the journey united methodist church

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Journey united methodist church.

Temple Hills Campus

Administrative Headquarters 

Formerly: United Methodist Church of the Redeemer

Location: 1901 Iverson Street, Temple Hills, Maryland 20748

Office : 301- 892- 8622

Camp Springs Campus

Formerly: Bells United Methodist Church

Location: 6106 Allentown Road, Suitland, Maryland 20746

Office: 301-899- 7521

Worship with Journey

Sunday Morning Service : 10:00 AM 

Location: Temple Hills Campus,  Zoom Link , Facebook, and Youtube 

Zoom Link: Please email for Zoom Link and Code. 

Community Events & Flyers

Announcements

• 2023 Friday Fish Fry April 6, 2023
• Journey Forward Campaign February 1, 2023
• Journey UMC Shirts for Friends and Family Day August 11, 2022
• UMC YOUTH 2023 July 18, 2022
• Summer Meals: Summer Food Service Program July 1, 2022

More Coming Events

• 2023 Friday Fish Fry
• Journey Forward Campaign
• Journey UMC Shirts for Friends and Family Day

A church where real people can find real solutions through relationships

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Children's Ministry

Worship Team

Join us for worship every sunday at 10:30 am.

On site at 216 Kirkham Cir. Kyle, TX

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• Journey United Methodist Church

The Church is vibrant 7 days a week and worships Sundays at 10 am. Everyone is welcome. Period. When we say Everyone- we mean it.

Come as you are. Enjoy coffee and snacks and live contemporary Christian music with our Journey band.

We are family friendly, casual and relaxed.  

To learn more, visit journeyumcva.org

Community Candlelight & Cookies!

Every Dec 23: Christmas Eve's Eve. 7 pm

Informal, great for the whole family.

Singing the joy of the real meaning of Christmas!

This group is open to anyone experiencing loss at any time. No pre-registration is necessary.

Community :

BREAKING BREAD

(Temporarily Suspended- we expect to resume when Season 4 of The Chosen is released)

Come dine and fellowship, watch and discuss.

Everyone welcome.

Every Wed at 6 pm: Free Dinner

                                                                            6:30 pm view an episode of The Chosen

                                                                            7:00 pm Engage in Community Discussion

Located in the Banquet Room of Journey Station Restaurant, Journey Community Center

Breaking Bread is for all individuals, friends and families interested in fellowship and exploring a relationship with Jesus. You can belong if you already have a church family, are looking for a new church family or never considered a church family. There is no dress code and no formal worship, although we hope to at times enjoy music together. If you can’t come every week, it’s okay. You won’t be asked to “join” anything, just be present.

Breaking Bread begins with a free meal every Wednesday night. There will always be a chance to donate to the costs or help, but never an obligation.

The meal will offer us a chance to meet others and connect to each others’ lives. Next we will watch one episode of the tv series, ‘The Chosen’. Finally we will have a group discussion of what we just heard and saw. ‘The Chosen’  season 1 follows Jesus as he calls his first disciples. It is based on scripture but it also is creative in developing dialogue and filling in what the Bible doesn’t tell us that we can only imagine. It’s a refreshing way to consider who we are.

Maybe you are tired of eating alone. Maybe you want a night off of cooking. Maybe you want to make some new friends. Maybe you feel it’s time for you to know more about Jesus in a non-threatening way. Maybe you want to feel welcomed. Maybe you are looking for something new in your life and you just don’t know what. Viewing these episodes together and getting a chance to talk about them together will provide us an opportunity to think about our lives in a positive, productive way.

What is The Chosen Series?

The Chosen is a multi-season television drama about Jesus Christ. Series creator Dallas Jenkins wanted to create a series about Jesus that could be “binge watched.” Jenkins’ intention was not only to dig deeper into the people who encountered Jesus and to see Jesus through the eyes of those who met him, but also to show him in a way that is more “personal, intimate, immediate.” The first season introduces Jesus and the calling of his initial disciples. The second season focuses on the beginning of his public ministry and what happens as word of his ministry begins to spread. The third season features many of Jesus' miracles and we can't wait for Season 4 to renew our fellowship meals.

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Journey Community Center, Inc.

P O Box 190

Jetersville, VA 23083

Phone: 804-307-0369

E-mail: [email protected]

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Welcome to JOURNEY

This is a place of hope, meaning and purpose. Be our guest and become a part of something bigger, a movement that is changing lives.

Worship & Ministry Schedule

Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Worship Service

Sundays at 9:00 a.m.

