A Methodist Family in Clarksville, Two Centuries in the Making
On a quiet lane on the edge of Columbia's River Hill neighborhood, Linden-Linthicum United Methodist Church gathers a single congregation each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for worship and Sunday school. The name, a deliberate mouthful, points to two Clarksville-area Methodist societies whose roots reach back to the first years after the American Revolution. The two congregations formally merged in 1959, and the present church building on Linden Linthicum Lane was completed and dedicated in the fall of 1964. A two-level education wing was added in November 2003 to keep pace with growth into the twenty-first century.
The congregation describes itself as an inclusive community, deeply rooted in the Christian tradition, making the faith come alive for twenty-first century people. Members include seasoned believers, those new to faith, and young Christians discovering their beliefs together, and visitors are welcomed warmly. The church's mission is to become like Jesus through worship, Christian education, and service to the community, and its vision is to become Greater Clarksville's community church where every individual is invited and equipped to become like Jesus.
Sunday Worship, Warm and Traditional
Worship is central to the life of Linden-Linthicum. The single Sunday service at 10:00 a.m. is warm and traditional. Sermons usually follow a series that either goes deep into an aspect of scripture or theology or speaks directly to issues the congregation faces today. Holy Communion is celebrated monthly, and the congregation sings both old and new tunes with vigor, sharing joys, concerns, and prayers together. Services are livestreamed on YouTube, with a playlist of past services available for those who want to catch up or revisit a message.
Children, Youth, and a Nursery on Site
Sunday school runs alongside the worship hour, and a staffed nursery is available for the youngest members of the family. Missy Smith serves as Director of Children and Youth Ministries, and Sharon Upchurch serves as Nursery Director, so the congregation has dedicated leadership for each age group. Families arriving for worship can expect their children to be welcomed alongside them rather than set apart.
Groups That Meet Throughout the Week
Beyond Sunday morning, the church hosts an unusually active slate of small groups, Bible studies, and prayer gatherings that meet both in person and on Zoom. Pastor Ian Collier leads a six-week study of Genesis, with two weekly options: Mondays at 10:00 a.m. in person and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. A long-running Wednesday evening Bible study gathers at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom to discuss works such as Adam Hamilton's Making Sense of the Bible.
Other ongoing groups include the Prayer Team, which meets Mondays at 3:00 p.m. in the Great Room to pray through the congregational prayer list; Men of JOY, a Wednesday morning men's group that meets at 6:30 a.m. on Zoom over coffee; Women On Wednesday, a women's group that meets Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom for devotion, prayer, and conversation; and Projects and Prayers, a women's crafting and prayer group that meets the first and third Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Great Room, producing items that support events such as Breakfast with St. Nick and the Easter Festival.
Roots in Post-Revolutionary Methodism
The tongue-twister of a name reflects a long and tangled denominational history. Methodist societies existed in the Clarksville area from the first years after the American Revolution and were served by clergy from the Old Montgomery Circuit, established in 1785. Around 1800, one society built the Old Friendship Meeting House about two miles southwest of Clarksville. A schism in 1828 over the role of bishops led to the formation of the Methodist Protestant Church, with the Old Friendship House joining the new body.
In the meantime, Methodists in Clarksville proper met at the Owings School House after it was built in 1829, and Linthicum Chapel was constructed in 1850 for Methodist Protestants, named for the Reverend Hezekiah Linthicum, who oversaw its construction. That first Linthicum Chapel was destroyed by fire in 1898 and replaced in 1900; the church bell donated by Governor Edwin Warfield for the new chapel still hangs in the bell tower of the present building. Meanwhile, after the Civil War, Linden Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was organized in July 1866 and shared the old Linden building with the Methodist Protestants. After the 1939 reunion of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and the Methodist Protestant Church, the two Clarksville congregations began a long conversation about how best to serve the growing community. They agreed on a merger on May 29, 1959, and the new church was built on its current site and dedicated in the fall of 1964.
A Building Shared with the Community
The same Linden Linthicum Lane campus that hosts Sunday worship also serves as a gathering place for the wider Clarksville area. The church rents its spaces for weddings, funerals, memorial services, music recitals, classes, community meetings, and private celebrations. The sanctuary seats 235; the Fellowship Hall, on the lower level and accessible by elevator, seats 120 with tables and chairs or 240 chairs only and sits beside a commercial kitchen and classroom spaces; the Great Room seats 100 with tables or 200 with chairs and opens directly onto the outdoors; and a small Outdoor Chapel in the central courtyard seats about thirty on benches. Past renters have included tai chi and language classes, scouts, theater rehearsals, movie nights, piano and violin recitals, bridal and baby showers, and birthday parties. No alcohol, games of chance, partisan political activities, or anything in violation of United Methodist doctrine or social principles is permitted on campus.
Leadership, Music, and a Clear Welcome
The Reverend Ian Collier has served as pastor since 2024. Dave Foley directs the music and communications ministries. The congregation's Statement of Inclusion makes its welcome plain: as followers of Jesus, the people of Linden-Linthicum are committed to welcoming and loving everyone as he did, without regard to ability, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family make-up, or religion. Five values flow from that commitment: growing in the love of God through worship, providing faith development opportunities, demonstrating gracious hospitality, showing generosity in lifestyle, and serving God's people both near and far. Giving supports the church's ministry through recurring electronic gifts, donor-advised funds, stock gifts, IRA qualified charitable contributions, and the Linden-Linthicum Endowment.