Pastor Dennis E. Whitmore
Pastor Dennis E. Whitmore
Pastor Dennis was born and raised in Baltimore City, graduating from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, with concentrations in management and marketing. After college, he pursued a career in health and fitness as a salesman, personal trainer and manager in Baltimore area health clubs for eight years. Through his experience in physical fitness training, the Lord taught him spiritual fitness. From there, he was called into ordained ministry, graduating from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. in 1995.
He served for seven years as pastor of the Potomac Charge (Mt. Carmel, St. Paul and Park Head United Methodist churches) in Big Pool, MD (1995-2002). In 2002, he was appointed Senior Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Laurel, where he was active in ministries to the homeless and to those with substance abuse issues.
While serving as Vice President of the Laurel Clergy Association, Pastor Dennis helped form a ministry that became “Side by Side,” which encourages Laurel churches to adopt their local public school as an alternative to funding through gambling revenue. (www.sidebysidelaurel.org)
In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf states, Laurel, MD adopted Laurel, MS. First Church engaged in its first mission trip in 2006, sending a team to work with traumatized children. Pastor Dennis rode his bike 1,071 miles from Laurel to Laurel, “Riding for Roofs” to raise $10,000 in funds for home repairs for seniors.
In 2007, Pastor Dennis was ordained by the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He accepted the call to be the first pastor of the then recently founded (2004) Hilltop Christian Fellowship in Big Pool, Maryland. In 2010, Hilltop moved to a 17,000 square foot facility in Clear Spring. By God’s grace and provision, the mortgage was retired in less than seven years.
In March, 2021, Pastor Dennis accepted the call to be the pastor of St. Paul’s Reformed Church. His daily (Monday through Saturday) email devotional is available online at www.stpaulsclearspring.com; also as a twice weekly broadcast (Tuesday/ Thursday, 10:45 AM) “Point To Ponder” on WJEJ Radio 1240 AM/ 104.3 FM.
In 2011, he was a co-founder of the HUB Network, a local Hagerstown outreach. Active in the Hagerstown community, he serves on the board of the Star Community, and the Washington County Local Management Board.
Three key Scriptures guide Pastor Dennis in his ministry:
Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4: 11-13 to equip the saints for ministry and growth in Christlikeness.
Acts 1: 8 to lead the church to be witnesses for Christ, locally and “to the ends of the earth”.