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94-427: Pastored since July 2021 by Stephanie Roberts White, the church now brands itself as Towson Church with a blended traditional– contemporary Sunday worship service, along with a number of community outreach programs, including an accredited child care center and a Boy Scout troop. The church actively supports a home for unwed mothers , overseas missions, and Habitat for Humanity projects. The congregation worships in

188-454: A Baltimore Sun interview that the handbell choirs "give a broad, rich sound" to the services. In the 1960s–1980s, the church's "Alleluia Singers", an ensemble of high school-age young people, sang frequently for weekly worship services and toured the eastern US each summer. Stephanie Roberts White became the church's first female Lead Pastor on July 1, 2021, succeeding Mark Johnson. White graduated from Texas Wesleyan University in 2003 with

282-566: A Bachelor of Arts degree in religion. He then studied at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC , earning a Master of Divinity degree in 1982. While ministering at Union Chapel United Methodist Church in Joppa, Maryland , Miller continued his postgraduate studies, receiving a Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Revitalization from Chicago 's McCormick Theological Seminary in 1992. He

376-668: A Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Christian Education. She earned a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree in 2009 from Asbury Theological Seminary , Kentucky, receiving the Stranger Preaching Award, given to only one graduating senior each year. She was ordained in 2013. Before her appointment to the pulpit of Towson United Methodist Church, White was minister of Pleasant Hills UMC in Owings Mills . Her husband, Maj. Kevin White,

470-596: A PhD from Iliff School of Theology in Denver. Prior to his appointment at Towson United Methodist Church, Cooney was senior minister at Eppworth United Methodist Church in Cockeysville, Maryland . His father, C. Douglas Cooney (1928–2003), was a Methodist minister at various churches, including the First Methodist Church of Hyattsville, Maryland , as well as a Methodist denomination official. Stephen Rettenmeyer

564-641: A "Great Revival" in Towson. The joint services were attended by throngs and the "preaching was with power", newspapers commented. At the beginning of the 20th century, the increasingly large and prosperous congregation added eleven stained glass windows to the ME church, including Christ the Good Shepherd by Heinrich Hofmann . In 1921, a new pipe organ was installed by M. P. Möller . The Methodist Protestant group continued to use Epsom Chapel until 1908, when they built

658-781: A $ 6,000 church seating 150 persons at the corner of Allegheny and Bosley Avenues. Located in the heart of Towson near the County Circuit Courthouse, the Towson Methodist Protestant Church was constructed of stone with a slate roof and a bell tower. With the merger in 1939 of the Methodist Episcopal (ME) and Methodist Protestant (MP) denominations in the US, Towson's Methodist Episcopal and Methodist Protestant churches were known thereafter as First Methodist Church and Second Methodist Church, respectively. Following

752-522: A 1,000-seat sanctuary built in 1958. The large building's prominent 235-foot (72 m) spire and cupola, a landmark visible for miles from the nearby Baltimore Beltway ( Interstate 695 ), has been called "the beacon of Towson". Towson United Methodist Church is located on Hampton Lane at interchange #27B of the Baltimore Beltway and Dulaney Valley Road (Md. Route 146) , one-half mile (one km) west of Hampton National Historic Site . The church's land

846-804: A decade he designed mansions, factories, libraries, courthouses, hotels, Masonic lodges, commercial buildings, textile mill housing, and churches in Georgia , North Carolina , Virginia , Washington, D.C. , and elsewhere. His finest building in these years was the Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta (1884). He also designed the Gwinnett County Courthouse in Lawrenceville, Georgia ; the Mary Willis Library in Washington, Georgia ; and

940-459: A hard time finding good music, but played the contemporary music because the church wanted it, with the only criteria being how contemporary the music sounded. Gordon also said churches were adding hymns to contemporary services, but that in the past the main concern had never been how new the music sounded. Gordon said in 2014 that contemporary music could not be as good because one generation could not compete with 50 generations of hymns, and even

1034-401: A lead singer and lead guitarist or keyboard player. Their role is to indicate the tone, structure, pace and volume of the worship songs, and perhaps even construct the order or content during the time of worship. Some larger churches are able to employ paid worship leaders, and some have attained fame by worship leading, blurring contemporary worship music with Christian rock , though the role of

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1128-401: A master's degree at McDaniel College , where he later taught and received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. He was a strong proponent of racial integration during the turbulent civil rights struggles of the 1960s. He died at age 95 on June 10, 2003, just nine days before his successor, Walter Smith, also died. Lewis F. Ransom was senior minister of Towson's First Methodist Church at

