St. Thomas' Episcopal Church stands at the corner of Garrison Forest Road and Saint Thomas Lane in Owings Mills, Maryland, in the heart of the Greenspring Valley. Founded in 1742 to serve the early settlers of Garrison Forest, the parish has been a steady presence on this corner for nearly three centuries, its prayer-soaked walls sheltering generations of Episcopalians from colonial times to the twenty-first century. Today it is a thriving congregation of the Episcopal Church, a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, known for its historic stone sanctuary, three distinct Sunday worship services, an active music program, and a servant-church outreach ministry that stretches across Baltimore County and into the city.
Walking the Brick Pathway
The threshold of St. Thomas' tells the parish's story. Visitors cross a brick walk, pass through the resting place of many former parishioners, and step over a worn granite threshold into a sanctuary where, in the words of the parish, "one is aware of the many people from a variety of backgrounds who have wandered on the spiritual journey that has brought them to our church." The current capital campaign, titled "Treasure. Embrace. Transform.," centers on strengthening and preserving that historic and nearly 300-year-old building, alongside the work of growing community outreach and embracing youth ministry.
The parish takes seriously the words that greet them at the top of the homepage: "Everyone Is On A Spiritual Journey." The community welcomes people who have just begun that journey and those who have committed a lifetime to worshipping at St. Thomas', and the congregation has grown alongside Owings Mills and the surrounding communities in Baltimore County for generations.
Three Sundays in Three Styles
Worship lies at the heart of parish life, and St. Thomas' offers three Sunday services, each with a different feel.
The earliest service, at 8:00 a.m., is Holy Communion, Rite I, celebrated in traditional language. After the service the congregation gathers for fellowship in the Parish Hall.
The principal Sunday service, at 10:00 a.m., is Holy Communion, Rite II, with the parish choir. This service is livestreamed each week and recorded for the Watch archive. It is followed by fellowship in the Parish Hall. During the current Organ Renovation Project, the Sunday morning services are held in the Parish Hall.
At 5:00 p.m. the Last Chance Mass fills the Old School Building. Described as "come as you are," this informal service is open to anyone who wants a quieter way to close out Sunday.
The Holy Eucharist is offered at every service with the exception of Thursday Morning Prayer, and all are welcome to receive Communion. It is not necessary to be an Episcopalian or a member of St. Thomas' to participate.
Praying Through the Week
The worship rhythm extends well beyond Sunday morning. A regular weekly schedule shapes parish life:
- Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. - Evening Prayer in the Old School Building.
- Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. - Holy Eucharist with Anointing, followed by Bible Study, in the Old School Building.
- Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. - Morning Prayer in the Old School Building.
For those who cannot easily come in person, an Adult Bible Study meets on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Recent offerings have included a series on C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce and a Parish Summer Reading Book Club discussion of Richard Rohr's Falling Upward. Christian formation is described by the parish as lifelong, with clergy and lay ministers leading learning opportunities throughout the year.
The Choir Loft and the Aeolian-Skinner
Music has always been central to Episcopal worship, and at St. Thomas' it is taken particularly seriously. The Music Minister and Communications Director is Jonathan K. Waller, who first joined the parish as a preschool student and returned in 2016 as the baritone soloist before taking up the Music Minister role in 2024. Waller has sung professionally in churches for nearly thirty years and has served in senior positions at Everyman Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, and New York's Vineyard Theatre.
At the 10 a.m. service, a full choir is accompanied by the parish's Aeolian-Skinner organ and a Hyatt-Davis piano, with additional instrumentation at special occasions. Hymnals are placed in every pew so that the congregation can join in singing. The choir rehearses on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Old School Building and warms up at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays before the principal service. The choir is described as "a place of joy, where laughter and friendship (and often chocolate!) underscore a mutual respect and love for the role music can play in our spiritual lives," and new singers are warmly invited to join either from the pew or in the choir loft.
The Old School Building and Christian Formation
Children and youth are at the heart of the parish's life together. The Children's Ministries aim to lead young people to "love God, follow Jesus, and serve others" through faith formation, fellowship, and fun, assisting in the spiritual formation of children and youth, honoring the gifts they offer, and equipping them for ministry through instruction in the shared faith. Activities include Sunday School, community service projects, and field trips.
Sunday School students are dropped off at the Old School Building before the 10 a.m. service and join their families in church after the sermon. A family break room sits below the sanctuary for parents who need it.
Youth ministry is described as multifaceted, continuing Bible study and adding Confirmation, special events, community service, participation in worship and ministries, and mission trips. The Kate Julian Christian Education team, led by the Children's and Youth Ministries Coordinator, supports this work.
For adults, Christian formation takes many forms: clergy and lay-led learning opportunities, small group discussions using the Church Next curriculum, the Monday night Zoom series, the Thursday Morning Handicrafters Group meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the Baxter Library, and the choir, Altar Guild, ushers, readers, acolytes, chalice bearers, and other in-person roles that make Sunday worship happen. Parish Life Ministries, the parish says, are "a commitment to work together to proclaim the Gospel through actions and words."
A Partner in the Wider Community
St. Thomas' describes itself as "a Christian community committed to worshiping God, caring for all people, and careful stewardship of God's creation," and the Outreach Committee gives that conviction practical shape. Guided by the mission of "advancing the work of Christ by sharing the many resources of our worship community," the committee partners with a wide circle of ministries:
- Paul's Place. St. Thomas' Country Cooks meet every other Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall to make sandwiches for Paul's Place, a community center in the Pigtown neighborhood of South Baltimore, where an average of 39 percent of children live in poverty.
