Emory United Methodist Church sits along Cherry Hill Road in Street, a community in northern Harford County, Maryland. For more than 175 years the congregation has welcomed worshippers from across northern Harford and the surrounding area. Its motto - "Worship God. Love People. Serve Others" - sums up a vision members describe simply as a place of "sanctuary, peace, healing, and fellowship" that is "open, inviting, and accessible to all."
A Church Named for a Bishop
The original Emory Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1849 on land deeded that July by Edward Morgan to a group of trustees that included Robert Andrews, Charles Dick, John Lee, and Isaac Andrews. The church took its name from Bishop John Emory, a leading intellectual of the Methodist Episcopal Church during his lifetime. From the beginning Emory belonged to a circuit - first known as Castle Fin Circuit and later as Deer Park Circuit - alongside seven neighboring congregations.
The original building was replaced in 1884 by a second church constructed by John Allen, a member and class leader. By 1911 a steeple had been added and a bell hung and rung for services. In 1935 members dug out a basement for Sunday school rooms, a kitchen, restrooms, and a boiler room. Briggs and Reisinger redecorated the interior around 1929, and in 1958 Shaw Construction Company replastered the church, refinished floors, installed new wiring and lighting, and added a new electric organ.
The Night Lightning Struck the Steeple
Tragedy struck in the early hours of July 22, 1962, when the steeple was hit by lightning during a severe thunderstorm. Despite the efforts of local fire companies, the building was damaged beyond repair. The next morning people gathered around the ruins and were astonished to see the painting "Christ in the Garden" on the wall behind the pulpit, untouched and visible through the broken windows and burned-out walls. Some pews, the organ, and choir chairs were saved by firemen and church members. Rev. Thomas Starnes, the minister at the time, wrote in the August 1967 issue of Together magazine: "The unburned picture of Christ in the Garden is not a miracle, but rather a symbol that the spirit of Christ has lived through the fire - as had the real Emory church."
In the days that followed, the District Superintendent Dr. Clarence Fossett met with the congregation at Scarborough Grove. Ascension Episcopal Church offered its building for worship, and in September 1962 services moved to Mount Vernon Methodist Church. The congregation chose to rebuild on land adjoining the cemetery that had been donated by Edmund and Jennie Snodgrass. Construction began in July 1963, the cornerstone was laid November 17, 1963, and the first worship service in the new building was held June 21, 1964. Bishop John Wesley Lord consecrated the church on November 8, 1964, and it was formally dedicated on December 3, 1973. A youth center, meditation garden, and additional classrooms were completed in 2004. The dates inscribed on the cornerstone of the present church tell the whole story: 1849, 1884, 1964.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Sunday worship at Emory takes place at 9 AM, in person and on Facebook Live. The service is broadcast live on the church's Facebook page, and past messages are posted there as recordings. The motto that guides the congregation - "Worship God. Love People. Serve Others" - is also the rhythm of an ordinary Sunday: a time of praise, a children's sermon with Pastor Ryan about 20 minutes into the service, and then an invitation for young people to step out for their own classes. Visitors are welcome to fill out a Plan Your Visit form so the church can greet them personally, and anyone with questions can email the pastor directly.
A Place for Every Age
Children are central to life at Emory. A staffed nursery is available for the youngest members, and families are welcome to keep little ones in worship. About 20 minutes into the service, kids are called forward for an interactive children's sermon with Pastor Ryan. After that, children and youth head to their own classrooms: nursery classes begin at age 2, preschool for ages 3 to 4, and graded classes from kindergarten through high school. Songs, crafts, memory work, and engaging conversations about the Bible fill the rooms.
Little Believers, a Friday morning program for kids ages 0 to 4 and their grown-ups, meets once or twice a month from 10 AM to noon for an hour of play, songs, crafts, an age-appropriate Bible lesson, and snacks. Each summer, Vacation Bible School offers a week of bible-based lessons and fun activities for children in the wider community.
For older students, the youth group serves grades 1 through 12, typically gathering on the first and third Sundays of each month from 6 to 7:30 PM for games, activities, dinner, and faith formation, with the elementary and middle/high school students splitting out by age. Youth also take part in regional events such as the IGNITE youth conference, a weekend retreat for grades 6 to 12. All adults who work with children and youth are required to submit to a background check, following the Safe Sanctuaries guidelines of the Baltimore-Washington Conference.
