over the years, members of the Towson Methodist Men's group and Women's Society of Christian Service (now United Methodist Women) have supported Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
, the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
, and Head Start, as well as serving as volunteers at local hospitals and the Maryland School for the Blind
Maryland School for the Blind
Located in the northeast corner of Baltimore, The Maryland School for the Blind is a private, statewide resource center providing outreach, school and residential programs to children and youth from infancy to age 21 who are blind or visually impaired including those with multiple disabilities...
. For more than thirty years, the church has hosted a weekly meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. The large size of the sanctuary makes it well-suited for community gatherings attracting sizable crowds, such as concerts by the Handel Choir of Baltimore
Handel Choir of Baltimore
The Handel Choir of Baltimore is a choir based out of Baltimore, Maryland, which has been performing since the 1930s. The ensemble is known for an annual performance of Messiah by George Frideric Handel....
and an annual memorial service for fallen Baltimore County firefighters. Nationally-known guest speakers, such as Tony Campolo
Tony Campolo
Dr. Anthony "Tony" Campolo is an American pastor, author, sociologist, and public speaker known for challenging evangelical Christians by illustrating how their faith can offer solutions in a world of complexity. With his liberal political and social attitudes, he has been a major proponent for...
and Millie Dienert, have also spoken there.
Towson United Methodist Church started the Hampton Lane Child Development Center in 1978. An accredited child care center, it now serves approximately fifty children ages 2–5 years old.