Tucked along Linden Avenue on the edge of Arbutus in southwestern Baltimore County, Holy Nativity Lutheran Church has marked nearly a century of ministry in the same community. The congregation was organized in 1927, and it remains an active Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod parish with two Sunday worship services, a community food and clothing pantry, weekday Bible studies on ZOOM, and a packed calendar of family events. The church sits a short walk from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and within easy reach of Interstate 95, and its Family Life Center is one of the largest open gathering spaces in Arbutus.
A Church Planted on Palm Sunday 1927
The seed for Holy Nativity was small. Sunday School classes began on March 27, 1927, and the first worship service was held on Palm Sunday, April 10, 1927. Two years later the small group moved to a building at Linden and Highview that members affectionately called the basement church. Membership climbed from 88 in 1946 to 97 in 1947 and 158 by 1950, when a new church building was dedicated on February 12, 1950. Growth continued, and by 1966 the rolls listed 498 members. Ground was broken on October 24, 1971 for the present house of worship at Linden and Shelbourne, which was dedicated in the fall of 1973.
In 2004 the congregation completed its Family Life Center, a large addition designed to host weddings, craft fairs, sports events, and fellowship gatherings. The building and the people have changed many times over, but the rhythm of weekly worship, Bible study, and service to neighbors in Arbutus has stayed at the center of the congregation's life.
Two Sunday Services: Traditional at 8:30 and Contemporary at 10:30
Holy Nativity offers two Sunday morning services with very different feels.
The 8:30 a.m. Traditional service draws on the patterns of the early church. Music is led by an electric organ or piano, the congregation sings classic hymns, and the pastor and elders wear robes that mark their office. The robe, as the congregation explains, helps de-emphasize the personality of the minister and emphasize the calling. Visitors are welcome to come dressed in formal or semi-formal attire.
The 10:30 a.m. Community Celebration Fellowship is the contemporary service. A band featuring a drum set, keyboard, bass guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, and other instruments from week to week plays songs of the kind heard on Christian radio. People come dressed in jeans or khakis, clapping and standing to give God praise. The praise team is led by Daniel Lohrmann, Chair of the Worship Ministry Team, and musicians are welcome to step in.
Children's Sunday School meets at 8:30 alongside the Traditional service, and Spark Kids Sunday Morning Live runs from 10:00 to 11:30 during the Contemporary service. The nursery is open during both Sunday services. Adult Bible Study gathers at 9:40 (also listed at 9:45) in the conference room, currently working through the Apostles Creed under the leadership of Ken Mauer.
On Unity Sundays the regular two-service rhythm is replaced by a single 10:00 a.m. Unity Worship with both Adult Bible Study and Children's Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. Services are livestreamed each week, and audio and video from recent sermons are available through the church's online archive.
Rev. Dr. Andrew T. Okai, Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. Andrew T. Okai has served as Senior Pastor of Holy Nativity Lutheran Church since September 2009. He and his wife Precious moved to the United States in 1997 and settled in Owings Mills, where they raised daughters Andriel and Angel and son Andrew Jr. He enrolled at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 2003 through its Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology, completed his studies, and was ordained as an LCMS pastor in 2007. He went on to earn a Master's in Pastoral Ministry and a Doctorate in Ministry from Master's International University of Divinity in Evansville, Indiana. He has also published a book, The Character in Me: From a Biblical Perspective.
Pastor Okai initially covered Sunday services for Holy Nativity, then served as Interim Pastor before being formally called by the congregation in 2009. He can be reached at pastor@holy-nativity.com or by phone at the church office. Other preachers heard in the pulpit include Pastor Brian, Pastor Arthur Scherer, Pastor Zam Khai, and Elder Gary Heckathorn, the current Congregational President.
Spark Kids, Vacation Bible School, and Boyz 2 Men
Children and teenagers have a substantial place at Holy Nativity. Spark Kids Sunday Morning Live is a children's program that runs during the 10:30 service with crafts, games, music, and storytelling rooted in the Bible. Parents are invited to partner with the program and continue faith conversations at home.
Vacation Bible School 2026 carries the theme Road Trip: On The Go With God! and runs the week of August 3 through 7 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Children in preschool through entering fifth grade are invited to travel with the Navigator and his pup Scout through Bible adventures, crafts, games, science stops, music, and team challenges. VBS is open to all children of the community regardless of religious or racial background, with student volunteers eligible for service hours. Karen Tsambikos, the Director of Family Life Ministry, coordinates the program.
Boyz 2 Men (B2M) is a mentoring and discipleship program for teenage boys aged 15 to 17. The curriculum combines intergenerational mentoring, self-reflection, and accountability, with the aim of helping young men grow into the men God created them to be. B2M meets weekly at the church and occasionally off site. There is a $25 registration fee and a cap of 30 participants, with spots filled first come, first served. Inquiries can be sent to B2M@holy-nativity.com.
Confirmation Classes, Youth Group, Hand Bell Choir, and Praise Team round out the activities for younger members. Eileen May chairs the Child Care Ministry Team.
Coffee with the Bible and a Full Week of Studies
Adult formation at Holy Nativity is built around weekday studies that meet largely on ZOOM, making them easy to join from anywhere.
- Sundays at 9:40 a.m. Adult Bible Fellowship in the conference room, studying the Apostles Creed.
- Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. Coffee with the Bible, led by Pastor Okai, currently working through the Distorted Image of Self.
- Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. An Alcoholics Anonymous group meets in the building.
- Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Boyz 2 Men Gathering for teens.
- Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Men's Bible Fellowship on ZOOM, led by Dan Lohrmann, with a monthly outing to Ledo's Pizza in Elkridge.
- Wednesdays are set aside as the church's Day of Prayer, with a weekly Prayer and Fasting Gathering on ZOOM at 7:00 p.m.
- Mondays at 8:00 p.m. the Samaritan Woman Prayer Gathering meets on ZOOM.
- Thursdays bring the Women's Bible Fellowship, currently working through The Chosen Season 5 under Becky Bohning.
Book Club and Confirmation Classes are also part of the formation lineup, and sermons are posted as audio on the church's sermon page and podcast feed.
The Sanctuary, the Stained Glass, and the Family Life Center
The current sanctuary at Linden and Shelbourne is a deliberate mix of old and new. The cross and altar stand at the center of the worship space, surrounded by stained glass windows that tell the story of Christ's life. Early risers can see the sun come through a two-story stained glass window depicting Christ and the resurrection. The Worship Ministry Team, chaired by Daniel Lohrmann, oversees music and service planning.
The 2004 Family Life Center added a full basketball court, a stage, reception space for up to 200 guests, and a commercial kitchen. It is one of the largest open spaces in Arbutus and is rented out for weddings, craft festivals, sports gatherings, and community meetings. Any group using the kitchen must provide proof of Baltimore County food certification, and a Baltimore County Food Certified Person is required for events serving the public.
Every room of the church is wired for fiber internet, and a free wireless network called HNLC Guest is available throughout the building. The church hosts its own servers, livestreams its services, records its sermons, and runs a podcast from on-site. Volunteers manage sound, video, and the 85-inch 4K displays used to project song lyrics during services.
Food Pantry, Clothing Pantry, and Saved to Serve
Outreach to the surrounding community runs through Debbie Heckathorn, the Outreach Leader, and a team of volunteers. The Holy Nativity Food Pantry and the Community Clothes Pantry are both open to neighbors on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The food pantry partners with the Maryland Food Bank and has expanded to handle growing demand.
Holy Nativity also participates in Operation Christmas Child, distributes Thanksgiving Baskets, runs a Christmas Family Sponsorship program, and hosts community events such as the Harvest Festival and the Family Easter Celebration. Outside partners include Thrivent Financial, the Maryland Food Bank, Orphan Grain Train, and Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. An annual Golf Tournament at Willow Springs Golf Course raises additional support.
A newer initiative called Saved to Serve connects church members with small household needs in the wider community - things like delivering a refrigerator to a neighbor in need. Volunteers who want to help scan a QR code on the church's Saved to Serve page to send a request.
Alcoholics Anonymous meets on Tuesday evenings in the building, and Chinese Christian Worship and Chinese Christian Bible Study are listed among the church activities as well, reflecting the congregation's reach into Arbutus's diverse community.
Twelve Months of Mission Giving
Each month the congregation lifts up one mission or ministry through prayer and free-will giving. The Stewardship board presents a slate each year for congregational review:
- July - Pastor's Contingency Fund
- August - Concordia Seminary
- September - Lutheran Mission Society
- October - HNLC Outreach Ministry
- November - HNLC Food Pantry
- December - Lutheran World Relief
- January - HNLC Emergency Fund
- February - HNLC Family Life Ministry
- March - First Fruits
- April - Food for the Poor
- May - Jews for Jesus
- June - Bethesda Home
Members mark their giving envelopes accordingly, and the offerings flow directly to the named mission.
Leadership, Office, and Finding the Building
Gary Heckathorn serves as Congregational President, with Dave Bohning as Vice President, Gloria Heise as Recording Secretary, and Ligita Kelly as General Funds Treasurer. Joe Ambrose Jr. is the Comptroller, Lorna Wingate the Financial Secretary, Janet Flippo the Memorial Funds Treasurer and Secretary, and Debbie Heckathorn the Special Funds Treasurer. John Pulley is the Head Elder. The Property Ministry Team, Stewardship, Public Relations and Technology, Child Care, Fellowship, Mission and Outreach, Christian Education, and Women's Ministry each have their own chairs.
The church office at 1200 Linden Avenue is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors and members can reach the office at 410-242-9441 or 410-242-0295, and the secretary can be reached at secretary@holy-nativity.com.
From the Baltimore Beltway, take Exit 12B for Wilkens Avenue, follow it east to Maiden Choice Lane, turn right, then right onto Westland Boulevard. Half a mile later, turn left at the stop sign onto Linden Avenue; the church is about 100 feet ahead on the left. From BWI Airport, take Route 195 west, follow signs toward UMBC, loop around Hilltop Circle, turn right onto Poplar, left onto Shelbourne Road, and cross over Linden Avenue. Parking and the main entrance are behind the church, where free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building. From Washington, D.C., take I-95 north past I-895 to the Route 166 exit toward Catonsville, then follow the UMBC loop to Shelbourne Road and over Linden Avenue.
Whether someone arrives for the early Traditional service, drops children off at Spark Kids, joins a Tuesday ZOOM Bible study, or stops by the food pantry in the afternoon, Holy Nativity Lutheran Church opens its doors to the Arbutus community with the same conviction it has carried since Palm Sunday 1927.