Rockville United Methodist Church gathers at 112 West Montgomery Avenue, at the corner of West Montgomery Avenue and Jefferson Street in Rockville's Historic District, two blocks west of the Rockville Police Department and one block west of Bombay Bistro. The congregation marked its 175th anniversary with a year of celebrations that included a spring carnival, a "living history" re-enactment of a 19th century circuit-riding service, a place on Peerless Rockville's historic church tour, and a banquet. The anniversary committee coordinated remembrances with Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, given the two congregations' shared history. Today RUMC is known for intergenerational Sunday worship, a choir-led music program, mission partnerships reaching from Montgomery County to Puebla, Mexico, and a preschool that fills the building on weekdays.
A Building with a Sanctuary, a Chapel, and a Map
The current building includes a Sanctuary that seats 400 and supports live streaming and recording, a newly renovated Chapel that seats 50, plus a Bridal Suite and a Groom Suite used for wedding days. Outside, the main parking lot is right next to the church with entrances off both West Montgomery Avenue and Jefferson Street, and a larger overflow lot sits across from the church on the Jefferson Street side. The entrance facing Jefferson Street leads right into the entryway and Sanctuary, and the office entrance also opens onto the Sanctuary for anyone who walks in from the lot. A printable map of the building is available for newcomers who want to find their way around.
Sunday Worship with the Children in the Pews
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary and is also livestreamed on Zoom (Meeting ID 584 551 0528, Password 502330) and on YouTube. The service is intentionally intergenerational: children learn the prayers, songs, and stories of the church alongside their parents and grandparents, and a children's lesson is included each week. Activities for busy hands wait in the Narthex, just outside the Sanctuary, for younger worshippers who want something to do during the sermon. Holy Communion is celebrated monthly, usually on the first Sunday.
Childcare is provided for children from birth through age five during the 10:30 service. The Safe Sanctuary policies that protect those children are shared with all United Methodist Churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference and include training and online background checks for anyone working with children and youth, plus fingerprinted background checks for all paid staff including clergy. When children or youth are on the property without a parent present, two screened adults supervise them in the building, on the playground, and in the parking lot. Members who want to serve can volunteer as a liturgist, an usher, or in the music ministry; sign-up information is on the Worship page.
Music: A Choir from September Through May
Music is central to worship at RUMC. The choir sings and leads worship from September through May, and there are also opportunities for solos, instrumentals, and small ensembles. The Music Director is J. Daniel Ashton, a violinist and violist who grew up playing in his family's string quintet and began violin lessons at age four. After graduating from Southern Adventist University he performed with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and then co-founded Zephyr Brass in Atlanta, where he served as music director. He moved with his family to Germantown, Maryland, in 2001, and in addition to directing the choir at RUMC he works as a computer programmer for a large faith-based ministry.
The organist is Ruei-Hwa Shyu, who has served since December 2018. A native of Taiwan, she holds a BA from Tunghai University in Taichung, has studied at the Royal College of Music in London, and earned a Master of Music from Boston University. She also teaches piano at the Harmonia School of Music and Art in Vienna, Virginia, and in her time off plays tennis and goes line dancing. For weddings, soprano Melissa Cregger rounds out the music team; her career has included international debuts as Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti and Anita in West Side Story in Dubai, chorus work with Washington National Opera, and the Leopold Damrosch award at Carnegie Hall. Anyone interested in joining the music ministry can reach Daniel Ashton at jdashton@ashtonfam.org.
Sunday School for Every Age on a Sunday Morning
The Sunday School hour runs alongside the 10:30 worship service. Two adult classes meet year-round at 9:00 a.m.: the Adult Fellowship Bible Study in Room 102 and the Upper Room Class in Rooms 103 and 104, with a hybrid option also offered over Zoom. Both use Bible-based, Christ-focused United Methodist curriculum and work through how the ancient text applies to daily life.
Children's Sunday School meets at 9:15 a.m. from September through May on the second floor, with separate classrooms for Preschool, Elementary, and Youth. Children from age three through high school learn about their faith through Bible stories, hands-on activities, discussion, and song.
For adults who want something mid-week, the Women's Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. via Zoom from September through May. Materials are available on request from the church office.
Pastor YouJung Jung and the Staff
The lead pastor is the Rev. YouJung Jung, a cross-cultural clergy member of the United Methodist Church and a graduate of the University of Maryland and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She came to Rockville UMC after ministering to the Prospect-Marvin Chapel congregations. Pastor Jung grew up in South Korea in a pastor's family and has spoken of how the church's different backgrounds and cultures are a strength rather than a barrier. She can be reached at PastorYouJung@rockvilleumc.org.
The rest of the staff includes Ms. Cummings, who joined as Administrative and Creative Assistant on October 1, 2025, with a nonprofit background and a love of sacred music and gardening; Diana O'Donovan in Finance; Keshika Dias as Facilities Manager; and Pedro Aceves as Custodial Technician. Stacy Field directs New Day Preschool, the church's weekday preschool program for young children.
