| Religion |
|
04/29/05
Email this story to a friend
 |
Religion
Religion in Howard County is both diverse and flourishing. Groups worshiping here include Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Mormon, Christian Scientist, Seventh-day Adventist, Baha’i, Buddhist, Scientologist and Unitarian Universalist. Among them are at least 45 Baptist, 38 Methodist, 15 Roman Catholic, 13 Presbyterian, 12 Lutheran, 10 Episcopalian and eight Jewish congregations, as well as one for Messianic Jews. They meet in interfaith centers, churches, synagogues, schools or neighborhood facilities — more than 200 places of worship. Many foreign-language congregations also have formed in recent years.
NEW IN TOWN New congregations in the county include the Calvary Christian Fellowship in Ellicott City, Columbia Kadampa Buddhist Center, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Spanish) in Columbia, Open Korean Baptist Church in Ellicott City and the Agape Church in Marriottsville. For a list of congregations, visit the Columbia Cooperative Ministry’s Web site at www.inetstrat.com/ccm.
' OLD BRICK'
The county’s first parish was established in 1711. Christ Episcopal Church, originally a member of the Church of England, held its first services in a log cabin built in 1728, at a site off what is now Oakland Mills Road. The current church, known as “Old Brick,” was built in 1809 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation expanded into a new building in 1993.
INTERFAITH CENTERS
With Columbia’s introduction in 1967 came the concept of interfaith centers, allowing city planners to use land and resources more wisely. The interfaith centers in Wilde Lake, Oakland Mills and Owen Brown are home to 16 worship communities. New interfaith centers are also planned for River Hill and Kings Contrivance.
|
|
|