1222-512: A meeting hall for boy scout troops in the 1920s–1930s. It was subsequently abandoned and finally demolished in 1952 to make way for construction of a parking lot for the old Hutzler's department store, near the present Macy's department store and Towson Town Center mall . No trace of Epsom Chapel exists today, except for an historical marker placed near the site by the Baltimore County Historical Society, designating it as

1316-455: A part in the globalisation of much CWM. Some churches, such as Hillsong , Bethel and Vineyard , have their own publishing companies, and there is a thriving Christian music business which parallels that of the secular world, with recording studios, music books, CDs, MP3 downloads and other merchandise. The consumer culture surrounding CWM has prompted both criticism and praise, and as Pete Ward deals with in his book "Selling Worship", no advance

1410-447: A personal relationship with God and free expression are emphasised. As in traditional hymnody, some images, such as captivity and freedom, life and death, romance, power and sacrifice, are employed to facilitate relationship with God. Beginning in the 2010s, contemporary worship music with a distinctly theological lyric focus blending hymns and worship songs with contemporary rhythms & instrumentation, began to emerge, primarily in

1504-602: A phased, multiyear master plan in 2005, envisioning $ 3 million in eventual improvements beginning in 2006. As part of the plan, an elevator and additional facilities were installed for improved disabled accessibility, along with a new fire sprinkler system and replacement of the building's climate control system (HVAC) in 2007. To help fund the future works, the church announced plans in January 2008 to sell 5 acres (20,000 m) of undeveloped, wooded property it owns on Hampton Lane to Shelter Development Corp. for construction of

1598-472: A popular idiom. Some Christians felt that the church needed to break from its stereotype as being structured, formal and dull to appeal to the younger generation. By borrowing the conventions of popular music, the antithesis of this stereotype, the church restated the claims of the Bible through Christian lyrics, and thus sent the message that Christianity was not outdated or irrelevant. The Joystrings were one of

1692-458: A rock band, replace rather than enable a congregation's praise. Seventh-day Adventist author Samuele Bacchiocchi expressed concerns over the use of the " rock " idiom, as he argues that music communicates on a subconscious level, and the often anarchistic, nihilistic ethos of rock stands against Christian culture . Using the physical response induced by drums in a worship context as evidence that rock takes peoples' minds away from contemplating on

1786-517: A senior citizen housing complex. A zoning change application was submitted to Baltimore County officials to allow sixteen residential units per acre (current zoning limits density to two residential units per acre) for a total of 80–100 beds. The Hampton Improvement Association, representing neighboring Hampton, Maryland residents, said they " ...oppose[d] zoning changes that would allow higher density residential development and require trees to be knocked down". Then-pastor David Cooney told

1880-428: A weekly lectionary that gives a broad range of scriptural themes, including selected psalms on those themes, CWM churches tend not to have an agreed lectionary and the consequent agreement on using a broad range of material. Pope John Paul II , concerning the role of music in regard to worship, wrote, "today, as yesterday, musicians, composers, liturgical chapel cantors, church organists and instrumentalists must feel

1974-455: Is Douglas Hollida, an ordained minister. According to the church, Hollida studied music at Shepherd University , graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then earned a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry . World-famous concert organists who have performed at the church's organ include Pierre Cochereau , Flor Peeters , and Marilyn Mason . A two-octave Schulmerich electronic carillon of twenty-five bells

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2068-628: Is a U.S. Army chaplain at Fort Meade . Mark W. Johnson was Lead Pastor of Towson United Methodist Church from July 1, 2017, to July 1, 2021, when he received a new appointment as pastor of Mission Valley United Methodist Church in Ronan, Montana . Johnson had succeeded Roderick J. Miller, who retired in June, 2017. Johnson was previously Senior Pastor of Mt. Olive United Methodist Church in Randallstown, Maryland , from August, 2009, to his appointment at Towson UMC. He

2162-528: Is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship . It has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music . The songs are frequently referred to as "praise songs" or "worship songs" and are typically led by a "worship band" or "praise team", with either a guitarist or pianist leading. It has become a common genre of music sung in many churches, particularly in charismatic or non-denominational Protestant churches with some Roman Catholic congregations incorporating it into

