Ministers
Ministers serving at Hollywood since 1941
1941 – 1947
Rev. George Dent Naylor (November 15, 1880 – December 26, 1959)
1947 – 1950
Rev. Warren Firth
1951 – 1955
Rev. C. Gordon Clews (May 2, 1914 – June 23, 1995)
1955 – 1958
Rev. Harold R McClay, Sr. (July 3, 1898 – February 21, 1992)
1958 – 1961
Rev. Hallock N. Mohler (August 29, 1930 – January 25, 2019)
1961 – 1963
Rev. Dr. Clifford B. Strang
1963 – 1967
Rev. James L. Shannon (September 23, 1918 – April 1, 1988)
1967 – 1972
Rev. James C. Haskin (February 13, 1925 – February 22, 1989)
1972 – 1976
Rev. Darrell E. Jett (from March–August 1974, Rev. Jett exchanged pulpits with Rev. John Turner from England.)
1976 – 1982
Rev. George A. Blankner
1982 – 1988
Rev. Curtis Campaigne (June 2, 1942 – July 20, 2019)
1988 – 1994
Rev. A. Frederick Walz, Jr. (February 1, 1940 – October 11, 2011)
1994 – 2016
Rev. Sheldon M. Reese
2001 – 2004
Associate Pastor Chris Owens
2016 – June 30, 2020
Rev. Katie Paul
July 1, 2020 –
Rev. Matthew Tate
For ministers who served before 1947, the year we became a Station Church, click here to download David Roberts’s excellent 150 Year History of HUMC.
1800s
Joy’s Neighborhood on the St. Mary’s Circuit
The following were clergy on the St. Mary’s Circuit
1851: Thomas Cornelius, James Bunting, and William Evans
1852: James Bunting and William Evans
1853: William Evans and Charles G. Linthicum
1854: Noah Schlosser and P. B. Smith
1855: Noah Schlosser and James Bunting
1856: Noah Schlosser, James Bunting, J. W. Lambeth, and F. A. Mercer
1857: James Bunting, J. W. Lambeth, and J. H. Wolff
1858-1859: Bennett H. Smith, James Bunting, and Randolph R. Murphy
1860: John W. Start, James Buntin, H. McNemar, and E. Marsh
1861: John W. Start and H. McNemar
1862: John W. Wolff, J. J. Largent, and C. H. Mytinger
1863: J. J. Largent and E. E. Shipley
1864: C. Parkinson and E. Richardson
1865: J. W. F. Graham and Owen F. Waters
1866: L. R. B. Rhodes and James P. Wilson
1867: Bennett H. Smith and G. Smith
The First Joy Chapel was built in 1868 and we officially became Joy Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church on the St. Mary’s Circuit.
Pastors who served Joy Chapel:
1868: Bennett H. Smith and J. T. Hynes
1869: Bennett H. Smith
1870: William R. Gwinn
1871: William R. Gwinn and O. C. Marriott
1872: George M. Berry and O. C. Marriott
1873: Jesse C. Starr and Bennett H. Smith
1874: Jesse C. Starr and J. H. Ryland
1875: Jesse C. Starr and Solomon German
The St. Mary’s Circuit was then broken into smaller circuits (due to the growth of the church?) and we became part of the Leonardtown Circuit.
1876: Solomon German
1877-1878: William H. Barnes
1879-1880: Pierre Vondersmith
1881-1882: William H. Dell
1883: J. S. Deale
1884-1885: Jesse C. Starr
1886-1887: John S. Burton
1888-1889: W. L. Orem
1890-1891: E. H. Smith
1892-1893: W. C. Brian
1894-1895: Fillmore W. Shriner
Pictures of the 2nd and 3rd Joy Chapels
Below are two pictures of the third Joy Chapel, which sat approximately on the site of our education wing today.
Below is a picture of the second Joy Chapel, which sat approximately where the current Joy Chapel sits today.
Homecoming 2018
Hollywood United Methodist Church celebrated the 150th Anniversary of Joy Chapel and our Methodist presence in Hollywood on Sunday, November 4, 2018. Following the 11:00 AM service, everyone gathered together in Galilee Hall. A group photo was taken, followed by a lovely lunch, coordinated by Louise Dean. A Guest Book, that had been used at a previous Hollywood Methodist Church Anniversary Celebration, dated September 23, 2001, was signed by 110 people attending the event.
