| VIM team works at Monroe Street UMC LAUREL Recently, the Rev. Jean Weller of Monroe Street UMC in Baltimore asked for help. Twenty members from Mt. Zion UMC were able to respond to her call for volunteers. Among the volunteers were six teenagers who spent March 23, with at least eight Monroe Street teens, cleaning, painting and repairing the fellowship hall and reception area, said Jack Treiber who organized the Volunteers in Mission project. Church parking lot murder trial begins FORT WASHINGTON The trial of one of the alleged murderers of Michael Eugene Patten and Navy Petty Officer Lea Ann Brown has begun. Robert A. Odum Jr., 23, is one of five men accused of the kidnapping, beatings and murders that took place on June 10 in the parking lot of Fort Washington UMC. The victims were beaten, robbed and stuffed into the trunk of Pattens 1990 Acura, driven to an isolated area and shot. Their bodies were found many hours later by a bicyclist. One man, Aaron T. Hollingsworth, pled guilty in January to two counts of first-degree murder in a plea agreement that included testifying against the others. More than a dozen members of the victims families watched the opening of the trial on April 8 in Prince Georges County Circuit Court, according to the Washington Post. Pattens parents, Frank W. and Margery H. Patten, are long-time members of Fort Washington UMC. Easter groundbreaking expands ministry BOONSBORO Construction of a new Spiritual Life Center, a multi-purpose building at Benevola UMC, began on Easter Monday. At the conclusion of the Easter worship service, a group of 12 leaders representing the churchs heritage, membership and community assembled for a groundbreaking, said the Rev. Helen Smith. The congregation has been working five years on the expansion project that included purchase of adjoining land for a parking lot and the construction of an outdoor childrens pavilion. The original brick church was built in 1858, a second structure was added in 1888 and the current sanctuary and classroom building was completed in 1918. The new three-story building will provide the community with space for youth activities, concerts and a seniors activity center. It will be the only large space (in the community) that doesnt serve alcohol, Smith said. The congregation has raised half of the $1.6 million needed to complete the building.  Youth raise money to help the poor FROSTBURG On Super Bowl Sunday, the youth of Frostburg UMC collected funds for ministries to aid the poor in Allegany County. They were joined by youth groups from 10 other churches in the county, collecting $2,767, which was an increase of $292 over last years collection, according to the Cumberland Times-News. Other participating United Methodist churches were Allegany, Center Street, Carlos, Vale Summit, Eckhart, and LaVale UMCs. Nationwide 11,300 congregations collected $2.5 million. The money is distributed within the counties where it is collected. The Frostburg youth will contribute $300 of the $1,100 they collected to the conference Youth Service Fund. The remaining money will purchase $25 food certificates for the many people who come daily to the church asking for help, said Cindy Palumbo, the youth director. UMConnection, editor receive awards  COLUMBIA The UMConnection received an Award of Excellence at the annual Associated Church Press convention in Birmingham, Ala., April 9. The award was for the four daily issues published at the 2001 annual conference session.
The Rev. Dean Snyder received an Award of Merit for his editorial columns in the UMConnection. The award winning columns were Praying with strangers in the Aug. 1 issue, Looking at ourselves through others eyes in the Oct. 17 issue and We are called but comforted, too in the Nov. 7 issue. | 
Login/Register to leave comment