AWARE Trips to the Tree of Life Farm in Puebla
RUMC is a longtime partner with GYTTE, the ministry led by Nan and Miguel in Puebla, Mexico, and sends AWARE mission teams each year. AWARE trips combine educational tourism, with visits to Tlaxcala, the Government Palace murals, the pyramids of Cacaxtla-Xochitecatl, 500-year-old churches in the Puebla Zocalo, the Cholula Pyramid, and the tunnels beneath the city, with hands-on work at the Tree of Life farm and in surrounding villages. Past teams have helped rebuild adobe homes lost in the 2017 earthquake, built new troughs for goats and sheep, sewn aprons, and led dental hygiene workshops with preschoolers and parents. The cost is $1,300, which covers the program, lodging, meals, transportation, entrance fees, and interpretation, plus a $300 contribution toward a project like a straw-bale home; airfare to Puebla is arranged separately.
The congregation also supports two missionaries serving overseas and in the U.S., coordinated locally through the United Methodist Women's Missionaries Support program and Lorraine Sparrow.
Rockville HELP, Community Reach, and the Thrift Shop
Closer to home, the church partners with Rockville HELP, a multi-congregational organization that provides financial assistance for utilities, rent, prescriptions, and emergency food for Rockville residents. Volunteers are always needed and can contact Aniko Albert at 917-526-3980 to get involved. The church also partners with Community Reach of Montgomery County, supporting ministries such as the Jefferson House, elderly ministries, and Latino outreach, coordinated locally by Loretta Fehr.
Twice a year the congregation runs a Thrift Shop in Wesley Hall, with proceeds going to local and global missions. Volunteers sort donations, set up the hall, serve customers, and clean up afterward. Donations of clean, working clothing, shoes, jewelry, linens, tools, housewares, books, knickknacks, and lamps are accepted during office hours; the Thrift Shop cannot accept cribs, mattresses, car seats, large furniture, large gym equipment, TVs, or computers. Sign-up tables appear in the Narthex before and after services on the Sundays leading up to each sale.
United Methodist Women, the Caring Ministry, and the Prayer Chain
The Women's Ministry gathers women who love the Lord and use their gifts to serve the mercy and justice concerns of the United Methodist Church. There are two daytime circles: New Day Circle, coordinated by Judy Nierman, and Mary Martha Circle, coordinated by Suzanne Everly. The Evening Women's Group offers a third option for those who cannot meet during the day, with trips and studies announced in the newsletter.
The Caring Ministry provides congregational care through care meals and a card ministry, coordinated by Lorraine Sparrow. The Prayer Chain lets members join in ongoing prayer or start a prayer group, and the Hospitality Ministry welcomes guests on Sunday morning and hosts luncheons for newcomers after the 10:30 service.
Vacation Bible School, Easter Carnival, and Lenten Lunches
Vacation Bible School is a one-day summer event held in July, with Bible adventures, music, crafts, and games. The Easter Carnival in spring brings an Easter egg hunt, crafts, games, music, and food to the parking lot and Wesley Hall. During Lent, the church hosts a weekly Lenten Lunch with devotion in the Chapel and lunch in Wesley Hall.
The Second Saturday RUMC Dinner is a regular congregation-wide gathering during the cooler months, with food served from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and hosted by volunteer teams. Connections Lunch, held once a month after the late service, is designed to help newcomers get to know the church over a meal. The church building is also available for rent for outside events, and inquiries can be directed through the office.
Weddings, the Sanctuary, and the New Day Preschool
Couples who want to marry at RUMC are invited to download the Wedding Guide and arrange a tour of the facilities. The Sanctuary seats 400 and supports live streaming and recording; the newly renovated Chapel seats 50. The recommended photographer is Amanda MacPhee of Amanda MacPhee Studios; the church organist Ruei-Hwa Shyu and soprano Melissa Cregger round out the wedding music team. A Maryland marriage license must be presented at the rehearsal and should be applied for at least four to six weeks in advance through the State of Maryland Circuit Court in Rockville at 240-777-9450. Members contact Pastor Jung for pre-marital sessions; members of other churches may bring their own pastor to officiate.
The building also hosts New Day Preschool, a weekday preschool program directed by Stacy Field. With more than a decade of teaching experience across multiple stages of childhood development and a master's degree from Hood College as a Reading Specialist, Field previously taught first grade at Watkins Mill Elementary School for MCPS for eleven years and has been a long-time substitute at New Day Preschool. The preschool shares the building's classrooms, hallways, and playground with Sunday worship.
Scouts on Weeknights
Cub Scout Pack 928 and Boy Scout Troop 447 meet at the church during the week, and the congregation celebrates Scout Sunday once a year when the Scouts lead worship from the pews. The Adult Fellowship Sunday School also meets every Sunday at 9:15 a.m. in Room 104 and is coordinated by Julian Sparrow.
For visitors who are unsure where to go, a printable map of the building is available on the Worship page. Guest and accessible parking sit in the main lot next to the church, with entrances off both West Montgomery Avenue and Jefferson Street, and an overflow parking lot sits across Jefferson Street from the building.
Joining RUMC
The church welcomes new members in several ways. Those who have been continuously active members of another church may transfer their membership. Those who were baptized but never joined a church may make a Profession of Faith. Those who have never been baptized and are twelve or older may be baptized and make a Profession of Faith, with confirmation classes available for youth in sixth grade and above. Those who were baptized and held membership in a church but have not been involved for a while may make a Reaffirmation of Faith. Parents may also request baptism for infants and children under twelve. Anyone interested is invited to call or email Pastor Jung to talk through which path fits.
The giving program is called Blessed to Be a Blessing and supports both local and global mission work, with online donations available.