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What
does it mean to be a member of Foundry Church?
There’s one thing that Christians worldwide can agree upon:
if you have been baptized, you’re already a member of the church.
Being part of a particular United Methodist congregation means placing
your name officially on its rolls. Our membership affects our voice within the larger denomination. Being a member also allows a person to fully participate in and vote in church conferences.
Are all United Methodist churches the
same?
No. While all United Methodist churches follow the Book of Discipline
in regard to doctrine and practice, churches are as varied as people.
Some have a very conservative nature and others are more liberal.
Can someone attend worship without being
a member?
Of course! Our average Sunday attendance is around 650 (our total
membership is more than 1,400), and perhaps as many as 25 percent
of attendees are not members.
What are the demographics of the Foundry
congregation?
We have never done a formal census, but it’s safe to say
our membership comprises individuals of many income groups, racial
and ethnic backgrounds, and political persuasions. Because we are
a downtown church, we draw heavily from our surrounding neighborhood
and across the District of Columbia as well as Virginia and Maryland.
What does being a “reconciling
congregation” mean?
The United Methodist Church is open to all persons who seek to follow
the teachings of Jesus Christ. In acknowledging our oneness with all of God's creation, a reconciling congregation invites gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to share our faith, our community life and our ministries. But it does not stop there. A reconciling congregation affirms the same for all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, economic status, or physical or mental condition. We at Foundry seek to be an inclusive congregation. We proclaim our commitment to seek reconciliation of all persons to God and to each other through Jesus Christ.
We work diligently to make the larger United Methodist Church inclusive and welcoming of all people.
Are children welcome at services?
Absolutely. We believe that the presence of children make us a more
faithful and vibrant congregation. Our services make a special effort
to include children, including having Children's Sermons at both morning services before the children depart to their Sunday school classes.
What’s the hierarchy of the church?
The United Methodist Church is overseen by regional bishops. Our bishop
is the Rev. John Schol. Our ministers are appointed to the congregation by the bishop.
Can I get texts or recordings of Sunday
sermons?
Yes. Texts of the sermons are posted on our website as well as audio recordings. Sermons are also available as podcasts.
What is the annual Foundry budget?
Foundry’s operating budget totals approximately $2.0 million
per year. We conducted a separate capital campaign in
2001-2002 to boost church holdings that will allow us to make some
necessary building renovations. More than $2 million was pledged to
that campaign.
Can anyone participate in communion
at Foundry?
Our communion table is open. All are welcome to participate in the
Lord’s Supper. At Foundry, we celebrate Eucharist on the first
Sunday of every month in the sanctuary. Communion is served by intinction, in which the bread
is dipped in the wine and both are taken together.
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Senior
Minister’s Sermons
Dean Snyder, senior minister, is a preacher,
writer, and activist who coordinates a talented ministerial
and lay staff. Prior to being appointed to Foundry, Snyder
served the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference as a
communications director, editor, and specialist in congregational
development and new church starts. He also served congregations
in Philadelphia, as a campus minister and as a college
instructor. A graduate of Boston University School of
Theology and Albright College, Snyder’s articles
have appeared in dozens of publications.
View Sermons
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Appalachia Service Project
Each summer, Foundry youth and adult advisors spend a week in the Appalachian Mountains participating in work projects to improve housing and living conditions for low-income residents in mostly rural and isolated communities.
BorderLinks
As a bi-national organization, BorderLinks brings people together to build bridges of solidarity across North and Latin American borders and promote intercultural understanding and respect. BorderLinks’ educational programs focus on issues of immigration, community formation, development, and social justice in the borderlands between Mexico, the U.S. and beyond. In 2009, Foundry members participated in a trip to the border through BorderLinks.
Christ House
Foundry volunteers help cook and serve lunch to residents of this 32-bed medical facility and residence for homeless men located on Columbia Road.
Common Ground
Common Ground is an international leader in the development of solutions to homelessness. Rosanne Haggerty, Executive Director of Common Ground, has preached at Foundry, and Common Ground is providing technical assistance to the District’s efforts to end chronic homelessness.
Concert for Life
An annual musical event, presented in cooperation with the Foundry Choir and Orchestra that has raised more than $710,000 since 1993 to assist persons affected by HIV/AIDS.
DC Vote - Democracy Project
This nonpartisan and nonpolitical group seeks to energize communities of faith in Washington and elsewhere to seek full voting representation in Congress for citizens of the nation’s capital.
DC Jobs with Justice
DC Jobs with Justice is a coalition of labor organizations, community groups, religious organizations and student groups dedicated to protecting the rights of working people and supporting community struggles to build a more just society. Foundry members partner with DC Jobs with justice to support the organizing efforts of the day laborers of the Union de Trabajadores against wage theft and for better working conditions.
McKenna’s Wagon/Martha’s Table
McKenna’s Wagon is a service of Martha’s Table that distributes soup and sandwiches from traveling vans, mostly to homeless individuals in downtown Washington. Foundry members make sandwiches twice a month for Martha’s Table.
N Street Village
Foundry members volunteer at the N Street Village women’s shelter at Luther Place Memorial Church near Thomas Circle.
SOME
Foundry members help cook and serve breakfast once a month for So Others Might Eat (SOME), a multi-dimensional nonprofit service for poor and homeless families.
Summer Camps
Foundry children in grades 3 through 12 are encouraged each year to attend one of the summer programs available at Camp Manidokan and West River Camp, both in Maryland, and operated by the UMC’s Baltimore-Washington Conference.
Volunteers in Mission (VIM) / Global Outreach
VIM helps organize participation by Foundry members in the short-term mission projects of the international Volunteers in Mission program of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.
Washington Interfaith Network
Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), founded in 1996, is a broad-based, multi-racial, multi-faith, strictly non-partisan, District-wide citizens’ power organization, rooted in local congregations and associations. WIN is committed to training and developing neighborhood leaders, to addressing community issues, and to holding elected and corporate officials accountable in Washington, DC. WIN’s 48 dues-paying members represent 25,000 families in every section of the District and reflect its theological, racial, geographic, and economic diversity. Foundry’s involvement with WIN has focused on the Campaign to End Homelessness through Permanent Supportive Housing.
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