OUR SERVICES
Our worship service offers uplifting praise, worship music, and an inspirational, spirit-filled message from Pastor Brooks.
Service in-person and online: 10:00 AM
We alternate campuses for worship each month.
Mt. Calvary Campus - 37345 New Market Road Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
St. Matthews Campus - 10577 Charles Street La Plata, MD 20646
Use Meeting ID: 301 410 9268
Passcode: 9268
WHAT TO EXPECT
On behalf of the family at Word and Spirit, we want to officially WELCOME you, and we thank God for leading you to our page.Word and Spirit is a ministry where all people, ages, and ethnicities are welcomed. OurWorship Experiences are designed to bring you closer to Christ. Praise and worship is encouraged as we believe that it is the vehicle that moves us into the presence of God, where lives are changed, and direction is given.Whether you are participating in worship or hearing the Word of God, we ensure that you will leave a changed person. Wear what you want, worship how you want, because we are all God's children and welcomed.
OUR PASTOR
Reverend Kevin R. Brooks answered the call to ministry while serving at Westphalia United Methodist Church in Upper Marlboro, MD, under the leadership and mentorship of Rev. Dr. Timothy West. While at Westphalia United Methodist Church, he served in many capacities, the most rewarding being that of the youth minister. Pastor Brooks was licensed and appointed as Pastor of St. Matthews UMC in La Plata, MD, on July 1, 2016. On July 1, 2016, he was appointed to Mt. Calvary UMC, partnering with St. Matthews UMC in LaPlata, MD, to make up the Route 6 Charge. On July 1, 2022, the two churches became the cooperative parish known as Word and Spirit.
What We Believe -
#1 WORD -
We believe that the Word of God is the center of our effort and activity.
John 1:1
#2 WORSHIP -
We believe that the Word of God encourages the people of God to
worship the Lord and we do so without any reservation or shame. Psalm 95:6-8
#3 WORK -
We believe that as the Word of God begins to change the people of God
through the Holy Spirit, we have the motivation to work for the cause of Jesus Christ,
our Savior, and our Lord. John 9:4
#4 WITNESS -
We believe that every regenerated believer that has been touched by the
hand of God ought to be a willing witness to what the Lord has done in his/her life. Acts
1:8
#5 WILL -
We believe that every believer should partake in a lifelong search that
culminates in them finding their place in the will of God. Ephesians 1:1-12
#6 WEALTH -
We believe that the Word of God teaches every disciple to share 10% of
his or her wealth (time, talent, treasure) to support the growth of and to sustain the
ongoing ministries of the church in which they hold membership. Deuteronomy 8:11-19
#7 WALK –
We believe that as a prisoner for the Lord, we're urged to live a life worthy
of the calling we have received. Ephesians 4:1
OUR HISTORY
Word and Spirit
Mt. Calvary
The first recording of the Mt. Calvary United Methodist Church was on March 1, 1880, under the name of Mt. Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church. By June 17, 1902, Mt. Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church was under the Washington Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Churches. The Extension Board of Pennsylvania granted $500 for land situated Southeast of and adjoining Charlotte Hall Military School property on the public road from Charlotte Hall to Newport, Maryland (Route 6).
The father of Joseph A. Smoot granted three-quarters of an acre. Mr. Smoot, in 1903 gave a second deed to the church to ensure the church held clear title to the land. Mt. Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church became known today as Mt. Calvary United Methodist Church in 1968 when the new United Methodist Church was formed in America, creating the second-largest Protestant denomination. Mt. Calvary UMC is a Baltimore-Washington Conference, Washington East District member.
St. Matthews
St. Matthews was originally organized in 1898 as St. Matthew’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Newtown, MD. It was one of the first black churches in the area, established specifically to provide spiritual food for those hungry for the Word of God.
St. Matthew’s first ministerial leader was Reverend Benjamin W. Brown (1898-1899). He preached the first sermon under the shade of time-weathered trees as the early St. Matthew’s members worshipped from their tree stumps.
The first formal church building was erected in 1899. The sanctuary was moved to its present location using an old stump puller, logs on which to roll the structure, and an old horse to make the short journey. The cornerstone was laid on October 22, 1911 for the new St. Matthew’s Methodist Episcopal Church.
St. Matthew’s has long been where folks can feel welcome to worship the Lord in Spirit and truth. People from far and near have said that there is something special about St. Matthew’s. The Holy Spirit can be felt as soon as one turns onto the grounds. Those who love the Lord and have chosen to worship at St. Matthew’s know that it is truly God’s church, and what you do for God will last forever. As the song states, “There is a sweet, sweet spirit in this place. And we know that it is the spirit of the Lord.”