2256-594: Is a part of the United Methodist denomination's Baltimore-Washington Conference (district). In addition to the Sunday morning worship service, the congregation participates in graded Sunday school classes, various adult Bible study classes, youth activities, and various midweek activities. The music program includes both adult and youth choirs, as well as handbell ringers. As of 2015, the church had three handbell choirs with 22 ringers. Director of Music Doug Hollida said in

2350-538: Is an L-shaped structure, with the main sanctuary on a north–south axis. Designed by architect J. Alfred Hamme and completed in 1958, the church is built of red brick in the Georgian architectural style , with a prominent, floodlighted spire surmounted by a 9-foot (3 m) porcelain enamel gold cross visible at 3–5 mi (5–8 km) distance on the Beltway. The imposing front facade is of cut stone from Pennsylvania , with

2444-666: Is closely related to the charismatic movement , the lyrics and even some musical features reflect its theology. In particular the charismatic movement is characterised by its emphasis on the Holy Spirit , through a personal encounter and relationship with God, that can be summed up in agape love. Lyrically, the informal, sometimes intimate, language of relationship is employed. The terms 'You' and 'I' are used rather than 'God' and 'we', and lyrics such as, 'I, I'm desperate for You', and 'Hungry I come to You for I know You satisfy, I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry' both exemplify

2538-422: Is overwhelmingly positive, can lead to avoidance of the psalms of lament. Michael Vasey writes: "Scripture is, of course, full of lament – and devotes its finest literary creation to warning the godly against quick and easy answers. The power of many of the psalms we are embarrassed to use lies precisely here. Of all this there is little echo in our contemporary reading." Whereas denominational churches generally use

2632-413: Is sung communally, there can be a practical and theological emphasis on its accessibility, to enable every member of the congregation to participate in a corporate act of worship. This often manifests in simple, easy to learn melodies, in a mid-vocal range, repetition, familiar chord progressions and a restricted harmonic palette. Unlike hymns, the music notation may primarily be based around the chords, with

2726-598: Is without both positive and negative repercussions. Criticisms include Gary Parrett's concern that the volume of this music drowns out congregational participation, and therefore makes it a performance. He quotes Ephesians 5:19, in which Paul the Apostle tells the church in Ephesus to be 'speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit', and questions whether the worship band, now so often amplified and playing like

2820-463: The Baltimore Sun , "We entered into this with Shelter, believing this is a good use for the land – that this is a good company and a needed service". In the face of community objections, however, Shelter and the church subsequently announced on March 3, 2008, that the development plans had been dropped. A Shelter official said that his company and Towson United Methodist Church had jointly come to

2914-542: The American Church in London and appear as a frequent BBC commentator. Rettenmeyer died on June 28, 2015. Long-time senior pastor Walter Smith earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary . During his nineteen years at Towson Methodist, a new chapel and expanded classrooms were added. He started the church's daycare center. Smith died on June 19, 2003, at age 73. John Bayley Jones IV earned

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3008-544: The Baptist , Reformed , and more traditional non-denominational branches of Protestant Christianity. Artists in the modern hymn movement include well-known groups such as Keith & Kristyn Getty and Sovereign Grace Music , as well as solo artists such as Matt Papa , Enfield (Hymn Sessions) and Aaron Keyes . By the late 2010s, the movement had gained sizable traction in many churches, streaming services and other areas in culture. Because, in common with hymns , such music

3102-730: The Bolton Hill neighborhood of northwest Baltimore, a church at the southwest corner of Dolphin and Etting streets, and the monument to Capt. John Gleason, of the 5th Maryland Infantry , in Cathedral Cemetery. He is also thought to have designed the English Tudor, Gothic-style building at North Howard and West Centre Streets for the Baltimore City College , the first of two on the site in 1875. The City College (formerly Central High School of Baltimore), an all-male public high school,

3196-506: The Jubilate Group . As of the early 1990s, songs such as " Lord, I Lift Your Name on High ", " Shine, Jesus, Shine " and " Shout to the Lord " had been accepted in many churches. Integrity Media , Maranatha! Music and Vineyard were already publishing newer styles of music. Supporters of traditional worship hoped the newer styles were a fad, while younger people cited Psalms 96:1 , "Sing to

3290-608: The Milton Candler House in Decatur, Georgia ; as well as a combined market and city hall for Guayaquil , Ecuador . Following the severe economic depression of 1893, Lind retired to Baltimore where he continued to practice on a limited basis. He died in 1909. He completed several works in North Carolina. During his career, Lind was active in both national and professional roles. He served as assistant supervising architect for