Small Groups and Bible Studies
Emory's small group ministry is built around lay-led Bible study. Groups meet to connect with others in fellowship, deepen understanding of Scripture, and find a safe place to share questions, needs, and testimonies. No church membership is required; anyone may attend. The disciplined reading and discussion of the Bible is the heart of each gathering.
Two ongoing study opportunities show the rhythm of the program. An eight-week discussion of C. S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity" meets on Tuesdays at 7 PM. For those who prefer to read daily, the Chapter a Day Reading Group meets online on Thursday evenings at 8:15 PM on Google Meet. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, called daily Scripture reading a "means of grace," and the online group is a way for people across the area to share in that practice together.
For those looking to grow further, the church recommends resources for daily reading, including the YouVersion Bible app, the Bible Project app, The Upper Room, and podcasts such as Armchair Theology, Get Your Spirit in Shape, and Pray As You Go. Pastor Ryan Wiggins, whose primary Bible is the NRSV, often gives confirmation students the Common English Bible and also points readers to the NIV as a classic balance of readability and accuracy.
United Women in Faith
United Women in Faith at Emory is part of a worldwide organization of about one million women whose mission is fostering spiritual growth, developing leaders, and advocating for justice. Members raise nearly $25 million each year for programs related to women, children, and youth across more than 100 countries.
Locally, the Emory unit gathers on the second Wednesday of each month at noon for praise, prayer, fellowship, and a monthly luncheon. The women put faith into action through specific projects: assembling school kits with supplies for children in need at the start of each school year, packing personal care kits for service members deployed abroad, providing fruit baskets for shut-ins at holiday time, and supporting the Board of Child Care as well as missions in Haiti. Fundraisers such as the sale of Rada Cutlery help fund these efforts. All women of the church are welcome at any of the meetings.
Reaching Harford County and Beyond
Emory's missions ministry focuses on both local needs and global partnerships. In Harford County the church partners with Mason Dixon Community Services, contributing food and household products on an ongoing basis, donating back-to-school kits, and sponsoring families at Christmas. Mason Dixon provides emergency services such as food, utility aid, and eviction prevention, along with longer-term programs aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty. The church also collects donations of backpacks and school supplies each year and delivers them to a local Harford County public school, and works with local schools to pay off student lunch debt so that students in need can take part fully in school life.
Emory supports the Char Hope Foundation, a recovery support group that helps adults facing substance abuse challenges move toward recovery. The church hosts regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings: an open group on Tuesday nights at 8 PM and a women's group on Saturdays at 4 PM. Youth take part in global outreach too. The youth group collects and packs items for Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse, and has made fleece blankets for Project Linus, which provides handmade blankets to children in need through hospitals, first responders, social services, and schools.
Each year the church also awards scholarships to youth connected to the congregation, including a separate scholarship in memory of J. Thomas and Oleta S. Snodgrass for students who demonstrate service to their community or world.
Leadership and the Methodist Connection
Pastor Ryan Wiggins came to Emory in 2023. He holds a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary and serves as a provisional elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. A lifelong Marylander, he earned an undergraduate degree in History and spent a decade in the tech industry before entering ministry. He previously served as Pastor of Missions and Social Media for the Mission Central Parish, where he worked to connect with places where the Holy Spirit was already at work, to increase engagement with local schools, and to expand other forms of outreach. He is passionate about the Wesleyan emphasis on meeting both the material and spiritual needs of neighbors.
Ministry leaders include Jeanie Tilley (Youth Ministries), Trudy Daniels (Missions), Jackie Tarbert (Children's Ministries), and Mary Anne Hutchins (Worship). Communications are handled by Christine Mullin. A church council of lay members manages day-to-day operations and sets the vision for the future. Emory is part of the United Methodist Church under the leadership of Bishop Latrelle Easterling and the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference, sharing in the denomination's commitment to social holiness and putting faith into action.
The beliefs that shape the congregation are rooted in the United Methodist tradition: God is one, revealed in three distinct persons; salvation comes through the mystery of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection demonstrate God's redeeming love; the Holy Spirit is God's present activity in the world; human beings are made in God's image with the capacity to love, communicate, and create; the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's ministry today; the Bible is the primary authority for faith and practice; and the reign of God is both a present reality and a future hope.