St. Paul Lutheran Church & School stands at the corner of Old Frederick Road and Lee Drive in Catonsville, a suburb west of Baltimore. With a Lutheran heritage stretching back more than 170 years and a Christian day school sharing the same campus, St. Paul is one of the older Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod parishes in the Baltimore area. Sunday mornings bring Sunday School and adult Bible study at 8:45 AM, a liturgical Divine Service at 10 AM, and coffee fellowship afterwards, with services livestreamed on YouTube for those at home. The congregation also worships in the Oromo language each week and has offered free English as a Second Language classes to the surrounding community since 2008.
Sunday Mornings on Old Frederick Road
St. Paul gathers each Sunday morning around God's Word and the Sacraments. Sunday School for children, youth, and adults begins at 8:45 AM, followed by the 10 AM Divine Service. Children's Sunday School takes a break during the summer months, but the adult Bible class continues year-round. Holy Communion is generally celebrated at every Sunday service.
After worship, members and visitors gather in the fellowship hall for coffee and conversation. Coffee and goodies are served after the service each week.
For those unable to attend in person, both the service and the adult Sunday morning Bible study are livestreamed, and recordings of recent services are kept online along with a printable Order of Worship. A long-running sermon archive on the church includes several years of Pastor Alms's preaching.
A Liturgy Built on Word and Sacrament
The 10 AM service follows one of the historic orders of service found in the Lutheran Service Book. The liturgy centers on the reading of Scripture, prayer, the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, the confession of sins, and the proclamation of the Gospel. The Lord's Supper is the heart of the worshiping community.
Worship at St. Paul is intentionally Christ-centered and rooted in the historic liturgy of the Lutheran church, drawing members into fellowship with Christians of every age. The Order of Worship for the upcoming Sunday can be downloaded and printed from the church's livestream page, so worshipers at home can follow along and participate.
The Adult Choir welcomes new voices in soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings and sings anthems throughout the year except during the summer months. A Bell Choir performs handbell music at special times of the church year, and no previous experience is necessary.
What St. Paul Believes, Confesses, and Teaches
St. Paul teaches classic Lutheran doctrine from the Book of Concord. The congregation confesses one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the Triune God, three persons in one Godhead. God the Father created all things. God the Son, Jesus Christ, became truly human in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, suffered and died on the cross under Pontius Pilate, and rose physically from the dead on the third day for the forgiveness of sins. God the Holy Spirit calls people to faith in Christ, keeps them in the one true faith, and equips them for Christian living.
Salvation, the congregation teaches, is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. People are born spiritually dead and cannot save themselves. Jesus won forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life on the cross, and He delivers those gifts today through the preaching of His Word and the Sacraments. Faith is created and sustained by the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel in Word and Baptism, and through the Lord's Supper. The Lutheran Confessions, gathered in the Book of Concord, are held as a faithful exposition of biblical doctrine.
St. Paul practices two Sacraments instituted by Christ: Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is not only water but a life-giving water when joined to God's Word and command, washing away sin and giving eternal life. The Lord's Supper delivers the true Body and Blood of Christ in, with, and under the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. Members of sister LC-MS congregations are welcome to commune after speaking with a pastor, and non-alcoholic wine is available in the center of the communion trays.
Sunday School for Children, Youth, and Adults
Christian education is a central part of the life of the church. Children, youth, and adults meet for Sunday School at 8:45 AM each Sunday during the school year. Children's Sunday School uses hands-on activities for younger learners and a graded Bible curriculum for older students. All children kindergarten-age and up are welcome, whether or not their families attend the church, and they may join their corresponding class at any point during the year.
Youth in middle and high school meet regularly for Bible learning, fellowship, sharing, and service. The youth help with livestream audio and video, share their musical talents, and serve in Vacation Bible School and other events. High school youth have the opportunity to attend the LCMS National Youth Gathering when it is held. Youth Confirmation classes walk older students through the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and other core Christian teachings, ending in the public rite of Confirmation.