3384-474: The postwar period and with a boom in modern commercial development of Towson's core area starting to displace older buildings, the two churches formed a joint committee to evaluate a merger. The committee recommended that the two churches become one, concluding: The properties of the First and Second Churches are located in close proximity to each other ... the identical objectives, program and methods of work of

3478-488: The "cradle of Methodism in Towson". The current name, Towson United Methodist Church , was adopted in 1968 to reflect the merger in that year of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren denominations in the US. On Pentecost Sunday , May 11, 2008, the fiftieth anniversary of the present sanctuary's completion was celebrated by a reenactment of the original May 11, 1958, dedication service. Towson United Methodist Church

3572-408: The 18-foot (5 m) high main entranceway capped by a curved stone pediment . Inside, the sanctuary has three aisles with a rear balcony and can accommodate up to one thousand persons. Rows of Corinthian columns standing on 4-foot (122 cm) bases flank the pews along both side aisles. The pulpit and doors are made of mahogany . The 3-story east–west wing has classrooms, offices, a chapel, and

3666-470: The 1815-1829 Washington Monument on the west side bordering Washington Place, which is also North Charles Street was begun in 1858, completed in 1861, and dedicated in 1866 in Peabody's presence, containing Peabody Hall (now Friedberg Concert Hall), conservatory rooms, and a picture gallery. In 1875, its east wing was begun along intersecting Mount Vernon Place (which is also East Monument Street), and in 1878,

3760-525: The Civil War. In 1867, the Methodist Protestants returned to Epsom Chapel, but met separately on Sunday afternoons. The northern-leaning Methodist Episcopal congregation, which continued worshiping at Epsom Chapel during the Civil War, began building their own church nearby, with the laying of a cornerstone on August 14, 1869. The Towson Methodist Episcopal (ME) Church , a neo-Gothic brick structure,

3854-810: The County Executive and Fire Chief, participate in the service's memorial wreath laying and the tolling of a bell, as part of the commemoration. Nationally known guest speakers, such as Tony Campolo and Millie Dienert , have also spoken there. Towson United Methodist Church started the Hampton Lane Child Development Center in 1978. An accredited child care center, it now serves approximately fifty children ages 2–5 years old. 39°24′52″N 76°35′56″W  /  39.41437°N 76.59886°W  / 39.41437; -76.59886 Contemporary worship music Contemporary worship music ( CWM ), also known as praise and worship music ,

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3948-582: The Exodus project of Michael W. Smith , and the band Sonicflood . Contemporary worship music became an integral part of Contemporary Christian music . More recently songs are displayed using projectors on screens at the front of the church, and this has enabled greater physical freedom, and a faster rate of turnover in the material being sung. Important propagators of CWM over the past 25 years include Vineyard Music , Hillsong Worship , Bethel Music , Elevation Worship , Jesus Culture and Soul Survivor . As CWM

4042-485: The First Methodist Church. Plans to construct a much larger building with ample parking were announced when the two churches merged and 16 acres (65,000 m) of undeveloped land, originally part of the Ridgelys' Hampton estate and north of the planned alignment of the Baltimore Beltway ( I-695 ), were purchased soon thereafter from Goucher College . A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 7, 1956, and construction of

4136-478: The John D. Hoffman library featuring an exhibit of memorabilia and historical artifacts along with archival records. Construction of the church cost $ 950,000 in 1958 (equivalent to almost $ 9 million in 2021), not including the expense of land acquisition. Towson United Methodist Church has a 3-manual, 48-rank Casavant pipe organ of 2,790 pipes, including seven ranks of 16 ft. pipes and tubular chimes . It

4230-728: The London School of Design, then worked for several years in various architects' offices in London. In 1855 Lind emigrated to New York City where he found employment as chief draftsman and assisting Norris G. Starkweather , designer of the brownstone Gothic-style, fourth structure for the First Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, which was finally completed with the tallest spire in the city in 1875, (first three structures from colonial times in downtown area at northwest corner of East Fayette and North Streets (now Guilford Avenue), sold

4324-536: The Lord a new song". Prior to the late 1990s, many felt that Sunday morning was a time for hymns , and young people could have their music on the other six days. A "modern worship renaissance" helped make it clear any musical style was acceptable if true believers were using it to praise God. The changes resulted from the Cutting Edge recordings by the band Delirious? , the Passion Conferences and their music,