Intercessory Prayer

Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Welcome Guests

Journey Church is more than just a building—it’s filled with an amazing community, full of people from various stages in their faith and eager to connect. We don’t have visitors here; we welcome our guests as family! Our purpose at Journey is simple yet mighty: to lead all persons closer towards Christ and equip them for lives fully devoted to Him. Ultimately, this work culminates in making an indelible impact on not only your life but also the world around us. Come join us today!

At Journey Church, you can come as YOU are and explore your faith without the pressure to have it all figured out. Everyone is welcome- join us this week for a warm and welcoming environment that’s perfect for spiritual growth!

Journey is here to provide a safe space so that everyone can learn and grow together. Join us online or in person.

Stream Church Live Every Sunday at 9:00 A.M.

What a joy it is to introduce you to our church! You’ll discover that our passion is to provide a place where people experience radical hospitality, passionate worship, and opportunities to develop and grow in their faith as they serve in Christ’s name.

We are excited that you have taken the opportunity to visit us on our website. The Spirit of Journey Church is centered around our faith walk with God. We are all on a spiritual journey, though some are further along than others.

The assurance we have is that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be with us from the beginning to the end. This relationship we have with Christ enables us to share with others who can help guide us and with those who are seeking guidance for their lives. So, no matter where you are on your Journey, keep going forward in Christ.

Pastor George A. Ashford Jr.

Born in Columbia, SC, Dr. Ashford is a second generation Methodist minister. He is a graduate of South Carolina State University with a BS degree in Marketing. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Gammon Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Ashford’s specific duties at the Journey are Pastor, Shepherd, Nurturer, and Vision Caster. His beautiful family includes his wife, Olisa, and two sons, George Adrian, and Geordan Alexander.

His spiritual wisdom is grounded in Galatians 6:9, “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest if we do not give up.”

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

The name “Journey” was birthed through the vision of Pastor Ashford. Maturity in Christ happens through continuous growth. We are all on a spiritual journey that leads us toward God. As we travel our path, we understand more fully the God who loves us and the paths that God has for us. Thus, we share the Journey with those who can help guide us and those who look to us for support along their Journey.

Journey is a Christian church connected with the South Carolina United Methodist Church. You may find out more about the United Methodist Church at www.umcsc.org. We have a modern style with some of the traditional practices of the Christian church. We are committed to making disciples.

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You can also give by mail:

1151 Longreen Pkwy Columbia, SC 29229

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$journeyumc

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At Journey, we do not have visitors; we have guests. We have prepared for you! Whether you are a member, frequent flyer, or first-time guest, remember to invite your F.R.A.N.S. (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, and Neighbors).

The Journey Experience

Each Sunday is a new emotional experience. Worship at Journey is not meant to be a spectator sport. Everyone is invited to join in with passion and energy, praising God. Worship planning begins on Monday. We envision light changes, songs, audio, graphics, and sermon themes. Each week, the goal is to create an interactive worship experience that inspires all to follow Christ. Our aspects of worship include an inspirational sermon series, contemporary songs, gospel, visual effects, and praise dancing.

Gather with us on Sundays to worship and learn at Journey Church.

803-699-1022

[email protected]

1151 Longreen Parkway, Columbia, SC 29229

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Here’s what a massive exodus is costing the United Methodist Church: Splinter explainer

The United Methodist Church losing a quarter of its churches in five years is just the start.

The organization's budget is shrinking , too, as the denomination grapples with the exit of more than 7,600 churches amid divisions over LGBTQ+ rights.

A spending plan being proposed to the upcoming UMC General Conference – the group's top legislative assembly, which meets every four years – is $23.8 million less than the last one and more than $140 million less than the one recommended in 2019, when congregations began leaving.

The proposed budget recommends 17 fewer bishops to prevent one of the denomination's funds from running a deficit. Regional conference staff overseen by the bishops has already faced cuts and a consolidation of administrative duties.

The upcoming UMC General Conference, beginning April 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a long-awaited and unquestionably consequential summit. The international delegation is meeting for a regular session for the first time in eight years, a time in which conservatives led an exodus out of the United Methodist Church following disagreements about theology and church policy, including  dealing with LGBTQ+ rights.

The Charlotte gathering will be the first step in a new chapter for the largely Nashville, Tennessee-based UMC, the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. Many United Methodists are optimistic about that future, though they also recognize hardships await on their journey.

Here are key takeaways from the financial fallout.

