Church Leadership
Pastor: Rev. Richard Baker
Certified Lay Minister: Merri Sayler
Music Ministry:
Organist and Choir Director: Rachel Olson
Soul Seekers Director: Gene Eyler
Nursery Coordinator: Rachel Wivell
Technology Coordinator: Matt Sayler
Lay Leadership
Church Council Chair: Bill Wivell
Staff-Parish Committee Chair: Lisa McLeod-Simmons
Finance Committee Chair: Gene Eyler
Treasurer: Rachel Wivell
Endowment Fund Committee Chair: Jeffrey Simmons:
Trustee Chair: Chuck Hawley
Missions and Outreach Chair: Merri Sayler
Education Committee Chair: Fran Eyler
Lay Member to the Annual Conference: Bill Wivell
Emmitsburg Council of Churches Liaison: Donna Hawley
Community Meal Coordinators
Bill Clarke, Debbie Clarke, Merri SaylerA Letter from the Pastor
I’d like to take this time to introduce myself. My name is Richard Baker and I was appointed to pastor the churches of Messiah UMC in Taneytown and Trinity UMC in
Emmitsburg on July 1,
2018.
I am a second career pastor. For almost 30 years I owned a
carpentry construction business building new homes in Carroll and Frederick
County. I loved interacting with my clients and also the people that worked for
me. After coming to know the Lord, I offered employment opportunities to those
in recovery ministries. We hired recovering substance abusers, along with
people completing prison sentences. God calls for us to look out for the lost
and downtrodden and because of the wonderful mercy I was shown, I attempted to
offer that mercy to others.
After returning to church and seeing God at work, I began to get involved in the mission ministries. I went to Costa Rica and worked on an Indian Reservation building a school and got a firsthand look at people living their faith as a natural extension of who they were and I wanted that in my life. Shortly afterwards, I heard God call me into ministry.
I have served in 3 pastoral settings, the most recent in Walkersville MD. I started serving in a 3 point Charge and then went on to a single station church, and recently I felt God calling me back to the smaller churches. I love a church where you are invited to be a part of many families’ lives. I love a church where everyone pitches in to help. I see real evidence of that in both churches.
I have been married for 36 years to the love of my life, Desiree. We have 3 adult children, Garrett, Elizabeth, and Emmett. Our son, Garrett, is married with 3 children of his own and they are the delight of my life.
I look forward to meeting all of you and joining together in the work God has called us to. I ask God’s blessings on each of you as we go on toward perfection in Christ. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Blessings,
Pastor Richard Baker
301-447-3740