Religious groups in Howard County

Religion in Howard County is diverse and flourishing. The faith communities that worship here include Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Christian Scientist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Mennonite, Baha’i, Quaker and Unitarian Universalist groups. Howard County was home to more than 200 places of worship in 2010, according to data from the Association of Statisticians and Religious Bodies.

Congregants meet in interfaith centers, churches, synagogues, schools or neighborhood facilities. Many foreign-language congregations also have formed in recent years.

INTERFAITH CENTERS

With Columbia’s founding 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, River Hill, Owen Brown and Kings Contrivance are home to a number of diverse worship communities.

Oakland Mills Interfaith Center — The Meeting House

410-730-4090

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themeetinghouse.org

Owen Brown Interfaith Center

410-381-2000

obicolumbia.org

The Gathering Place in River Hill

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410-531-3229

thegatheringplacemd.com

Rev. Charles Davis brings hope to those at Howard County Detention Center

With his booming voice and large stature, Reverend Charles Davis is an intimidating presence at first glance. But listen to him talk about his work as a pastor at the Full Gospel Baptist Church in Cooksville, and he immediately becomes a “big teddy bear,” as church member Gladys Staton described.

By Kate Magill

Dec 05, 2017 6:00 AM

Wilde Lake Interfaith Center

410-730-7920

thewildelakeinterfaithcenter.com

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Kings Contrivance Interfaith Campus:

Orthodox Church of Saint Matthew

240-755-0324

stmatthewoca.org

Cornerstone Church

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410-381-8308

thecornerstonechurch.net

BON SECOURS

For more than 50 years, the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville has offered a place of retreat for groups or individuals interested in spending some quiet time in peace, reflection and prayer. The center, run by the Sisters of Bon Secours, welcomes self-guided retreats but also offers both day- and weekend-long retreats and workshops. It has 70 guest suites, meeting rooms, a chapel and a dining room, and elsewhere on the 300-acre site are a reflecting pond, labyrinth, Zen-style peace garden, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and bookstore. Call 410-442-3120 or visit rccbonsecours.com for more information.

RELIGIOUS RESOURCES

Baha’is of Howard County

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410-730-6540

bahaisofhowardcounty.org

Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church

410-309-3400

bwcumc.org

Guitar in tow, Cantor Benjamin Kintisch joins Columbia Jewish Congregation

Benjamin Kintisch, a cantor with a background in Jewish childhood education, has joined the reconstructionist Columbia Jewish Congregation, leading his first service on July 14.