Our local United Methodist churches sponsored a two-day confirmation bus trip, hitting some prominent regional sites and ministries within our tradition. Yesterday, I wrote about our visit to Strawbridge Shrine in Maryland. From Strawbridge Shrine, we visited the historic Lovely Lane United Methodist Church and Lovely Lane Museum in Baltimore.
Lovely Lane UMC, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is called the “Mother Church of American Methodism.” The current structure was designed in 1884, one hundred years after the Christmas Conference where the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized and where Francis Asbury, one of the most prominent early Methodist leaders in America, was ordained.
As I noted yesterday, our hosts at Strawbridge Shrine were very hospitable and youth group friendly. Unfortunately, our experience at Lovely Lane was altogether different. On the trip home later that evening, our bus driver/tour coordinator reviewed the two-day trip. When he got to Lovely Lane, he said, “You all got yelled at, at Lovely Lane.” It was an experience to remember!
But, from a historical viewpoint, it was a good place to visit. Here are some photos.