- First Fruits Farm. Parishioners, including youth, volunteer at First Fruits Farm in Freeland, MD, helping to provide fresh, nutritious food for those experiencing hunger.
- Owings Mills Elementary School. For years, the parish has supported reading education at the local elementary school, provides gift cards for students and teachers, and partners with Odyssey School to sponsor scholarships for between two and four Owings Mills Elementary students each year.
- Community Crisis Center, Reisterstown. Parishioners volunteer in multiple ways with this crisis ministry.
- Paul's Place Camp. St. Thomas' hosts a fun, educational week-long camp in partnership with Paul's Place.
- Immigration Support. The parish has applied to sponsor Afghan refugees, partnering with the Episcopal Refugee and Immigrant Center Alliance and Gilead House at St. Mark's.
- Holiday Outreach. The parish gathers with "an outpouring of generosity" each Thanksgiving and Christmas to make the holidays more plentiful for families in need.
- Crafts Ministry. The Sew/Knitting outreach ministry provides physical and spiritual comfort through gifts of handmade personal items, coordinated by Betsy Wilmerding.
- Green Team. The parish has committed to care for its share of God's creation, including people, property, and neighbors.
The capital campaign, "Treasure. Embrace. Transform.," names growing the community outreach work as one of three pillars for the parish's future.
Recovery, Pastoral Care, and Prayer Shawls
St. Thomas' hosts two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings each week and one Al-Anon meeting. On Wednesday evenings at 8:00 p.m., AA and Al-Anon meet together in the Parish Hall. On Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m., AA meets in the Parish Hall. Both meetings are open, free, and welcome anyone with a desire to attend.
Pastoral Care is described as something that "is not limited to the clergy." Parishioners pray for those in need, visit people, make phone calls, offer flowers, deliver prayer shawls, bring communion, assist with transportation, and help those who cannot be present in person to know that they remain part of the community.
The Leadership of the Parish
The parish is led by the 22nd Rector, The Rev. Thomas Murphy, who joined St. Thomas' with his wife, Dr. Susan Suarez, in July 2021. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Murphy graduated from the General Theological Seminary, was ordained in 2007, and served churches in New Jersey and Florida before coming to Owings Mills. The Rev. Amelia Bello serves as Assistant Rector. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Bello joined St. Thomas' during her senior year at VTS, was ordained to the priesthood in the summer of 2025, and joined the staff as Assistant Rector.
Music and Communications are led by Jonathan K. Waller. The Children's and Youth Ministries Coordinator is Kate Julian. The Senior Warden is Sana Brooks and the Junior Warden is Ned Welbourn. The Treasurer is Brian S. Lyght and the Registrar is Robert Brennen. The Vestry includes Blair Alban, Roslyn Corasaniti, Shyla Davis-Cadogan, Jenepher Piper, Frances Russell Rockwell, Christopher Runice, Lawrence Smart, and Leslie Steele. Nicole Norris serves as Preschool Director and Kathy Resnik as Preschool Chair.
The parish is staffed by Parish Administrator Jane Farnan, Financial Administrator Christopher Reynolds, Building and Grounds Manager Ricky Sigai, and sextons Michael Parks, Laura Colvin, and Amy Sigai. The Rev. Caroline Stewart, formerly a member of the preaching team, returns periodically to preside.
A Preschool on the Grounds
St. Thomas' Preschool shares the parish campus and serves the surrounding Owings Mills community. The preschool operates under its own director and board chair, and Music Minister Jonathan K. Waller first came to St. Thomas' as a preschool student on these grounds before returning to lead the music program as an adult.
What Visitors Can Expect
Services at St. Thomas' last about an hour. A program is distributed by ushers as worshipers enter, and seating in the historic box pews is open. There is no dress code; attire ranges from somewhat formal to rather casual. Communion is open to anyone who wishes to receive. The church is wheelchair accessible, with accessible bathrooms in the basement of the church and in the Parish Hall, and several parking lots on the grounds.
The Sunday 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services take place in the Parish Hall during the Organ Renovation Project; the 5 p.m. Last Chance Mass, the midweek services, and the choir rehearsal are held in the Old School Building, and the Handicrafters meet in the Baxter Library. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 410-363-1044 or stthomas@stthomaschurch.us.
Treasure, Embrace, Transform.
The parish's current campaign, named "Treasure. Embrace. Transform." frames the work ahead. The three priorities - strengthening and preserving the historic church home, growing community outreach as a servant church, and embracing youth ministry - sum up the vision that has animated St. Thomas' since 1742. Stewardship at St. Thomas' is broader than financial: Altar and Flower Guild members spend hours preparing the church for worship, the choir rehearses weekly, the Country Cooks prepare meals for neighbors in need, and parishioners share their time and talent in countless other ways. "We contribute our financial resources to sustain our church and its ministries, helping to ensure that St. Thomas' remains a vibrant spiritual community."
For nearly three hundred years, St. Thomas' Episcopal Church has welcomed the people of the Greenspring Valley and Owings Mills to walk the brick pathway, cross the worn threshold, and to worship together. The liturgy is rooted in the Anglican tradition and may be somewhat formal; the welcome, the parish promises, is warm.