This commitment expresses a belief in the possibility of grace deeply rooted in our United Methodist heritage and identity. Ames Memorial is located in a tough section of Baltimore. It is a neighborhood where the authorities have decided to tolerate drug trafficking. Much of the housing stock has been allowed to deteriorate. Storefronts sit vacant.
Kids roam the streets unattended.
The neighborhood around the church suffers from neglect and chaos. In the midst of this pain, Ames Memorial, led by the Rev. Kay Albury for these past 17 years, continues to be faithful in worship, study and service. You can tell it isn t easy. This past Good Friday a dozen signs, each listing an amount owed to the electric company, to Cokesbury or another vendor, lay on a table at the entrance to the church , in the hope that members would pick them up and pay them. The building is suffering from some deferred maintenance.