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VOL. 13, NO. 20

As part of the Saving Station ministry at St. Matthews (Turner Station) Aug. 24, the Rev. Dred Scott and other musicians performed an evening jazz concert, Jazz Under the Stars. Jazz in the Sanctuary concerts will continue monthly through the year, on Oct. 26 and Nov. 30, with a final all-Christmas jazz concert Dec. 14. The performances are held at Dundalk UMC, 6903 Mornington Road in Dundalk, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

Group revisits Underground Railroad

WASHINGTON, D.C. In September, Bishop Forrest Stith (retired) led a group of 31 members and friends of Asbury UMC on a tour of some sites on the Underground Railroad.

The group journeyed to Delaware and Philadelphia, and followed Harriet Tubmans route through upstate New York, where they saw her home and gravesite in Auburn, N.Y. The pilgrimage covered many stops, including Seneca Falls, N.Y., where abolitionist Frederick Douglass was assisted by the emerging womens movement.

The travelers crossed the border to the free zones of Canada, into North Buxton, Ontario, to visit the black settlement where slaves ended their journeys. The site had special meaning to Bishop Stith whose paternal great grandfather, William P. Walker, was postmaster in the town.

We saw and heard things that brought tears to our eyes, said Lonise Robinson, Asbury UMCs historian. Sometimes we felt like our ancestors were with us.

VIM team returns to Bosnia

CHARLES TOWN, W. VA. This summer, five members of a Volunteers in Mission Team, under the direction of Sandy Rowland, traveled to Mostar, Bosnia for the second time. Five new members joined them there in August for 20 days. The group worked on developing a playground, preparing kindergarten facilities and visiting with families in need. The mission effort was directed by UMCOR personnel in Bosnia.

UMCOR is the last organization that is still in that area since the war and is doing wonderful projects for the good of the people, said Rowland, a member of Mt. Zion UMC, and chairwoman of the conference VIM committee.

For information or a presentation about the trip, contact Rowland at or (304) 725-5712.

VIM group available to share flood story

HAGERSTOWN - Thirteen members of Otterbein UMC, including five youth, spent a few days in August in flood-damaged McDowell County, W. Va. Part of the mission team repaired homes that were damaged in May, while others prepared an area for an after-school program. They would like to share their experience with anyone interested in flood relief or who might like to go on a mission trip to the area, said Roxanne Terry. The need there is really great, she said. Contact her at or (717) 762-7953.

Peach festival starts in the dark

EASTPORT What do you do when you expect 600 people for dinner and the power goes off? The members of Eastport UMC recently figured that out.

When they arrived at the church one Saturday morning to prepare for the 27th annual peach festival, they discovered a storm had knocked down the power lines. They needed the electric ovens to bake the chicken.

They borrowed two generators from church members and one from the fire department next door. It was enough to cook, but not to run the air-conditioning on the 100-degree day. However, guests still came and they bought 240 peach cakes and 90 jars of peach jam, said Dottie Mann, co-chairwoman of the event.

Credit for the success of the event, which raised $14,000 for mission, was all to God a lot of people prayed, Mann said.

Power returned before the festival ended at 5 p.m.

Evangelism focus of trip to Jamaica

ANNAPOLIS Members of Fowler UMC went on a mission trip last summer to Portmore, Jamaica, where a new church is under construction.

The trip started in a storm, with lightening flashing around the plane. In spite of that, the flight was smooth, like being in the arms of Jesus, said the Rev. Hosea Hodges, who with his two teen-age children made their first mission trip to Jamaica in August.

The six members were hosted by the Rev. Depestre from the Board of Global Ministries, which is building the Portmore Methodist Church.

Hodges said he is most grateful to the merchants and businesses in the community around Fowler UMC that gave most of the $4,000 in contributions needed for the trip.

Fowlers group held daily Bible schools for 50-60 children and teens.

Hodges preached at a nightly evangelistic meeting that brought hundreds of people to the open-sided church. The altar was filled with people every night, Hodges said. They also visited in many homes and prayed with the people, he said.