History of GSUMC
Rev. Keith Day and his wife, Charlotte.
In The Beginning…
Good Shepherd UMC began as one of the last mission churches of the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB) in the “new city” of St. Charles in March of 1968.
Rev. Keith Day led the first service at the new Dr. Samuel Mudd Elementary School with 269 worshipers. The next month, the EUB church merged with the Methodist Church, forming the United Methodist Church. On September 8, 1968, the first worship service of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church was held in the new church building on Smallwood Drive.
An important part of the growth of the church was due to the Good Shepherd kindergarten, which also begun in 1968 under the leadership of Susan Graham. Hundreds of young children came to the church for early childhood education and Christian training.
Years of Growth
Good Shepherd quickly grew to be a church which served the community while nurturing and growing its members. Projects such as Meals on Wheels, Adopt-a-Child, Thanksgiving dinners, the food bank and others flourished while members also grew through the Bethel Bible series, disciple classes and Sunday School events.
Services held in the current fellowship hall soon became so crowded that a new sanctuary was built in 1981. A new education wing added in more classrooms in 1988. A covenant with Our Lady Help of Christians Church was formed as their congregation met in the GS building while their new church was being built.
In the 1990’s, Good Shepherd entered a season of long-range planning for ministry in a community that was changing. The church hosted groups such as Narcotics Anonymous, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and a partnership began with the Waldorf Calvary Korean Presbyterian Church. Good Shepherd Church celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1993.
Good Shepherd Education Center
Good Shepherd Kindergarten began in September 1968 as an outreach ministry to young children and their families in the St. Charles area. In 1971, we became the Good Shepherd Preschool and Kindergarten with the addition of a new preschool class. On July 1, 2000, we became the Good Shepherd Education Center, and in 2013 we received our accreditation from the Maryland State Department of Education.
Today we enroll over 120 students in 3 and 5-day preschool classes, pre-kindergarten classes, and childcare. The church feels that the the Education Center is an important community ministry, concerned with the emotional, social, physical, and intellectual development of young children. Since our inception, we have offered scholarships to culturally and/or economically disadvantaged children.
A New Century and Beyond
As the new century began, the church building became the site of ministries for those in need. this includes the present day Safe Night’s housing ministry and Our Place feeding ministry. The Mary Wattenford Scholarship program began for graduating seniors. Youth mission trips included the Pittsburgh Project and Appalachia Service Project.
In 2009, GSUMC celebrated its 40th anniversary. In 2012, the church paid off its mortgage and celebrated with a mortgage burning ceremony. The church has now moved into the digital age with an electronic giving program for offerings and projection screens in the sanctuary. The church also maintains an active Facebook page to engage with members and potential members.
The church has adopted its new vision statement during its 50th anniversary: “Through God’s love, engage and empower everyone to be living disciples.”
As the church continues to make history within its walls and out in the community, this page will be be updated to reflect those changes.