4418-571: The Lord" by Darlene Zschech . The United Methodist Hymnal (1989) includes "Thy Word Is a Lamp" by Amy Grant and "Take Our Bread" by Joe Wise. Contemporary Christian worship groups, such as Hillsong United , are ranking in the top ten on Billboard and other national charts and are earning publicity in pop culture publications. In 2019, the U.S. radio network Air1 (which was previously devoted to Christian hits ) changed its format to focus primarily on worship music. Edmund George Lind Edmund George Lind (June 18, 1829 – 1909)

4512-636: The Mass as well. In the early 1950s, the Taizé Community in France started to attract youths from several religious denominations with worship hymns based on modern melodies. In the mid-20th century, Christian Unions in university environments hosted evangelistic talks and provided biblical teaching for their members, Christian cafés opened with evangelistic aims, and church youth groups were set up. Amateur musicians from these groups began playing Christian music in

4606-423: The Ridgelys' grandiose Hampton Mansion , located one-half mi (one km) east of the present church site. By 1825, the first Sunday School was started in a private home near a blacksmith's shop on York Road. In 1839, the citizenry of sparsely populated Towsontown, as the village was called by then, built the tiny community's first church in a wooded location north of Joppa Road and east of Dulaney Valley Road. The site

4700-766: The Susanna Wesley House for unwed mothers, and actively participates in Habitat for Humanity projects. Over the years, members of the Towson Methodist Men's group and Women's Society of Christian Service (now United Methodist Women) have supported Meals on Wheels , the League of Women Voters , and Head Start , as well as serving as volunteers at local hospitals and the Maryland School for the Blind . For more than thirty years,

4794-689: The United States during the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant . He became a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1857, and a Fellow in 1870. Lind was a founding member of the Baltimore Chapter of the AIA in 1870 and he also served as president in 1871, and also from 1876 to 1882. He also served as vice president of the national AIA organization on two occasions. His interests extended beyond architecture. In 1894 he wrote an essay on

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4888-490: The band in a worship service, leading and enabling the congregation in praise normally contrasts that of performing a Christian concert. In CWM today there will often be three or four singers with microphones, a drum kit, a bass guitar, one or two guitars, keyboard and possibly other, more orchestral instruments, such as a flute or violin. There has been a shift within the genre towards using amplified instruments and voices, again paralleling popular music, though some churches play

4982-564: The church has hosted a weekly meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous . The church has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 102 since 1999, graduating seven Eagle Scouts in 2021. The large size of the sanctuary and its convenient location make it well-suited for community gatherings attracting sizable crowds, such as concerts by the Handel Choir of Baltimore . The church hosts an annual memorial service for fallen Baltimore County firefighters and rescue personnel. Senior Baltimore County officials, including

5076-425: The church's building committee had advanced his personal funds to complete the construction, thereafter becoming embroiled in years of litigation with the church. By 1874, the church was drawing larger crowds under then-pastor Joseph Stitt, who was described as an "excellent leader of singing". An afternoon Sunday school session was particularly popular, "principally devoted to learning new hymns, which attracted many of

5170-556: The conclusion that "this is not something we are going to pursue". Cooney said, "It had become clear that we weren't going to be able to reach a compromise and we certainly don't want to be at war with our neighbors". In the wake of the plan's shelving, the president of the Hampton Improvement Association told the Towson Times that his group wishes to work with Towson United Methodist Church to find an alternative use for

5264-463: The contemporary songs were in some cases just the old hymns with an updated sound. Writers of new songs had a hard time with "theologically sound, but significant, profound, appropriate, memorable, and edifying". After his 2011 interview, Gordon said Mark Moring of Christianity Today had observed that contemporary music in churches was on the decline. Gordon said the people who first wanted it are older, and contemporary music had become so common that it

5358-490: The emphasis on emotion can encourage hype and a need to create an atmosphere which evokes a sense of encounter with God, rather than allowing God to do so. Despite the biblical basis employed to underpin CWM, such as Ephesians 5:19 , its surrounding culture tends to exclude systematic use of the psalms in weekly worship, sidelining lament from regular worship practice. The emphasis on praise, and on an interpretation of 'worship' that

5452-490: The first Christian pop groups to appear on television, in Salvation Army uniform, playing Christian beat music. Churches began to adopt some of these songs and the styles for corporate worship. These early songs for communal singing were characteristically simple. Youth Praise , published in 1966, was one of the first and most famous collections of these songs and was compiled and edited by Michael Baughen and published by

