It All Started in 1975
Members of Magothy Deaf Church gathered in 1975 when Rev. Earle Grose, a colleague of Rev. Louis Foxwell, Sr. of Christ Church of the Deaf in Baltimore, asked to meet with Ed and Flo Johnson and Jim and Jackie Stover at Magothy United Methodist Church in Pasadena, MD. They met for Bible study and worship which then grew to additional members such as Jim and Ruth Varveri, the Pyles family and serval others. With many Deaf and hard of hearing people living in Pasadena, Glen Burnie, and Severna Park, MD, the church grew with new members and new ministries such as a Deaf choir.
Rev. Dr. Kathy Black was appointed by the Bishop of the Baltimore-Washington Conference as the founding pastor and it became an official church in 1982. Ministries extended to the Maryland School for the Deaf, a Deaf prison ministry, a clown ministry, teaching ASL classes, evangelism programs such as the fashion show, and more. The Deaf church celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 3, 2025, thanks to Darlene Koontz and many others. Read the 50th Anniversary Booklet.