Mass exodus: A quarter of Methodist congregations abandon the church as schism grows over LGBTQ+ issues

Disaffiliations disrupt budget estimates

Churches leaving the denomination, or disaffiliating, had the single greatest effect on budget projections, often causing UMC finance officials to revisit and recalculate earlier estimates.

When disaffiliations started in 2019,  finance officials were recommending  a $493.8 million budget, or a 17% reduction from the $604 million budget approved by the UMC General Conference in 2016. The new budget was set to come before the UMC General Conference at its regular session in 2020, which the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately pushed back to this year.

Both the General Conference delays and steady increase in disaffiliations compounded and by 2022,  finance officials were recommending  a $373.7 million budget, or a 38% reduction. At that point, total disaffiliations were around 1,800.

By the end of 2023, disaffiliations amounted to more than 7,500 churches. Now,  finance officials are recommending  a $346.7 million budget, or a 43% reduction.

Regional level faces heat earlier (and unevenly)

So far, the measurable cost to United Methodism’s splintering is most noticeable at the regional level.

Funding for United Methodist regional conference operations, including rank-and-file administrative staff (except bishops), originates from church giving. A percentage of that funding then goes to the denomination’s seven general funds, which comprise the denomination’s budget and support United Methodist general agencies and other national and international organizations.

Regional conferences, called annual conferences, in the U.S. are already dealing with the fallout of the splintering.

There are 53 annual conferences in the U.S., at least 25 of which enacted administrative reductions in the past four years, according to an analysis of news reports. Reductions at those 25 annual conferences were often staff or districts – a local grouping of churches within an annual conference – often meaning a reduction in the number of district superintendent staff positions. At least four other annual conferences announced anticipated reductions later this year or next year.

Annual conferences are the first to feel the financial heat  because they approve disaffiliations , but not every annual conference felt it the same.

The five annual conferences in Texas saw 42% of total churches disaffiliate and 45% of all churches in Georgia’s two annual conferences disaffiliated, according to an analysis of  data published by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership . In contrast, 1% of total churches disaffiliated in the two annual conferences that encompass California.

“Conferences that have been affected more by disaffiliation and church closures will see their apportionments decline at a higher rate,” said Rick King, chief financial officer for the UMC General Council on Finance & Administration, in a March 1 delegate orientation presentation.

Churches outside the U.S. are so far barred from disaffiliating, though some have left the denomination on their own accord.

Preemptive and future cuts, fewer bishops proposed

Unlike annual conference staff, bishops receive their salaries from one of the denomination's general funds.

That fund, called the episcopal fund, is facing a recommended 15% reduction in the proposed budget to the upcoming UMC General Conference.

“The fund will run a deficit in the near future if all bishops are elected,” said the Rev. Moses Kumar, general secretary of the UMC General Council on Finance & Administration, in a March 1 delegate orientation presentation. There are currently 71 total bishops worldwide, and the UMC General Council on Finance & Administration is recommending that drop to 54 in the next four years.

A mandatory retirement policy for bishops will help shrink that roster. Meanwhile, many of the bishops who remain will take on additional responsibilities. There are 12 bishops that oversee more than one annual conference, according to the UMC General Council on Finance & Administration. More bishops are expected to do the same in the future.

The budget’s other general funds support 10 of 13 United Methodist general agencies that manage denomination business and oversee its ministries. Most of those general agencies face recommended cuts of at least 30% in the proposed budget – including Nashville-based United Methodist Communications, United Methodist Men, UMC General Council on Finance & Administration and the UMC General Board of Higher Education & Ministry.

Many general agencies started cutting costs years ago. Since 2019, seven general agencies cut at least 130 staff, according to an analysis of news reports . Another common move was selling and consolidating office space. Whereas many of the Nashville-based UMC general agencies each had their own office, they all merged into two buildings.

Liam Adams covers religion for The Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media @liamsadams.

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Home Worship The Journey Begins

The Journey Begins

We seem to be always beginning. Or at least we have a tendency to speak about how we start our journey of faith. To some, that seems redundant. “We began long ago,” they might think. And that could be true. Yet, each day is a new beginning, a reaffirmation of the desire to be a disciple of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Even though there are those of us who are more seasoned travelers on the journey of faith, we are constantly met with new disciples. Rather than being slowed down by this, we are rejuvenated by the zeal that new converts often bring with them. “The journey begins” then is a time of celebration and of hopefulness. So, here in the late summer and beginning of fall, when some things are winding down and other things are starting up, it is time for us to remember who we are and to whom we pledge our ultimate allegiance. Let’s go back to our first love and embrace our God with passion and with joy.