5546-473: The first paid-membership and subscription Library Company of Baltimore at the northeast corner of Holliday and East Fayette Streets, until it burned along with the famous neighboring Holliday Street Theatre in a massive fire in 1873. Lind's first building was the first structure to be erected specifically for the use of the high school in its history. It collapsed in 1892, when the Howard Street Tunnel

5640-447: The keyboard score being secondary. At more charismatic services, members of the congregation may harmonise freely during worship songs, perhaps singing in tongues (see glossolalia ), and the worship leader seeks to be 'led by the Holy Spirit '. There may also be role of improvisation, flowing from one song to the next and inserting musical material from one song into another. There is no fixed band set-up for playing CWM, but most have

5734-409: The land besides commercial development, as they "don't want to preclude the church from trying to get some money out of it." In April 2008, Cooney said that the church "did not set out to sell this land; the proposal came to us, and we have no other plans to sell or develop the land". In 2019, additional renovations were completed, including a remodeled foyer and improved lighting, additional restrooms on

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5828-468: The lyrics and God, he suggests that rock is actively dangerous for the Church. The theological content too has raised questions for some, including Martyn Percy , who argues there is too great an emphasis on a very intimate relationship with God, using terms such as 'I' and 'you' instead of 'we' and 'God', and very passionate, physical language, and argues that this bias needs urgent correction. He explains how

5922-538: The main level, and updated floor coverings. The mission statement of Towson United Methodist Church is: "To proclaim the Word of God and to make disciples of Jesus Christ". With the goal of enhancing its appeal to the greater Towson community, the church now brands itself as Towson Church with a blended traditional– contemporary Sunday worship service. The six-person staff includes assistant ministers, directors of music and education, and building and administrative personnel. It

6016-408: The nation in the 1850s, local Towson Methodists continued to worship together at Epsom Chapel. This ended in 1861, when a reed organ was purchased for Epsom Chapel, sparking a disagreement over the use of musical instruments in worship. A minority opposed to the idea joined the southern-leaning Methodist Protestant Church, withdrawing from Epsom Chapel to worship at Towson's Odd Fellows Hall during

6110-451: The necessity of serious and rigorous professional training. They should be especially conscious of the fact that each of their creations or interpretations cannot escape the requirement of being a work that is inspired, appropriate and attentive to aesthetic dignity, transformed into a prayer of worship when, in the course of the liturgy, it expresses the mystery of faith in sound." Some have noted that contemporary worship songs often reflect

6204-473: The new church was completed by the John K. Ruff Company in May 1958, with a service of dedication held on May 11, 1958. A crowd of 1,250 attended the ceremonies in the new sanctuary, with an overflow of 550 persons watching by closed-circuit television in the lower level Fellowship Hall. The old First ME Church structure adjacent to Prospect Hill Park Cemetery on McCurdy Avenue (now Investment Place) and York Road

6298-527: The organ with Clarence Dickinson and Vernon De Tar. In addition to serving as the church's organist and choral director, Hoffman was professor of organ at Towson State University . He died unexpectedly on July 4, 1988, of a ruptured aorta while hospitalized following heart bypass surgery . The church library is named in his memory. Hoffman was succeeded by Kathie Metz, a graduate of Marshall University , as Director of Music and Organist 1988–2012. The current Director of Music and Organist since July, 2013,

6392-499: The relationship between music and color, and transposed "Yankee Doodle" , "The Star-Spangled Banner" , and a number of other popular songs from music into color. He also investigated the importance of the number seven in acoustics and architecture , based on the seven colors of the rainbow and the seven sounds of the diatonic scale . A number of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places , maintained by

6486-402: The reunification of the two branches of Methodism in 1939, First Methodist Church and Second Methodist Church of Towson continued as separate entities for another thirteen years. After the end of World War II in 1945, mainline Protestant church attendance increased significantly in the US. By early 1952, faced with facilities fast becoming inadequate for the burgeoning population of suburbia in

6580-453: The same songs with simpler or acoustic instrumentation. Technological advances have played a significant role in the development of CWM. In particular the use of projectors means that the song repertoire of a church is not restricted to those in a song book. Songs and styles go in trends. The internet has increased accessibility, enabling anyone to see lyrics and guitar chords for many worship songs, and download MP3 tracks. This has also played

6674-472: The similarity of the lyrics of some CWM to popular love songs. Slang is used on occasion (for example 'We wanna see Jesus lifted high' ) and imperatives ('Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see You' ), demonstrating the friendly, informal terms charismatic theology encourages for relating to God personally. Often a physical response is included in the lyrics ('So we raise up holy hands'; 'I will dance, I will sing, to be mad for my king' ). This couples with

6768-611: The site after the Georgian/Federal-era twin-spired church from 1795, was razed to the Federal Government for a new U. S. Courthouse, built 1859-60); and then moved to more residential and up-scale, tomey, Victorian-era Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood, just north of central business district at West Madison Street and Park Avenue ). Lind moved to Baltimore to supervise its construction, but in 1856, left Starkweather's office to partner with William T. Murdoch, with whom he

6862-486: The social climate of individualism as the lyrics emphasize personal relationship with God, even within a group context. Interviewed in Christianity Today in 2011, Grove City College professor T. David Gordon said contemporary music was not easier to sing or better than traditional music, but familiar. If this style of music was all people listened to, then that would make them happy. He also said praise bands had

6956-444: The time in rural areas, circuit rider ministers would travel on horseback to preach to the villagers at Epsom Chapel. With the designation of Towson as the county seat in 1854, the town began to grow more rapidly. The small chapel was shared with other denominations until the 1870s, when Towson's increasing population spurred the construction of larger churches. The Methodist movement was growing rapidly in pre- Civil War America, but

7050-547: The time of the two churches' merger in 1952 and subsequently first minister of the unified Towson Methodist Church during its construction and first decade. He was later shot and killed during a robbery on March 22, 1988, as the 76-year-old clergyman returned to his car after making a nighttime pastoral visit to patients at a downtown Baltimore hospital. Former senior ministers of Towson Methodist Church's predecessor First Methodist Church, with their years of appointment, are: Towson United Methodist Church sponsors overseas missions,

7144-517: The two churches, will continue to make competition and overlapping inevitable ... by pooling their resources and unifying ... they can better serve the community and the Kingdom of God. In April 1952, more than ninety years after the two churches split, the congregations of both finally voted to reunite, merging on June 1, 1952, and adopting the name Towson Methodist Church . The members of both Methodist churches then began worshiping together at

7238-406: The use of drums and popular rhythm in the songs to encourage full body worship. The metaphorical language of the lyrics is subjective, and therefore does risk being misinterpreted; this emphasis on personal encounter with God does not always balance with intellectual understanding. Just as in secular, popular and rock music, relationships and feelings are central topics , so in CWM, association to

7332-420: The young people of the town, especially the young men", noted one account. When the ME church held its twenty-fifth anniversary celebration in 1896, it opened with prayer and a piano concert, "favored with a beautiful selection sung by Mrs. Randolph Murphy", said a contemporary report. Although the two Methodist congregations had remained estranged since the split in 1861, both groups did come together in 1895 for

7426-717: Was a talented musician before entering the ministry. As a high school student in Illinois, he was all-state clarinetist. He then played clarinet and saxophone in the elite United States Marine Band , "The President's Own", including appearances at the White House and playing for the funeral of President John F. Kennedy . After sensing a call to the ministry, Rettenmeyer earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1973 at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He pastored Towson Methodist from 1995 to 2001, when he went to England to preach at

7520-475: Was abandoned and eventually demolished in 1965. An illuminated display of the stained glass windows of the former church is located in the foyer of the current building. The Second ME Church structure was sold in 1954 to the Women's Club of Towson and still stands today—in 2005, the building was resold to an office development firm and is now used by an insurance agency. The erstwhile Epsom Chapel eventually became

7614-785: Was an English-born American architect, active in Baltimore , Atlanta , and the American south. Lind was born in Islington , now a part of London , England ; his father, Alexander Lind, was an engraver who had fought on the British side as a Loyalist at the Battle of Bunker Hill outside Charlestown, Massachusetts near Boston in 1775. When he was young, the family moved to Birmingham , England , where drawing and painting became his favorite amusements. After an attempt at studying law, he studied architecture at

7708-591: Was associated with until about 1860. He married his partner's cousin, Margaret Murdoch. In the late 1850s, Lind & Murdoch were selected to design the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, on behalf of financier George Peabody , who although born and raised in Massachusetts , spent a great deal of business time in New York City and London , had special regard for the city of Baltimore. Its original wing facing

