Cockeysville Pastor Evolves with Her Church

When Kim Hall took over as lead pastor at Epworth United Methodist Church three years ago, she was the first woman, and person of color, to hold the position in the parish's 100-year history.

Hall, 38, never anticipated she would spend her life spreading God’s message. The D.C. native, who has a master of fine arts degree in film from Howard University, had planned to work as a producer in the television industry.

“I had dramatic calls on my life from God that I initially tried to ignore,” she said.

Hall recounted one such call when she met a Methodist pastor while on a mission trip in Jamaica.

“He noticed me and said, ‘Girl, you’ve got something on you. You’re going to be a preacher,’” she said. “And I said ‘No sir, not me.'”

Hall had already served as a pastor for four years before joining Epworth.

"One of our strengths is that we're a missionary community," Hall said. "We believe in the community, and giving to the community."

Pastor Bill Jones, who works alongside Hall, admires her commitment to missionary work.

“She just brings a vibrant spirit and a strong passion for mission in the community,” Jones said.

But some members of the parish community weren't so kind to Hall. When she joined the church in 2008, she said a number of parishioners left the congregation.

“There was flight and that’s always hard,” she said. “And that broke my heart. But there were many that stayed, and I take joy in that.”

Ed Fishel, a parishioner at Epworth, chose to stay because he respects Hall’s conviction.

“It isn’t because I agree with her on everything,” Fishel said. “I don’t. But I respect her authenticity. She believes what she says. That’s an increasingly rare thing these days. She is a genuinely nice person.”

But he admits that Hall didn’t always have it easy.

“Pastor Kim has had it a little harder than most because Epworth had a history of traditional worship style, and Pastor Kim Hall is more oriented to a praise worship style,” Fishel said. The praise worship style is more demonstrative than the traditional style.

“She is a person who has personally experienced God in her life," Fishel added, "and she brings that conviction and passion in her worship style.”

Despite the struggle, Hall is grateful for her placement at the church, located at 600 Warren Road in Cockeysville. 

 “It is wonderful that my bishop appointed me here,” she said. “It’s making a statement that we’re not going to segregate anymore. We are going to be a reflection of how God sees the church.”

And since starting at Epworth, Hall has seen the parish grow in diversity, in many ways.

“We’re a very diverse church now,” she said. “Socioeconomically, generationally and ethnically–the church is reflecting our changing community.”

And Fishel is hopeful about good days ahead.

“Pastor Kim has evolved over three years and the Epworth congregation has evolved with her,” he said. “As a congregation, we are building again."