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About Us

The Cokesbury Memorial Church was originally named  Abingdon Methodist Chapel when it opened in 1784.  Built on land purchases from John Paca, the brother of the Governor of Maryland; it opened for worship in 1784.  When the chapel burned down in 1895 it was replaced the next year with the structure that stands today

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In 1785, the first Methodist College in the world was built in the area now occupied by Cokesbury's cemetery.  The college served as a training college for Methodist preachers.  Abingdon was chosen as the first site of the college because the community was on the main post road between Baltimore and Philadelphia, and Maryland was in the center of the original thirteen colonies.

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The Cokesbury Memorial Cemetery has been in use since Cokesbury's founding in 1785 and is managed by the Cokesbury's Administrative Board. Inquiries about the cemetery can be sent to CokesburyMemorial@gmail.com

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In July 2021, Cokesbury Memorial became a member of the Mission Central Parish, a community of eleven United Methodist Churches in Harford County and Baltimore County, MD, working together to better serve our communities and make disciples of Jesus Christ. The Parish is led by our two pastors, Rev. Dr. Karin Walker and Rev. Danny Breidenbaugh. They are joined by a contingent of retired pastors and lay speakers who assist in leading worship at many of our churches.

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Our Parish is focused on reaching out in love and service as we strive to:

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SERVE   Expand community engagement and impact.

LEAD     Increase mission to reach more of the least, the last, and the lost.

HOPE    Empower people to move into deeper relationship with Christ.

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Our Office Manager
Mrs. Marianne Potter

Marianne has been a member of Cokesbury for many years and supporting our administrative functions since 2022. Working with the congregation, she helps the church live out its mission to be a community that worships, learns, and serves.

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