The first presentation was on the “Early History of Hollywood United Methodist Church,” known as Joy’s Neighborhood, then, as the first Joy Chapel. This time period was from 1832 through 1895, when the second Joy Chapel was erected on the same site. The first Joy Chapel fell into disrepair, thus prompting the building of a second Joy Chapel, located where our Memorial Chapel and Cemetery are located on Joy Chapel Road in Hollywood. After fire destroyed the second Joy Chapel, a third Joy Chapel was built on the site of our current church in 1933. Then, in 1946, the cornerstone for our present brick church building was laid. The beautiful presentation was prepared by Judy Wood, and narrated by David Roberts.
The second presentation for the day was “The History of the Music and Choirs of Hollywood United Methodist Church. The first music was known to be played by Mr. Roger Dean, on a pump organ, in the third Joy Chapel, as well as in the new brick church. Also, Mrs. Lida Mosher, Mrs. Irma Baker and Norma Insley (Dawson), played the pump organ for Sunday School and later for some church services. In 1947, under the direction of Mr. Fulton Lewis, Jr., a Children’s Choir was formed. This choir under his leadership, 1947-1954, which included the building of a pipe organ, performed and were widely known for excellence. Throughout the years, Hollywood United Methodist Church has always been known for music and choirs. The directors and choir members have kept this tradition alive, as begun many years earlier. They have all presented a love of music and its importance to the life of the church. The dedication of these past and present directors and choir members, show their ongoing love and respect for their congregation and community. This presentation was created through the efforts of Norma Insley Dawson, Barbara Dean Trible, Joanne Lawrence Buzzell, Pat Schmalgemeyer Hayden, Donna Smith Knott and Karen Bishop Wood.
I thank all who helped, in any way, to put this program and special day together. Special thanks go to Wade Thompson, our Office Manager, and to Pastor Katie Paul, for without their support this day could not have happened.
Karen Bishop Wood
Key Dates in Our History
- 1868 – First Joy Chapel Dedicated
- 1894 – Second Joy Chapel dedicated on October 28, 1894
- 1907 – Inspired by the Holiness Movement, several members of Joy Chapel left and helped start what is now Hollywood Church of the Nazarene.
- 1931 – Second Joy Chapel destroyed by chimney fire. The pulpit and pews were saved.
- 1933 – Third Joy Chapel built on site of present church.
- 1939 – Methodist Episcopal Church merged with two other Methodist denominations to form The Methodist Church; our church renamed Joy Chapel Methodist Church.
- 1946 – Cornerstone laid for current sanctuary building.
- 1947 – Current sanctuary building dedicated. Name changed to Hollywood Methodist Church. First pastor assigned directly to our congregation.
- 1950s – Parsonage purchased. Third Joy Chapel removed.
- 1961 – Education wing built.
- 1967 – Fourth Joy Chapel built.
- 1968 – Methodist Church and Evangelical United Brethren Church merged into United Methodist Church and we became Hollywood United Methodist Church
- 1970s – Hollywood UMC yoked with Galilee UMC in Oakville. Our pastor served both churches.
- 1975 – Hollywood United Methodist Preschool launched.
- 1983 – Galilee UMC closed and their building was burned. Members of Galilee merged in Hollywood UMC. Fellowship Hall renamed Galilee Hall.
- 1992 – New parsonage built on Karen Court. Old parsonage sold.
- 2017 – “New” parsonage sold.
Joy Chapel Cemetery
The Memorial Joy Chapel and Cemetery is located at our original meeting spot at 44260 Joy Chapel Road in Hollywood.
You may enter a surname in the box below to search the memorials that have been created on Find A Grave for those who are buried at Joy Chapel Cemetery. This is not a comprehensive list of all of our grave sites and we are not responsible for mistakes.
Galilee Cemetery
Galilee Cemetery is located on Loveville Road (Route 247) in Oakville at the site of the former Galilee United Methodist Church, which was merged with our congregation in the 1970s.
You may enter a surname in the box below to search the memorials that have been created on Find A Grave for those who are buried at Galilee Cemetery. This is not a comprehensive list of all of our grave sites and we are not responsible for mistakes.
Cookbooks
Our church has produced many cookbooks over the years. Obviously, they contain great recipes, but they are also a slice of church history, local business history, and more. Below are links so you can download the ones we’ve been able to scan.
The Best in Cooking in Hollywood
St. Mary’s County Fare (scanned in sections due to file sizes)