A Welcoming Church on Rhode Island Avenue
College Park United Methodist Church sits at 9601 Rhode Island Avenue in North College Park, just a few minutes from the University of Maryland. The congregation is small but active, and it has become a steady presence in the neighborhood through its traditional Sunday worship and its well-known Community Meals program, which prepares fresh food for pickup two days a week. The church's motto is "COME AS YOU ARE."
Sunday Morning at 11:30
The whole church gathers for one Sunday service at 11:30 a.m., held in person in the sanctuary and livestreamed on YouTube at the same hour. The worship is described as traditional and spirited, with timeless hymns, heartfelt prayers, fellowship, and a proclamation of the Word. Visitors are greeted with warmth and are not asked to stand, introduce themselves, or come to the altar.
First-time guests are invited to enter through the double glass door adjacent to the parking lot. Dress is whatever makes a person most comfortable, and the atmosphere is intentionally relaxed. Open communion is practiced every Sunday. Everyone is welcome to the Lord's Table, with no membership requirement, no age requirement, and no confirmation prerequisite; children are invited to take communion at their parents' discretion. The liturgy is call and response, with bread broken and grape juice shared with all who wish to receive.
On Sunday mornings, the church decides by 6:00 a.m. whether weather will allow the service to be held in person and posts the update on Facebook. Masks are optional for those who wish to wear one, and masks are provided on request. Those who are not vaccinated or who are ill are strongly encouraged to mask.
Before the service, the congregation meets for fellowship on Zoom at 11:00 a.m. The online worship itself is broadcast on YouTube, and an archive of past services is available on the church's YouTube channel.
Pastor Evelyn Romero and the Leadership Team
The church is served by Rev. Evelyn Romero, who was ordained as a Full Elder in the United Methodist Church at the 2024 Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference. A native of Brooklyn who grew up in Vieques, Puerto Rico, Rev. Romero holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary. She previously served as a Provisional Elder at Middletown UMC in Middletown, Maryland, and for ten years at Hughes-El Buen Samaritano UMC in Wheaton, Maryland. Her hope for the church is that it offer God's radical and inclusive grace to all people while calling every follower of Jesus to inner holiness, missional compassion, and justice rooted in the gospel.
Nora Eidelman serves as Church Administrator and Outreach Director. A College Park resident who was born in Asunción, Paraguay, she joined the church in November 2021 and previously served as Deputy Director of Community Legal Services of Prince George's County, Inc. She chairs the Human Rights Commission for Prince George's County and sits on the Ethics Commission for the City of College Park. In 2019, she received the William L. Marbury Outstanding Advocate Award from Maryland Legal Services Corporation.
Worship is also shaped by a strong lay leadership team. Rick Friend and Aaron Maitland serve as Certified Lay Leaders, Jewell Ghiz serves as a Lay Speaker, and Mary Lou Sowden serves as a Lay Leader. Rev. Wally Williams frequently appears as a guest preacher.
Community Meals: Two Days a Week, Fresh Food to Go
The most visible outreach of College Park UMC is its Community Meals ministry, which addresses food insecurity across the greater College Park area. Each week, a team of volunteers prepares fresh meals for pickup on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a menu that generally includes an entrée, an accompaniment, and a dessert. The kitchen draws on a variety of cuisines, including Latin American, New American, and Middle Eastern, and offers vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options when needed.
A donation of $15 per meal is suggested, but no one is turned away for inability to give. Anyone experiencing financial hardship or food insecurity may receive one free meal at each pickup day for up to a month. The team works with guests whose needs continue beyond that month, helping connect them with additional community resources. The reservation deadline is noon on each pickup day, and reservations are submitted through a Google form linked on the church's Community Meals section.
Community Meals is supported in part by ARPA grants from the City of College Park, the Greenbelt Community Foundation, the United Methodist Church, and College Park United Methodist Church, along with donations from supporters across the Greater College Park community. Guests come from College Park and from Greenbelt, New Carrollton, Lanham, Beltsville, and surrounding communities.
Who Is My Neighbor? and Other Outreach
Community Meals is part of a broader initiative called "Who Is My Neighbor?," which the church describes as a way of building a stronger sense of community in North College Park by creating opportunities for neighbors to literally find out who their neighbors are. The church has also partnered with the Pregnancy Aid Center in College Park to collect diapers of all sizes for families in need, with a drop-off box at the church.
United Women in Faith and the Sunshine Group
The United Women in Faith circle at College Park UMC is a community of women committed to knowing God, supporting one another, and participating in the global ministries of the church. The group meets on the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with members entering through the kitchen door.
The Sunshine Group gathers in the fellowship hall on the first and third Wednesday of each month, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for crafts, fun, and friendship. Members bring their own lunch and drink.
Bible Study and Staying Connected
A weekly Bible study by Zoom is in development. Those interested in being part of the study can sign up through the church's contact form. The church also keeps a Google Calendar of events, and giving is available online through PayPal, as well as by check or cash.
What the Church Believes
College Park UMC identifies as a United Methodist congregation within the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference. Its stated mission is "to grow in God's love as we connect, serve, and enable others to be disciples of Jesus Christ," and its vision is to empower lives through spiritual growth and community engagement, building a dynamic congregation connected to God's love, serving with compassion, and making disciples for the glory of Jesus Christ. Open communion, an emphasis on grace, and a Wesleyan approach to questions of worship shape the life of the church.
Visiting College Park UMC
The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday worship runs from 11:30 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. The building is at 9601 Rhode Island Avenue, College Park, Maryland 20740, and the church can be reached at (301) 345-1010 or cpumchurchlady@yahoo.com. Parking is available on site, with the main entrance through the double glass door off the parking lot.