Forest Memorial UMC

Located in the heart of Forestville, Maryland, ground was broken for Forest Memorial United Methodist Church on October 11, 1959.

It is believed that Methodists had a building in Forestville in the early 1800's. The deed for the original property of the church was written in 1820, the land being purchased from a Mr. Marshall for $50.

The name Forestville appears for the first time in the minutes of the Baltimore Conference in 1876. In 1948 the Forest Grove (now Chapel 2 on Andrews AFB) and Forestville congregations merged to form the Forest Memorial Methodist Church.

Plans for a new church were soon initiated, and the groundbreaking in 1959 was for the sanctuary. Services of consecration were held on October 23, 1960. The educational building was completed in 1969, and the third unity - which consists of the social hall and kitchen - was completed in 1984.

Over the years, as the surrounding area has changed, our church has spread its wings to evolve from a small neighborhood church to a regional church. Today we draw our congregation from a large geographical area, which includes residents from all over Prince Georges County and Washington, DC.

In 2010, Forest Memorial was pleased to welcome our current Pastor, Reverend Ty Blackwell. A graduate of the Howard University School of Divinity, Pastor Ty holds a Masters of Divinity. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, he is a former teacher and in addition to leading our congregation he is a quality review specialist for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. He is the former coordinator of correctional special education for the same agency. During his career, Pastor Ty has monitored public and private placement of youth requiring special education services. He has also managed multiple school programs for youth with emotional disabilities. In his free time, Pastor Ty enjoys spending time with his two children, Noah and Madison, and cheering on his beloved Baltimore Ravens.