Walter G. Edmonds
Senior Pastor
The Rev. Walter G. Edmonds is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and serves as our Senior Pastor. Pastor Walt has been at Damascus Church for over 21 years, serving as Associate Pastor from January 1, 1988 until June 30, 1996, and as Senior Pastor since July 1, 1996 until the present. A man with many creative talents and skills, Pastor Walt has been a strong influence and motivator in the life of the parish. Throughout his tenure, Walt’s strengths in worship, education, mission, outreach, and pastoral care; as well as his gifts in preaching, music, working with adults, youth and children, and administration have helped to create the bountiful ministries that are present in Damascus Church and its sister community Friendship Church. Many outreach ministries are most unique to Damascus Church, including its extensive vocal and instrumental program, the Academy of St. Cecilia, the Learning Academy, Harwood House Thrift Shop, and the recently started mission program in Nicaragua, Entre Culturas (Between Cultures).
Pastor Walt grew up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and was very active in the Central Pennsylvania Conference as a young person. Encouraged by pastors and musical mentors to always keep ministry and music intertwined in his life, Walt began his college years determined to invest himself fully and offer his best to both disciplines. He graduated from Lycoming College in 1967 with a BA in Music, completed his Masters of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 1970, and studied and taught at Hartford Conservatory during his seminary days. Following graduation from Yale and ordination, he was called to Haddonfield United Methodist Church in New Jersey where he served as Minister of Worship from 1970 to 1978. During those years, Walt attended Temple University and received his Masters in Music degree in Choral Conducting in 1976. From 1978 to 1981, Pastor Walt was Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Called to the Baltimore – Washington Conference in 1981, Walt was given a special appointment to serve as Minister of Music at St. Luke Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, for the purpose of developing a School of Sacred Music. During those years he also founded the Music in the Parish Workshop series at St. Luke. In January of 1988, Walt began his tenure at Damascus Church. A highlight of those early years was serving as chairman and conductor for the Celebration of the New United Methodist Hymnal at Constitution Hall in November of 1989.
Pastor Walt has been married to Peggy Giauque Edmonds for 39 years. The Edmonds have three grown and married children; Pauline (Polly), Charles (Chip) and Matthew (Matt). The Edmonds are blessed with five grandchildren.
Rev. Frances W. Stewart
Associate Pastor
Rev. Frances Stewart is a full time local pastor in the United Methodist Church and is a candidate for Provisional (Associate) Membership in the Baltimore Washington Annual Conference in 2010. She hopes to be ordained as an elder by 2013. She has an Associate of Arts Degree from Montgomery College, and graduated from the Local Pastor’s Course of Study School at Wesley Seminary in 2008. Frances is our principal Pastor for the women’s ministry at Damascus Church. She has served the Damascus-Friendship charge for 11 years beginning as a part-time local pastor, but became full time in July, 2000. From 2000-2006 Frances served at Damasuc United Methodist as Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministries, in addition to providing spiritual leadership for the Women's ministry. Since 2006, her full-time pastoral responsibility has been to serve Friendship United Methodist Church, our sister parish also located in Damascus. Frances is deeply committed to the work of Stephen Ministry and to shepherding the people of this parish. Frances is single, has four wonderful adult children and five beautiful grandchildren.
Rev. Bob Braden
Minister of Visitation
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Linda Motter
Minister of Evangelism & Spiritual Formation
Linda Motter is a certified candidate in process of becoming an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She is a part-time student at Wesley Theological Seminary and hopes to graduate with a Master of Divinity degree in May 2011. She’s been a member of DUMC since 1987. Linda works part-time as a dental hygienist, now in her thirtieth year of practice. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene from East Tennessee State University. She and Wes have been married for 26 years, and they have three sons. She has taught the Faith-to-Life Application portion of DUMC’s two year confirmation program for 14 years. Linda has taught Disciple Bible I, III, IV and the Christian Believer study. She rotates as a teacher in the Adult Depro Sunday School Class.
Cindy Fulton
Minister of Education
Cindy has been a member of DUMC since 1983 after having grown up in New England, acquiring a B. S. degree from the University of Massachusetts in Elementary Education and Communications Disorders, and then teaching in various educational venues. Once she had her two children, Keri and Krista, she started volunteering both in the public school system and at Damascus Church. Her DUMC volunteer roles included family ministries, nursery coordinator, Sunday School teacher, writer of daily devotions for the Beacon, Vacation Bible School, and then Director of VBS program for the past 20 years. She and Jill Maisch started a puppet ministry about 1992 which has grown into two groups – one for elementary aged children and one for youth. She became Christian Education Director/Minister of Education in 1999 and continues to hold that position. As part of her passion for justice issues, she is currently involved in a Fair Trade ministry which she hopes will bring awareness to the realities of those living in desperate poverty and alternative ways of economic justice.
Pamela Colborn
Pastoral Care / Stephen Ministry
Pam Colborn serves in the area of pastoral care and Stephen Ministry. Pam earned her B.S. degree in Music Therapy and Music Education from SUNY at Fredonia in 1985. Throughout the past 25 years, Pam has worked with children and young adults in the field of Special Education. In 1988, Pam moved from her hometown of Williamsville, NY to Maryland, and became a member of Damascus United Methodist Church. Pam has been involved in many areas of the church, including Missions, Worship, Disciple, Damascus Outreach Players, Covenant Group, Sunday School, choir, and the folk group “The Companions.” In 2005, Pam attended the Leadership Training Course for Stephen Ministry to become a Stephen Leader and to begin Stephen Ministry at DUMC. It is through this Christian, lay-caring ministry, that Pam delights in serving God by serving others. Currently, Pam is a graduate student at Loyola University in Maryland, pursuing her masters in Pastoral Counseling and is a clinical intern at Villa Maria in Frederick. Pam lives in New Market with her two children, Carly and Tommy, who are also active participants in the life of the church.
Cathy Dobrzanski
Youth, Young Adult & Family Life Coordinator
Cathy Dobrzanski is currently serving as our part-time Youth, Young Adult & Family Life Coordinator. She is responsible for planning and scheduling a variety of activities and events. Her own two children are actively involved in choir, puppets, and other youth activities here at DUMC. Cathy also served last year as a volunteer assistant director for her first year on the Summer Youth Mission Tour to the West Coast. Cathy holds graduate degrees in Counseling Psychology. Prior to her job here at DUMC she was a Counseling Psychologist specializing in individual, couples, family and group psychotherapy at Columbia Medical Plan, before deciding to stay at home with her children. She has been married to her husband Rich for 23 years and they reside in Damascus along with their son and a daughter.
Cora Horst
Pleasant Plains Preschool
Cora Strahorn Horst is the Director of Pleasant Plains Preschool. The Preschool and DUMC work together closely to develop the social, emotional, physical, spiritual and academis growth of our students. Cora was a teacher in Montgomery County prior to joining the staff at the Preschool. Cora, her husband, Scott and children, Cameron and Megan, are also members of DUMC.
OFFICE STAFF
Jane Webb
Office Manager
Jane first came to DUMC as a parent of one of our “Cherub” singers back in 1986. After volunteering in the office, she was then hired as a part-time employee in October, 1989, and full-time in January 1990. As our office manager, she is responsible for the church calendar, and the monthly/weekly publications of the Beacon and Beaconettes. As a master organizer, she sees that all tasks in the office are completed efficiently and in a timely manner. Jane has also been a major contributor (both as a parent volunteer and an employee) to the orchestration of our Summer Youth Mission Tours over the past several years. Her daughter Courtney, now 19, has sang with our choirs here at church since the age of 3. Courtney has also been an active participant in our Charles Wesley Singers, Sunday School, Confirmation Classes, Summer Tours, and the Youth Program here at DUMC.
Linda Stastny
Administrative Assistant
MUSIC STAFF
Polly Edmonds Baldridge
Polly Edmonds Baldridge maintains an active performance, teaching, and conducting schedule. She directs the Chancel Choir at Damascus UMC and also the Ring of Joy and Youth Bell Choirs. An advocate for sacred music, she is often a guest soloist for worship in many area churches. In 2007, she and father Walter Edmonds released Christ Is All to Me, a CD of sacred songs and hymns. Much of her recent performing has been to publicize this album. She was a founding director of the University of Maryland Women’s Chorus, and studied voice with Martha Randall and conducting with Dr. Edward Maclary to earn a double master’s degree in vocal performance and choral conducting from the University of Maryland. Polly, her husband Tom, and three children attend Damascus UMC.
Melissa Flowers
Katherine Williams
Pianist
Stephen Kalnoske
Organist
Stephen joins Damascus UMC after being Interim Director of Music at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hagerstown, MD. He had previously held the position of Assistant Organist at National City Christian Church in Washington for two and a half years. Stephen has performed many organ recitals, including a solo concert given at The Kennedy Center on September 11, 2006. Earlier this year Stephen was selected as a semi-finalist in the National Competition in Organ Improvisation. He resides in Hedgesville, West Virginia with his wife Megan and their two dogs. Stephen and Megan were married on October 3, 2009.
BUILDING STAFF
Lisa Marshall
Property & Facilities Manager
Lisa and her family joined the church in 2000. Her husband Doug is a Stephen Minister, member of the Earth Stewards committee, and organizes the lawn cutting schedule for the church grounds for the summer. She has two daughters, Jessica, age 11 and Madelyn (Maddy) age 9. They have been in the Cherub choir and are currently members of the girl's Chorister choir. They all have been in Sunday School classes since they joined the church and currently, Lisa and her husband (along with Bonnie Custer) teach the third grade Sunday School class. Both Lisa and Doug have taken the Disciple 1 class and highly recommend the class to others seeking spiritual growth. Lisa was on the Pastor/Parish Relations committee when she heard the call to fill the 8-hour position of Property and Facilities Manager here at the church. She was a stay at home mother who worked part-time in the restaurant business when she took the position in January 200. For 15 years before she had her children, she as an assistant manager and worked at several restaurants and private clubs in the Maryland and DC metro area. In her position as Property Manager, she is under the direction of the Board of Trustees, and works actively with the chairperson to maintain and repair the church equipment and facilities. She supervises two custodians who are responsible for the cleaning, set-up, and breakdown of events throughout the church complex. After her first year, the position hours were increased to a part-time position of 20 hours a week. You may see her at anytime throughout the day or night, weekdays and weekends, attending to the needs of the church facilities.
Wisdom Adoble
Custodial Staff
Kwadjo Dickson
Custodial Staff
