Set at the corner of Generals Highway and Millersville Road in Millersville, Maryland, Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church has stood at the same crossroads for more than two centuries. The granite stone chapel that anchors the campus today was completed in 1896, but the congregation traces its roots to the 1770s, when the followers of John Wesley organized Methodist societies along the Annapolis circuit. Members describe the church as a warm and welcoming congregation that is small enough to be flexible and large enough to serve the community with a wide variety of programs.
Three Churches at the Crossroads
The present stone church is the third building to occupy the site. In 1817, the Methodists joined with the local Protestant Episcopals to build a frame church, with the two congregations worshiping on alternate Sundays because the Society meetings had outgrown private homes. That partnership ended in 1840 when the Episcopals built their own church, St. Stephens, a few miles away. The Methodists replaced their frame building in 1861 with a Georgian colonial style structure called the Cross Roads Church.
In the 1890s, the sons and daughters of William Henry and Jane Maria Woodward Baldwin asked permission from the Baltimore Annual Conference to replace the colonial church with a stone church in memory of their parents. The granite chapel, designed to resemble an English country church, was dedicated free of debt on Thanksgiving Day 1896 by Bishop John F. Hurst. The Baltimore Annual Conference voted to rename the church Baldwin Memorial in recognition of the Bondholders' lifelong support. Two Tiffany Studios windows anchor the sanctuary today: an Apostle John window over the altar donated in the early 1900s, and a memorial window in the apse given in 1907 by the children of Richard and Sophronia Baldwin. In 1963, the chancel was extended and the rear wall removed to enlarge the sanctuary, and a 23 rank Mohler pipe organ was dedicated on Easter Sunday 1982.
A history room in the Education Building displays church memorabilia dating back to 1777, including personal writings of members, Communion chalices, collection plates, Bibles, prayer books, and architectural drawings of all three churches. In April 1977, the congregation dedicated a Methodist Historical Marker on the bicentennial of the Methodist society that became Baldwin Memorial.
Two Sunday Services, One Congregation
On most Sundays, Baldwin Memorial offers two distinct worship services designed to meet people where they are. At 9:00 am in the Fellowship Hall on the Education Building side of the campus, an informal contemporary service known affectionately as coffee church begins with coffee and refreshments. During the school year, children join the first part of the service and then dismiss to Sunday School before the sermon. At 10:30 am, a traditional United Methodist service is held in the historic stone chapel, complete with hymns from the Chancel Choir.
When the calendar offers a fifth Sunday, the two congregations typically combine into a single 10:00 am service, and the same combined format is used for occasional holidays. In good weather, the worship sometimes moves outdoors under the big tree between the Education Building and the stone chapel. Children are always welcome at both services, and handicap ramps are installed at both buildings for accessibility. The congregation celebrates Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month and on special days of worship, with all invited to the table.
Liturgical dance is woven into the life of the church in a way that few congregations experience. Following the traditional service, the liturgical dance troupe gathers at 11:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. The troupe is open to dancers of any gender, age, or skill level who want to use movement to the glory of God.
A Music Program Rebuilding After Covid
The Baldwin music ministry grew out of a long tradition of choirs, handbells, and an annual church music drama each March. The pandemic disrupted that rhythm, and the program is in the process of rebuilding. In 2019, the church updated its sound system, replaced a failing instrument, and added a six foot Kawai grand piano to the sanctuary. A new electronic organ and matching speakers were introduced at Easter 2022 to blend with the historic pipe case that still adorns the narthex.
Several choirs give members of every age a place to serve. The Cherub Choir welcomes children from Pre-K through first grade and rehearses during Sunday School. The Children's Choir gathers second through fifth graders, while the Teen Troupe allows junior and senior high youth to share gifts in drama, music, and art. The Chancel Choir leads music at the 10:30 am service and rehearses Thursday evenings. The Praise Team joins the music director on the electronic organ at the 9:00 am service, with rehearsal at 8:20 am on Sunday mornings. The Baldwin Ringers, a traditional handbell choir, performs on a monthly schedule and rehearses Thursday evenings. Music Director Dale Carrigan welcomes new vocal and instrumental musicians of any age or experience.
Weekdays Filled with Bible Study and Small Groups
Bible study is at the heart of the weekly rhythm. The pastor leads two ongoing studies, one on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm and one on Thursday mornings at 10:30 am, both in the Waters Bible Room in the Education Building. Classes are open to anyone, and newcomers can join without having attended prior sessions.
On Thursday afternoons, the Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm in the Education Building, with the option of joining by Zoom. Participants knit and crochet shawls that are given to people experiencing illness, loss, or other significant moments of need. The Widow and Widowers group offers fellowship for anyone grieving a spouse, meeting at 1:00 pm on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Fellowship Hall. Membership in Baldwin Memorial is not required, and people of any age or stage of grief are welcome.
United Women in Faith, formerly United Methodist Women, organizes five Circles that meet in members' homes or at the church. The Deborah Circle meets at 11:00 am on the third Tuesday, the Faith Circle at 11:30 am on the first Tuesday, the Hope Circle at 9:30 am on the first Wednesday, the Love Circle at 7:00 pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays, and the Susanna Wesley Circle at 9:00 am on the third Saturday. All women of the church are invited to join a Circle.
United Methodist Men gather multiple times a year on Saturday mornings at 8:00 am in the Fellowship Hall for a hearty breakfast, a devotional, and conversation about how to be better servants in daily life. The men work alongside United Women in Faith to sponsor families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, help set up the church's Christmas decorations, and pitch in on church luncheons and kitchen cleaning days.
Hands Across the Community and Around the World
Missions are woven into the life of Baldwin Memorial, both near and far. Each week, a team fills backpacks with healthy snacks and food for local elementary school children in need, meeting in the Waters Bible Study and History Room right after the 9:00 am service. The congregation has supported Paul's Place on the west side of Baltimore City for years, with members volunteering weekly and regularly delivering donations. The church pantry at Baldwin Memorial collects food year round for SPAN, the Severna Park food bank and resource center that has served families for more than twenty years. Donations also go to Mary's Cradle in Bluefield, West Virginia, which provides clothing, diapers, toys, and parenting information to mothers with small children.
Locally, the building hosts a Narcotics Anonymous meeting each Saturday at 8:00 pm, opening the church's doors to anyone in recovery. Vacation Bible School is offered each summer for a week of mornings, and the church has partnered with Scouts to offer the God and Country series of religious emblem courses. Habitat for Humanity and a Singles Group are among the long-running ministries supported by the congregation. Mission trips are an occasional part of the church's rhythm when conditions allow.
Baldwin Early Learning Center
In 1993, the church organized a child care center that today serves more than sixty children. The Baldwin Early Learning Center offers full-time daycare, preschool, and before and after school programs and operates out of the Education Building. Director Mary Ahern oversees the program, which has become a ministry of its own to local families and a daily extension of Baldwin Memorial's welcome to the community.
Weddings, Fellowship, and a New Sound
Baldwin Memorial hosts weddings in the historic stone chapel, with applications submitted to the pastor at least two months in advance. The Fellowship Hall in the Education Building hosts church suppers, the United Methodist Men's breakfasts, family movie nights, and the annual Holiday Bazaar each November, which fills the campus with handmade crafts, a bake sale, books, jewelry, and lunch. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, with Pastor Michael Beiber and Programs Pastor Kim Marie Walker sharing ministry leadership alongside Wesley Theological Seminary interns.
From the Tiffany windows over the altar to the coffee poured in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings, Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church carries its long history into a present that mixes traditional worship, contemporary music, and an open door to anyone who walks through it.