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August 2023

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A

Who Do You Say?

Out of nowhere, it seemed, as they traveled along, Jesus asked his disciples a question of identity. “Who do you say that I am?” It’s a question we must answer again and again as we seek to become dis...

September 2023

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A

Who are we to shoulder the burdens of the world? Especially when we get it wrong more often than right, it seems. We remember that we are just beginning, again or for the first time. We recommit ourse...

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A

What is the Sign?

As we launch or continue our journey of faith, are we called to look for signs of God’s presence or are we called to be a sign of God’s presence? The answer, as you might expect, is yes!...

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A

How Many Times?

We can be honest with ourselves and with God as we realize that we too often have asked that same question, "How many times must I forgive?"...

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Most UMC disaffiliations in the South: New report outlines latest in ongoing split

• Amid splintering in UMC, ongoing study on disaffiliations publishes third and final report. Policy allowing disaffiliations expired at end of 2023.
• A quarter of all UMC churches disaffiliated between 2019-2023. Seventy-one percent of disaffiliations in UMC jurisdictions that encompass the American South.
• Geographic breakdown parallels denomination's schism in 1844 over slavery, which had led to formation of Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Twenty United Methodist Church regional conferences saw at least 30% of their churches leave the denomination in the past five years.

Chief among those regional authorities was the Northwest Texas Conference at 81% of churches disaffiliated, or a process through which churches leave the UMC, according to the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, a research center out of the UMC-affiliated Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C.

A UMC policy allowing for disaffiliation expired at the end of 2023, effectively ending the wave of disaffiliations beginning in 2019 amid a splintering in the largely Nashville-based UMC. The Lewis Center published its third and final report on disaffiliations, which includes similar data to earlier reports but offers a more definitive analysis of the past and predictions for the future.

“If past divisions are predictive, there will be a host of partisan narratives,” lead research Lovett Weems, emeritus distinguished professor at Wesley, said in an online post that accompanied the recent report. “What will be most needed are objective scholars who can go beyond statistical data to representative surveys and qualitative research to answer some of the questions.”

The Lewis Center’s ongoing disaffiliation study has been a credible resource for disaffiliation data, while it’s also cut through competing narratives about the drivers and consequences of disaffiliation. Below are some highlights from the latest report.

Prior disaffiliation report: United Methodist Church disaffiliation movement in US largely white, Southern & male-led: New report shows

Demographics

The UMC, the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the U.S., lost about a quarter of its total churches between 2019-2023 due to disaffiliations, said the new Lewis Center report. All in the U.S. — due to policy restrictions for non-U.S.-based UMC churches — the disaffiliated churches tracked with UMC-wide statistics. The median church size for the UMC and specifically for disaffiliated churches was 38 members. Congregation size at 63% of disaffiliating churches was 50 members or fewer.

A minority of all disaffiliating churches are led by full-time pastors, called active elders, or women pastors. Ninety-seven percent of the disaffiliating churches are predominantly white.

Regional differences

Disaffiliations in the UMC’s jurisdictions encompassing the South accounted for 71% of all disaffiliations.

The Lewis Center said the geographic landscape of disaffiliation clearly parallels the last schism of a similar scale when the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, formed in 1844 due to a division over slavery.

Key stats for the future

Annual conferences are already adjusting budgets and staff structures in response to a sudden loss of churches. But the latest Lewis Center report more clearly illustrates the extent of that impact.  

According to the Lewis Center report, the following regional conferences (known as “annual conferences”) lost the greatest proportion of churches:

• Northwest Texas (81%)
• North Alabama (52%)
• Texas (50%)
• South Georgia (50%)
• Kentucky (49%)
• Central Texas (44%)
• Alabama-West Florida (43%)
• North Carolina (41%)
• North Georgia (41%)
• Mississippi (38%)
• Western Pennsylvania (38%)
• Tennessee-Western Kentucky (38%)
• East Ohio (36%)
• Louisiana (36%)
• West Ohio (35%)
• Florida (34%)
• Western North Carolina (33%)
• Holston (32%)
• New Mexico (31%)
• Indiana (30%)

Independence vs the Global Methodist Church

On the other side, the Lewis Center said many disaffiliating churches are choosing to remain independent instead of joining new groups that emerged out of the UMC’s splintering, chief among them is the Global Methodist Church. The more conservative breakaway denomination admitted 4,605 churches as of Jan. 1, according to Global Methodist Church chief executive Rev. Keith Boyette.

