Greenwood United Methodist Church is rooted in Glen Allen's Longdale community, with beginnings traced to May 4, 1874, when its first members gathered. It is known for joining Sunday formation and worship with practical service, including a weekly food ministry, a thrift store run by volunteers, school supply drives, Cub Scouts, and an early childhood school partnership.
A Longdale Legacy Since 1874
Greenwood's history is framed by the phrase Celebrating Our Past, Cultivating Our Future. The May 4 gathering date anchors more than a century of congregational life in Longdale.
Greenwood's mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. At Greenwood, that mission takes the form of three aims: loving God, neighbors, and oneself; growing in discipleship through spiritual formation; and serving the local community and people around the world. Greenwood grounds that mission in a lifelong journey of faith and the need to participate in the Body of Christ. It is part of the Virginia United Methodist Conference.
Sunday's Rhythm: Formation, Choir, Worship
The Sunday pattern at 10040 Greenwood Road begins at 9:30 a.m. with Spiritual Formation for Adults. Greenwood Choir rehearses at 10:15 a.m., and worship begins at 11:00 a.m. The order moves from adult spiritual formation to shared music and then the main worship gathering. All are welcome.
Music Director Sophia Ritchie directs the choir and works with Pastor Crystal R. Sygeel to shape services for Sunday and high holy days. The church has also introduced The Open Circle, an informal worship gathering built around music, group devotion, and a simple meal. All ages are welcome, and youth and young adults are especially invited. Small groups provide additional opportunities for Scripture readings, discussion, spiritual formation, and fellowship. A potluck supper also recurs on Sundays at noon; everyone is invited, with or without a dish.
Friday Food for the Community
Since the 1990s, Greenwood has partnered with Food Donation Connection. Each week, volunteers visit local convenience restaurants to collect donated food and bring it to the church. At 5:30 p.m. Friday, lay members set out the food in the education building. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. to any and all who want to receive it. The weekly distribution includes donated food along with staples and sometimes sundries.
The Friday food ministry takes place in the education building next door to the sanctuary. Volunteers gather at 5:30 p.m. to organize the distribution before community guests arrive at 6:00. This work continues Greenwood's serving emphasis by turning food collected nearby into a regular weekly gathering.
Aggie's Attic: A Thrift Store with Community Purpose
Aggie's Attic is a nonprofit ministry of Greenwood named for its founder, Agnes Dalton. It is run entirely by volunteers, and every penny of its revenue goes back into the community. Shopping at the thrift store therefore supports the same outreach carried out by the congregation.
Its funding touches several needs. The Backpack program, shared with Glen Allen Baptist Church, provides food for schoolchildren. Aggie's Attic has also funded scholarships for students in an Advanced Career Education program at Hermitage, utility and rent assistance, and school supplies for Chestnut Grove Middle School. Other support includes bread shared with Fire Station #5 and Food Donation Connection, clothing for men, women, and children, pet supplies for SPCA, clothing accessories for Change the World RVA, and support for SCRAP RVA.
Young Learners, Scouts, and Longdale Schools
Morning Meadow Preschool, formerly Bethlehem Baptist Preschool, is Greenwood's ministry partner and has operated for more than 60 years. The school previously operated at Bethlehem Baptist Church and serves children in the early stages of development. For Greenwood, the partnership extends its ministry into the earliest years of childhood.
Cub Scout Pack #744 is another enduring connection. Greenwood has sponsored the pack for more than 40 years and is a partner with Scouting of America. Many principles and skills in scouting intersect with Greenwood's Christian tradition. Pack families join worship and events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, and the congregation marks Scouting Sunday each year. Donnie Gladfelter serves as Scout Master.
Greenwood also has a relationship with Longdale Elementary School that has lasted decades. Twice each year, in August and January, the church hosts drives for school supplies. Recipients and supplies are blessed with a liturgy before being delivered to students. These repeated drives connect the congregation directly with local families and schools.
Service Through the Week
Another regular rhythm is Make It Happen Monday, a 10:00 a.m. crew that gathers each Monday to fix, move, organize, and handle whatever needs doing at the church. It turns the weekday schedule into direct service to the church and its facilities.
Greenwood's giving supports mission outreach, operations, worship, and fellowship. Donations can be made during 11:00 a.m. Sunday worship, by check to the main office, or during office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Financial gifts are also available through online giving. The main office is at 10040 Greenwood Road in Glen Allen. Greenwood ties this practice to 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, emphasizing a willing decision rather than reluctant giving, and donors may note the intended ministry on the check memo line.
Pastoral and Musical Leadership
Pastor Crystal R. Sygeel came to Greenwood after three years as Associate Director for Call and Candidacy in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Her earlier ministry included service as the first full time chaplain at United Methodist Family Services on Broad Street, three local churches in the Pacific Northwest Conference including First UMC Seattle, and communications, advancement, and hospitality ministry roles at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
Sophia Ritchie, a trained church accompanist who has played piano since she was five, directs Greenwood Choir and collaborates with Sygeel on worship. Together, the Sunday schedule, Friday food distribution, thrift ministry, school relationships, Scout partnership, and weekday service crew express Greenwood's stated mission to love, grow, and serve.