| Kitchen fire damages church  NEW WINDSOR When a parishioner returned to the church on March 3, to pick up something left behind, he found black soot everywhere, said the Rev. Gertie Williams, pastor at Strawbridge UMC. People had been in the church earlier to prepare a pancake supper and accidentally turned on a stove, which they did not use. Apparently it ignited some plastic foam cups that were nearby, and that is what did the damage, Williams said. One-and-a-half to 2 inches of soot covered the floor. It spread everywhere, onto the carpet in the social hall, into the sanctuary through the vents, inside the ceiling tiles. The chemical smell was horrible, Williams said. The fire department checked for toxicity and deemed the area safe. Estimates of damage are awaiting an assessment of whether most of the area can be cleaned or if it will need to be restored. CrossWalk initiative ends FREDERICK CrossWalk, a new church initiative of the Baltimore-Washington Conference in Frederick, held its closing worship Jan. 19. The faith community was in existence for 18 months. While the experience bore many spiritual fruits, site research and conversations with more than 1,153 families in the area made it clear that this was not the season for a new United Methodist church start, said the Rev. Susan M. Hallager. In a recent letter, Hallager thanked all the churches of the Frederick District for their support. Any remaining money and materials will be forwarded to the Faithpoint initiative in the Urbana area. Oldest black churches recognized UPPER MARLBORO Two United Methodist churches were recently recognized in the Bowie Star newspaper as being among the oldest black churches in Prince Georges County. Union Memorial UMC was deeded in 1865 to three men appointed by the Washington Colored Methodist Conference to purchase land. The church had actually begun two years earlier, meeting in a members house, said the Rev. Jesse E. Mayes. During the week, the church was used as a school, Mayes said. It was the center of activity for blacks and was the only school in the area at that time for blacks, he added. St. Paul UMC in Oxon Hill is thought to be the first documented African-American congregation in Prince Georges County and one of the oldest churches in the conference. It dates back to 1763. Men walk for peace on MLK Day CHURCHTON It was 4:50 p.m. and the United Methodist Men of Franklin UMC, who organized the sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. walk, were alone in the parking lot waiting for the walk to begin. It looked like no one was coming on the cold, blustery day. Suddenly cars and vans began arriving. Shirley Murdock was in the first van to arrive. Its my sixth year, she said. Weve come a long way. Lionel Thompson Sr., a member of the United Methodist Men, led the march, which began with a circle of prayer that included the policemen who were on hand to direct traffic. Thompson was firm in his conviction that it was a day to celebrate Martin Luther King. No use to stop for the cold, he said. War on cigarettes declared  HAGERSTOWN Asbury UMC has declared war on cigarette smoking and its taking the battle to several fronts. Len Mosby leads a Stop Smoking for Life class at the church. The class meets twice a week. Mosby recalls being attacked by a robber in his convenience store in 1996, which nearly ended his life. His surgeons told him he would not have survived the anesthesia and surgery if hed been a smoker. The church also received four grants totaling $8,750 from Marylands cigarette restitution money. Alicia Blake, a Howard University seminarian, administered the grants, which were used last fall for a back-to-school bash to promote a positive image among teens about not smoking. They also made T-shirts featuring the church logo and the message Dont Choke Your Spirit. In another effort, Lawrence A. Statens artwork was displayed on a billboard after he won a poster contest. | 
Login/Register to leave comment