The future journey for disaffiliated, yet independent churches will speak to which grievances — theological positions on LGBTQ rights versus disillusionment with UMC bureaucracy — have most influenced the UMC’s splintering.

Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media @liamsadams.

After purpose-driven renovations, Bridgewater church given new life

The gathering will perform live music at the open house.

BRIDGEWATER ― People have noticed the stunning transformation outside the former Bridgewater United Methodist Church.

Time-faded yellow bricks are now painted an attractive and soothing blue-gray "morning fog" color, as black window trim provides a sharp, aesthetically pleasing contrast.

Passersby have wondered aloud, what's going on inside.

Is a new church arising? Is someone building more condos in Bridgewater? Or a brewery?

Far from it.

After 16 months of painstaking, purpose-driven work, owner Anthony Ellis is ready to invite the public inside to see what he's planning.

On May 4, Ellis hosts an open house at His Place, a Christian fellowship hall that's slowly, steadily taking shape.

"We invite you to stand with us as we strive to create a brighter future for those in our community," Ellis wrote on the flier for the 4 p.m. His Place event that will include food, fellowship and a live performance by local Christian band The Gathering.

Ellis will offer tours of the 117-year-old structure he and his helpers extensively renovated.

His Place/His calling

Ellis makes it clear; he felt a God-given calling to transform the idle church building that went up for sale in 2021, at one point purchased and owned temporarily by a developer who had planned to tear it down to put up more river-view condos.

"And then it went back on the market," said Ellis, who envisioned a different purpose, one he acknowledges he hasn't fleshed out fully yet, except he believes the structure needs to be some sort of Christian-minded fellowship hall.

The symbolically chosen name: His Place.

"It's going to be a learning process," Ellis, an Army veteran stationed in the Iraq War in 2004-05, said. "I've been a contractor going on 16 years and this is a step for me, and faith."

He bought the brick structure in December 2022, and within a few days began tackling the first major challenge, repairing a leaky roof. Replastering the walls and exposing stately beams followed.

"This place was torn up. Railings were missing, doors were missing. It had been ready for demo," he said.

For the next year, the 40-year-old New Brighton native set aside his contracting business and focused on restoring the church structure to its past glory.

Ellis removed two drop ceilings to give a grander view of the still-functioning bell tower. A dozen stained-glass windows carefully were re-shined, and the former pulpit area was recast as a stage where Christian music bands could perform.

Ellis took century-old wood he'd been saving for just the right occasion, using his cutting and lacquering skills to create tables and shelves. He repurposed old doors as restroom stalls in lavatories that are an eye-pleasing mix of modern and vintage.

He set up tables and chairs offering ample seating for group meetings. There's equally sizable space for food prep.

To imbibe the mission behind it all, a local artist has painted several of the interior walls to show both Bridgewater scenes, including a depiction of the church's original look, and Biblical scenes, such as the Sermon on The Mount, Jesus Calming the Storm, and the Calvary.

On the upstairs floor, Ellis crafted a primary bedroom, bedrooms for his daughters, a parental suite and a guest room.

Daughters Lucia and Mia enjoy riding bikes in Bridgewater, playing in the neighborhood park and visiting Bruster's Real Ice Cream.

"It's been quite a personal journey; a family journey," Ellis, who is divorced, said.

His vision and purpose propel him.

"It's important to be able to share the Gospel in a different way and just bring people together. We are so divided," he said. "So divided. Everybody over everything. You name it. Race, religion, creed, politics, vaccine or not. And it's getting crazier by the day."

In the building's cavernous basement lie more restroom facilities, vast storage space and an area with tables, chairs and a kitchen area for which he has a longer-term vision. It just needs some Biblical scenes or Scripture painted on the walls, and some kitchen equipment, Ellis said.

"I could see this as like a Christian bar or coffee shop. Alcohol-free. I want the whole place to be that," Ellis said. "I've been sober for quite some time. I know a lot of people who need a place like that. I'm not taking business from any of these (Bridgewater taverns), I want a different crowd."

Again, that's part of the vision that still would need to come more fully in focus.

For now, starting with the open house − not a grand opening − for people to see his progress and the building's potential, while welcoming any donations or tangible support.

"Why I wanted to have this in May was to get rid of all the rumors," Ellis said. "(People have asked) 'What's it going to be? What are you doing? Who's going to be the pastor? Is it going to be a brewery? Is it going to be this or that?'

"It's my house right now," he said. "God blessed me with a beautiful home down by the river. And I want to be able to share it."

