Learn. Live. Love.

Cranberry United Methodist Church is a loving and welcoming community of faith with a rich and rooted history of serving its neighbors in love. Located in Aberdeen, Maryland, Cranberry is a part of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in the Baltimore-Suburban District.
 

Our church was founded in 1862 by a small group of believers from the Perryman area. They met in a one-room schoolhouse, 30 x 24 feet, hauled by 10 yokes of oxen from Sod Run (about two miles below town) to a site just south of the present location.

In 1840 the Methodist Episcopal Church divided into two groups, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Methodist Episcopal Church, due to the disagreements over slavery. Cranberry Methodist Episcopal Church, South was organized on June 13, 1866, with five Trustees John M. Taylor, Daniel Martin, James Numbers, Joseph Everist Taylor and Joseph Wells.

A tract called "James Park", originally "Cranberry Plantation", was deeded from Edward Griffith for $1.00 as a gift to the above Trustees. The deed read, "81 perches of land, more or less, measured by a stone in the middle of the road leading from Spesutia Church to Bush River Neck."

In 1866, the cornerstone was laid for a two-story wooden structure on the site of the present church. The first floor was used as a school and church services were held on the second floor.The two-story building existed until 1888 when a bazaar was held by members for the purpose of raising funds to tear down the old church and erect what is the present building. The present church had a belfry that was removed during a renovation in 1922-1926. In 1932, a stone wall and improved parking space were added.

The Methodist Episcopal Church North and South reunited in 1939, and in 1968 a new denomination - The United Methodist Church -  was formed with the Evangelical United Brethren, which gave us our current name - Cranberry United Methodist. In 1964, an Army surplus building was purchased from Aberdeen Proving Ground and is now the Church School building.
 

Today Cranberry United Methodist Church is an active and vibrant worshipping community with thriving Sunday School and Music ministries, and heart for serving others. We are blessed to have a caring congregation that truly welcomes people with open hearts, minds, and doors.