7802-527: Was being dug and constructed beneath from Camden Street Station in the south to the new Mount Royal Station in the north for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through the downtown business district. It was replaced by 1895 by a second structure for BCC, designed by the architect partnership Baldwin & Pennington , which is still there today (2013), although now renovated since 1980 for apartments and condos, known as "Chesapeake Commons". In 1882 Lind transferred his practice to Atlanta , Georgia , where for

7896-569: Was beset by disputes about slave-holding and the rule over the church by bishops , resulting in a formal split into two groups in 1844. The faction in favor of giving church authority to a hierarchy of bishops called themselves the Methodist Episcopal Church and took an anti-slavery stance in the north. Those in opposition formed the Methodist Protestant Church in the United States. As the impending Civil War loomed over

7990-537: Was dedicated in memory of S. Clayton Seitz by then-organist John Duwane Hoffman on May 11, 1958. Hoffman, the church's esteemed virtuoso organist and Minister of Music between 1957 and 1988, was a graduate of Union Theological Seminary 's renowned Master of Sacred Music degree program, after having earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at the University of Denver . He also did post-graduate work at Catholic University of America . At Union, Hoffman studied

8084-529: Was finished under Lind's supervision. Its most impressive feature is its large central reading room, rising to the full height of the building under a skylight, with six stories of alcoves with wrought-iron work giving room for 300,000 volumes, and a checker board floor of alternating black and white marble slabs. Other examples of Lind's Baltimore work include the Memorial Protestant Episcopal Church at Bolton Street and Lafayette Avenue in

8178-478: Was founded on Courtland Street (now St. Paul Street/Place and Preston Gardens), near East Saratoga Street in 1839, is the third oldest public high school in America. It was formerly located since 1843 in the old "Assembly Rooms" (a social dancing hall and place for society ladies and gentlemen for dinners, soirees, receptions and events), originally constructed in 1797 by Robert Cary Long, Sr. and also contained space for

8272-487: Was installed in the tower in June 1958. It was played from the organ console by a carillonneur on Sunday mornings before and after services, as well as on special occasions, such as Christmas Eve and as part of the traditional noontime nationwide peal of church bells on the Fourth of July . Hymns were also played daily on the carillon by a music roll until it was discontinued in the 1990s. Towson United Methodist Church adopted

8366-489: Was later Lead Pastor at Bethany UMC church in Ellicott City, Maryland (1994–2005), after which he was named Director of Connectional Ministries for the denomination's Baltimore-Washington Conference, serving in that role 2005–2011. David Cooney was Senior Pastor of Towson United Methodist Church between September 1, 2001, and June 30, 2011. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary and

8460-446: Was located on York Road next to the present Prospect Hill Cemetery, one block north of the intersection with Joppa and Dulaney Valley Roads. Designed by Edmund George Lind and built at a cost of $ 29,000, the 350-seat church was completed and dedicated on October 26, 1871. The ME Church's eighty-seven members soon found themselves in financial difficulties, however, having gone heavily in debt to build their new sanctuary. The chairman of

8554-530: Was no longer a marketing tool, and no longer new when people wanted what was new. Praise teams, Gordon said, were like performers, but that they were in conflict with what the Bible said. And the congregation needed to participate. Some songs now appear in more traditional hymnals. Evangelical Lutheran Worship (published in 2006 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ) includes "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" by Rick Founds and "Shout to

8648-824: Was ordained to the ministry by the United Methodist Church in 1995, following studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, where he earned Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees. He and his wife Sandi (also an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church), have led mission teams to various nations, including Russia, Kenya, and Honduras. Roderick J. Miller was Lead Pastor of Towson United Methodist Church between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2017. Miller grew up in Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Allegheny College in 1976, receiving

8742-460: Was originally part of the vast 18th-century Hampton estate. First settled by brothers William and Thomas Towson in 1752, the hamlet now bearing their name remained mostly farmland until the 1830s, with no churches and little more than a roadside inn/tavern for travelers on York Road (now Md. Route 45) . In the 1790s, Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely, the wife of Charles Ridgely III and described as an ardent Methodist , began holding prayer meetings at

8836-572: Was previously used for a powder magazine built by Gen. Nathan Towson prior to the British attack on Baltimore in September 1814, during the War of 1812 . Called Epsom Chapel , the 1,000-square-foot (93 m) structure was built of stones salvaged from the arsenal. Led by Methodist Episcopal minister Daniel Helpler, Epsom Chapel was dedicated and opened for Towsontown's first public church service on Sunday, November 10, 1839. In line with Methodist practice of

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