He's sensed divine intervention amid his renovation journey.

"God's direction is guiding me," Ellis said.

For months, he kept looking at a section of interior wall trim where a big chunk was missing, pondering how to fix it. Then someone donated an old historical photo of Bridgewater that filled in that missing chunk perfectly.

"I didn't even have to cut it," he said. "Just the people, the timing, the materials have been right there when I need them."

Beaver County's best-known commercial painter, rocker Rick Granati, volunteered to help paint some of the exterior using his bucket truck to reach some high spots.

"And we had help and volunteers throughout," Ellis said.

Bridgewater resident Roger Morrow kept noticing the painting and renovation work, and with curiosity rising popped by and introduced himself to Ellis, who laid out his vision for a Christian fellowship gathering place. Now Morrow is among those volunteers helping there with administrative work.

"It's just like a giant canvas. And everyone who comes in here says, 'Hey, can my group do this? And 'can we help with that?'" Morrow said. "This is literally going to be a community center created by the community under the umbrella of Anthony's vision."

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at [email protected].

'A joy and a privilege': Trinity United Methodist Preschool celebrates 50th year

T rinity United Methodist Preschool (TUMP) is gearing up to commemorate a remarkable milestone as it celebrates 50 years of providing exceptional early childhood education to the Tallahassee community. Established in August 1973, the preschool has been a model of learning, growth, and nurturing for generations of young learners.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, TUMP invites all alumni, families, staff, and community members interested in learning more about the school to join in the festivities from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the church, 120 W. Park Ave. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the facilities, reconnect with old friends, and learn more about the preschool's rich history and bright future.

What began as a modest program operating three days a week for three hours a day has evolved into a comprehensive five-day-a-week, 10-hour-a-day program, catering to the needs of families seeking high-quality childcare and education.

The school serves children age 3 months to 5 years and participates in the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program. Since the inception of the VPK program in Florida in 2005, TUMP has been a proud provider, ensuring that children receive a strong foundation for academic success.

TUMP’s commitment to excellence is evident in its recognition as a Gold Seal school and accreditation by The Christian Preschool Association, reflecting its adherence to rigorous standards of educational quality and faith-based values.

“Marking its 50th anniversary, Trinity United Methodist Preschool stands as a beacon of educational excellence in downtown Tallahassee,” said Rev. Dr. Matthew M. Williams, the senior pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church. “Through five decades of dedicated service, this esteemed institution has consistently shaped young minds and enriched the local community.

The legacy of unparalleled impact and unwavering commitment of our teachers and staff foster a brighter future for our present generation and those to come.”

Over the past 50 years, TUMP has welcomed over 1,000 children into its classrooms, fostering a love for learning and a sense of community among students and families alike. At the heart of the preschool's success are its dedicated staff, with each lead teacher holding a minimum of a bachelor's degree and committed to ongoing professional development through 24 training hours annually.

The visionaries behind TUMP, co-founders Mary Blackburn and Claire Nash, laid the groundwork for its success, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to shape the lives of children and families in the community. Despite the passing of these beloved leaders, their contributions endure, and their spirit of dedication lives on in the heart of the preschool.

With only three directors in its 50-year history, TUMP has maintained a sense of continuity and stability in its leadership. From Mary Blackburn's tenure from 1973 to 1996, through Nancy Duncan's leadership from 1996 to 2004, to the current director, Stacey Duggar, who assumed the role in 2004, the preschool has remained steadfast in its mission to provide a nurturing environment where children can thrive.

“I never imagined that when I first started working here in August of 1997 as a 2-year-old teacher that I would stay for the next 25+ years,” said Duggar. “It has been a joy and a privilege to develop relationships with families, staff, and of course the children!”

Duggar not only leads the school but also actively contributes to the broader early childhood education community. Serving on the Board of Directors for both the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend, Inc. and the Christian Preschool Association, she exemplifies the preschool's commitment to leadership and advocacy in the field of early childhood education.

The highlight of the celebration will be the unveiling and dedication of the new Legacy Walk, a testament to the preschool's enduring impact on the lives of children and families. Festivities will also include family-friendly activities such as a bounce house, face painting, and a display of class photos from each year, providing a nostalgic journey through five decades of educational excellence and community engagement.

What: Trinity United Methodist Preschool 50th anniversary celebration and unveiling and dedication of the new Legacy Walk

When: 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 27

Where: 120 W. Park Ave.; tumct.org

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 'A joy and a privilege': Trinity United Methodist Preschool celebrates 50th year