Our Vision

Bethany United Methodist Church’s vision is to share God’s loving grace as revealed through Jesus Christ.

Our Mission

Bethany United Methodist Church’s mission is to serve Jesus Christ by reaching into the community to meet the needs of our neighbors, while at the same time nurturing and caring for our faith family.

Our Congregation is inclusivesupportivefriendlycaring

You can expect to meet people who

   ⁍ love Jesus.

   ⁍ are growing in their faith.

   ⁍ who genuinely care about you and your relationship with Christ.

You can expect to meet people who

   ⁍ are joined together in ministry.

   ⁍ reach out to people in the community.

   ⁍ help you grow in your faith.

You can expect

   ⁍ to be respected and appreciated for who you are.

   ⁍ to be warmly welcomed

Photo of church

Our Church History

The little chapel that was to become Bethany United Methodist Church began in the earliest days of Methodism on Delmarva sometime after 1783. Around 1850, a church was built on Synepuxent Road but later burned down. In the decade after the Civil War, a new church was built, known as Synepuxent Methodist Episcopal Church. The Peninsula Conference, in 1976, purchased a parcel of land available from the Coffin family at the corner of Rte. 611 and Snug Harbor Road for future expansion. In 1982, the congregation of Bethany United Methodist Church, as it was known since the 1940s, decided to build a new church. Ground was broken on Easter Sunday that year, and members did much of the subsequent hands-on work in building the church. The first service was held on Christmas Eve, 1982. In its dedication service on January 20, 1991, the church adopted the theme, “Love Grows Here.” The church serves as a beacon to the community offering a ministry of love and a mission of service. Bethany Church is a warm, welcoming, and caring church home to natives and transplants, as well as seasonal visitors to Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Our Staff

Pastor

Jacob Jackson

443-953-4550

About me

A native of Delmar, Maryland, Pastor Jacob experienced the call to ministry in 2021. He is currently working towards becoming a Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church. As Lay Leader and Lay Delegate to Annual Conference at Jerusalem United Methodist Church, Parsonsburg, Maryland, Pastor Jacob served as worship leader delivering sermons and assisting with Holy Communion.

Pastor Jacob received his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2023 from Colorado State University Global Campus in Aurora, Colorado, and is Head of Projects at Funfull in Salisbury, Maryland, a family entertainment technology company. He brings energy and enthusiasm to his pastoral role and is passionate about helping a church grow and reach out to the community. Further, Pastor Jacob is committed to making God’s word relevant and accessible to people of all backgrounds and experiences.

In his free time, he enjoys watching soccer and spending time with his wife and two dogs. He and his wife, Yvonne, live in Crisfield, Maryland.

Organist/Pianist and Choir Director

Dr. Troy Banks

About me

Dr. Banks’ formal musical training is from Southwestern Adventist University and the Center for Improvisational Music in New York City, although much of his musical training is self-taught. He composes choral and instrumental music ranging from classical to gospel and jazz and has performed at numerous venues abroad and in the United States. He now serves as organist and pianist at Bethany church. He also serves as Minister of Music at First Millsboro Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Originally from Texas, Dr. Banks graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2005 with a doctorate in applied mathematics and now is an associate professor in mathematics at Salisbury University. His wife, Leesa, an attorney, teaches business law at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and frequently performs vocally at our worship services.

Ministries Facilitator

Megan Cooke

About me

Megan, a West Virginia native, grew up in the Methodist Church. At summer church camp she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. She attributes her witnessing for the Lord to the Christian modeling of her parents and grandparents and her love of teaching.

After receiving a degree in Elementary Education at Shepherd University, she taught in Maryland and Arizona, where she directed a preschool at the latter. In 2002, with her husband Greg, and two daughters, Megan moved to Ocean City, Maryland.

She taught for eleven years with Worcester County before joining Bethany’s staff. As Ministries Facilitator, Megan coordinates ministries among the Nurture, Outreach and Witness teams, leads youth and children’s ministries, and manages administrative and organizational tasks.