For adults, the Sunday morning Adult Bible Class meets in the fellowship hall, often with a second Bible study happening elsewhere in the building. Coffee and casual conversation precede the study. Babies and toddlers are welcome in class with a parent, and older children have their own age-level Sunday School classes. Small group Bible studies are also offered at various times during the week, led by the pastor and lay leaders. Adult Information Classes are scheduled for those who wish to learn more about the Lutheran faith or to become part of the congregation.
A Prayer Chain links members of St. Paul who pray individually for the needs of others inside and outside the congregation. Requests are shared through a chain leader and kept confidential.
The Oromo Ministry: Reaching the Oromo-Speaking Community
A distinctive feature of St. Paul is its Oromo-language ministry. The Faith Army Ministry reaches out to the Oromo-speaking people of the greater Catonsville area, proclaiming the grace of God in Jesus Christ in the Oromo language. The ministry is led by Belachew Kumsa, a commissioned missionary.
Worship and Bible study in Oromo take place each week at St. Paul. Members of the Oromo ministry share a love for Jesus and for their cultural and historic roots, and they see their work as both welcoming Oromo-speaking immigrants into American life and reaching neighbors in need with the Gospel. The Oromo-language worship at St. Paul gives the congregation a multilingual character and connects it to the broader Ethiopian and East African diaspora in the Baltimore region.
Hands and Hearts: Missions, ESL, and Service
St. Paul has welcomed its neighbors for many years through free English as a Second Language classes. The congregation has offered ESL classes since 2008, meeting twice a week during the fall and spring sessions, with classes held Monday and Thursday evenings. Classes are taught by volunteers and organized by topic, including pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and conversation. No pre-registration or testing is required, and students are invited to attend one night a week or both. The classes are free to anyone in the community who wishes to learn or improve their English.
The congregation also supports a wide circle of mission and aid partners. Members donate, collect, and sort clothing, medical supplies, and other goods for Orphan Grain Train, and were instrumental in helping build Orphan Grain Train's Maryland warehouse. St. Paul donates a portion of its budget to Food for the Poor to help build houses in impoverished areas of Haiti, and another portion to the Lutheran Mission Society to help those in need in the Baltimore area. The congregation also supports LCMS Disaster Response, LCMS International Work, Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Hour Ministries, and the Southeastern District's disaster response work.
Members of the congregation and the St. Paul Youth have traveled to Nicaragua and other countries on mission trips, rebuilt tornado-destroyed homes in Kentucky, served Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless and underprivileged in the city, and worked on projects for low-income or incapacitated neighbors. The youth have packed food for the hungry and homeless, including packing grain packets at the LCMS National Youth Gathering.
Within the congregation, an Altar Guild prepares the bread and wine before services and reverently cleans the communion vessels afterwards. Ushers welcome visitors, hand out bulletins, collect the offering, and help direct worshipers during the service. A Meals Ministry provides home-cooked meals to church members during times of need, after the loss of a loved one, the birth of a baby, or during illness. The Women's Guild at St. Paul welcomes women of all ages and teenage girls, meeting monthly for devotions, service projects, and fellowship, and participating in the wider Lutheran Women's Missionary League. The Men's Group meets monthly for a breakfast and Bible study, and the men take on service projects for those in need. Community Groups use St. Paul's facilities outside of Day School and Early Childhood Center hours.
A 170-Year Lutheran Story
St. Paul has roots that run deep in Baltimore Lutheran history. The story begins in 1835, when the Reverend J. C. P. Haesbert and 150 members withdrew from Zion Lutheran Church over questions of doctrine and founded the Second German Evangelical Lutheran Church on Holliday and Saratoga Streets. The Reverend F. C. D. Wyneken, who succeeded Haesbert in 1844, eventually persuaded the Lutheran members of the still mixed congregation to take the name St. Paul. Wyneken went on to become the second President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which he had helped organize in 1847. His successor, the Reverend E. G. W. Keyl, also served a term as President of the Eastern District of the Synod.
