On 01 July, 2002, Providence United Methodist Church officially became a "Blended Parish" with the Fort Washington United Methodist Family.   This  was  the  first  step  on our way for the two Congregations  to become merged into a single Family.

Over several months an exploratory committee made up of leaders from both churches,  met and mutually agreed to recommend that Providence and Fort Washington merge together for richer and stronger ministry for our Lord. Both congregations held discussion meetings and approved the merger idea.  Each Administrative Council approved the plan to merge.   A joint Charge Conference convened on Wednesday, 29 May, 2002 as called for by our District Superintendent, and passed the motion "that Fort Washington United Methodist Church and Providence United Methodist Church officially become a Blended Parish to complete the full merger of their  two churches and  all  their  organized  parts  as quickly  as possible, but no later  than  01 December,  2002."   The  vote  of  the  Joint  Charge Conference  was  33 "yes" and  0  "no."

This meant:

“The   Holy  Spirit  has  been  at  work,”    said    the Rev.   Robert  Bavender,   who   with  the  Rev.  Ron Collier   has   pastored  the congregations    through the  changes.

The  process  of   blending  started   two  years  ago

when   the   joint  United   Methodist   Men’s   group

raised the idea of merger.  Washington East District superintendent, the Rev. Mary Jane Coleman, conducted a joint Charge Conference, which approved  the merger of  the  two congregations.

June 25, 2003

ACROSS THE

CONFERENCE

Two congregations become one

On-line

VOL. 14  NO. 12

FORT   WASHINGTON  –  The   blended   parish   of   the  former Providence  UMC  and  Fort  Washington  UMC  began  meeting as one  congregation  in  January  and  was  made official  at  annual conference.   The  charter  for   the  new  church  will   date  back to 1870 when  Providence  UMC,  the  new  congregation’s  home,  was  founded.

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The  combined  church  school  opened  its  new  education  building Sept. 1.  The blended congregation  has  approximately  230  members.

“It’s been an absolutely unbelievable move, to move so quickly and so cooperatively together,”  Bavender  said.

It

was   then   approved   at   Annual   Conference   Session   in   2002.

Reverend  Ronald  Collier  and  Reverend  Robert  E.  Bavender  (pastors  at  that time of Fort  Washington  and Providence  United  Methodist  Churchs  respectively)  would both be  Pastors of  the  Blended  Parish.

The Providence and Fort Washington Administrative Councils combined to serve as the Parish Council.  Oren Mangrum was  elected  to  serve  as  Chairperson  of   the  Joint Council  and  Pat Day  was  elected as Secretary.

The Joint Council elected a  Steering  Committee  of  eight members from each congregation, plus the  Pastors, to  work  out  the  details  of  the  merger. 

Paul Drews

Shirley Gillespie

Sandy McCall

Billie Shaddix

Lucy Shaddix

Bruce Strachan

Laurene Walker

Charles Weaver

Loraine Dameron

Dale Kirkland

Oren Mangrum

Kelly Markomanolakis

Ray Rice

Fred Wineland

Dwight Short

Paul  Ledford

The Fort Washington Committee members were:

Our Blended Parish

The Providence Committee members were: