Cambridge Church Celebrating 200th Anniversary Throughout 2026

(CAMBRIDGE, Md) – Members of the Waugh Chapel United Methodist Church in Cambridge are celebrating the congregation’s 200th anniversary. And we got a chance to speak with them, not just about plans for the bicentennial, but about the memories the church gave them as well.

Victoria Stanley is on the bicentennial committee, and gave us a quick history of the church, dating back two centuries.

“We have had a continuous congregation since 1826 with different pastors over time and different programs over time. But the bottom mission is it’s not the building. The members make the church,” says Victoria.

And to the current day, Waugh Chapel has served as an important fixture in the community, from holding a monthly food pantry to helping out local kids.

Waugh Chapel Chairman of Trustees, Linda Henry tells WMDT, “That’s one of the things we want to eliminate: The vulnerability. We want them to have a safe place. We want people to know that wall is a safe place any day, any time.”

And for Victoria and Linda, some of the memories they’ve created at the church throughout their lives is something they want to pass along to the next generation.

“The camaraderie, the nurturing that the membership gave to us over the years to ensure that we would grow and prosper and have something to give back to the community, which a number of us are doing today,” says Linda.

While Victoria says, “The picture of the shepherd holding the lamb was always the first thing I saw growing up, and the people were singing and praising God. But I remember feeling this was…this was home. This was my grandmother’s church. So it was my church.”

And they’re inviting the entire community to celebrate this milestone year with them. Waugh Chapel United Methodist Church says they plan on holding an event each month of 2026 to celebrate their bicentennial.