In 1865, with the area around the downtown church becoming crowded and members moving to outlying neighborhoods, the congregation decided to sell the old building and form two new congregations. In January 1866, members living in the Northwestern School District organized as a new St. Paul congregation. A red brick Gothic church was built at Saratoga and Fremont Streets, and on a single day in November 1867, the entire congregation, 1,000 men, women, and children, marched from the old site to the new building for the dedication service. Three bells were imported from Westphalia, Germany, for the steeple, and carved wooden figures representing Christ and the four Evangelists were imported from Germany for the reredos behind the altar.
Through the late 1800s and early 1900s, the downtown St. Paul congregation grew and then slowly lost members to English-language and suburban congregations. By 1951, conditions in the neighborhood were so challenging that the question of closing the doors was seriously considered. A band of faithful members pledged to remain together, and in 1953, a tract of land was purchased at Old Frederick Road, Lee Drive, and Waveland Road in Catonsville. A parsonage was built in 1954, the basement chapel hosted the first Catonsville services that fall, and in late 1955, ground was broken for the first unit of the new church building.
The Fellowship Hall was dedicated in September 1956. A new sanctuary was dedicated in November 1959, with the cornerstone from the old 1866 church building set into the new wall. A Christian Day School was added in stages through the early 1960s, with kindergarten opening in 1957 and grade six added by 1964. St. Paul Lutheran Day School graduated its first class in June 1965, and a full-time Early Childhood Center replaced an earlier part-time preschool in 2002.
The congregation's historical roots are honored in its present name and identity. The original 1866 cornerstone from downtown Baltimore is set into the Catonsville sanctuary as a tangible link between the two campuses. A Violetville cemetery, donated to the congregation in 1882, holds many of its older graves.
St. Paul Lutheran School
St. Paul Lutheran School shares the Old Frederick Road campus with the congregation. The school grew out of the kindergarten the congregation opened in 1957, with grades added through the early 1960s. Today the school educates children from kindergarten through grade six and runs a full-time Early Childhood Center for younger children.
Suzanne Alms, wife of Pastor Greg Alms, serves as principal of St. Paul Lutheran School. She graduated from Concordia River Forest with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and served for many years in Lutheran education before joining St. Paul.
The school shares the congregation's commitment to a Christ-centered education. St. Paul Lutheran School is one of thousands of parochial schools associated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the second largest parochial school system in the United States.
Vacation Bible School and Community Events
Vacation Bible School is one of the highlights of the summer at the church. Each year, hundreds of children from the community gather at St. Paul for a week of Bible lessons, music, crafts, games, snacks, and skits. The program is staffed by members and youth volunteers from St. Paul, who lead children in learning songs, hearing lessons, and enjoying themed treats and outdoor games.
The annual Community Easter Egg Hunt each spring draws families with egg hunts, balloon artists, music, and refreshments. Other special events run throughout the year, including a Spring Fest in May, a Memorial Day commemoration, a Christmas program, and a Kid's Christmas Morning event for children in the community. A monthly Lutheran Books and Beer gathering meets at The Rathskeller in Elkridge, Maryland, usually on the fourth Thursday of each month, for fellowship and discussion of books of Christian interest.
Joining the Congregation
St. Paul welcomes new members. Those transferring from a sister LC-MS congregation can speak with the pastor about transferring their membership. Others are encouraged to attend the Adult Information Class, which is held as interest warrants and is required for adults who are not transferring from a sister LC-MS congregation. Baptisms are scheduled through the pastor for members; non-members meet with the pastor before scheduling. Weddings at St. Paul are conducted for couples interested in building a marriage around a shared commitment to Jesus Christ, and members may schedule a meeting with the pastor.
Pastor Gregory Alms was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in various places across the United States. He attended Concordia College in River Forest, Illinois (now Concordia University Chicago), where he met his wife, Suzanne. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a Master of Divinity in 1992 and earned a Master of Sacred Theology there in 2003. After four years of service in Laurel, Maryland, and twenty-four years at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Catawba, North Carolina, Pastor Alms accepted the call to St. Paul in 2020.
A bold new chapter is underway at St. Paul with the St. Paul's Ministry Expansion Campaign, a vision for growing the congregation's ministry to the community.