South Laurel

Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor

Greater Washington Deliverance Temple, a small church on Locust Grove Drive in Oakcrest, is led by Pastor Karen Rutherford. (Photo: Diane Mezzanotte)

Second-Generation Minister Leads “Love-Filled” Oakcrest Church

Tucked among homes on Locust Grove Drive in South Laurel’s Oakcrest neighborhood is a church. I used to walk past it daily, many years ago, when my son was still in a stroller and we would take him to a nearby park. At the time, it was a Baptist church and was painted white; recently, I drove past it and noticed that it now said, “Greater Washington Deliverance Temple,” and had new, earth-toned siding. Curious about when the change happened, I contacted Karen Rutherford, pastor of the church, and learned a lot about its history as well as her call to the ministry.

Pastor Rutherford explained that the church was originally the Oakcrest Community Baptist Church. She wasn’t sure who originally founded the church, whose cornerstone lists 1957 as the founding year. However, she told me to research “Reverend Barney” for some background. Reverend Kenneth L. Barney, it turns out, was called to lead the Oakcrest church in the 1980s, at a time when it only had about seven regular attendees. By reaching out to a wide area, Rev. Barney gradually grew the membership to the point where a bigger facility was needed. Since most attendees were traveling to Laurel from the Baltimore area, he found land in Randallstown, built a new facility over the next few years, and christened it the New Antioch Baptist Church of Randallstown in 1991. He still leads that congregation.

Meanwhile, the Oakcrest facility became home to a new church led by Bishop Robert Simpson, Jr., who had served in ministry since 1957 alongside his wife, Ida. Together they had started a congregation called the Greater Washington Deliverance Temple, which they relocated to Oakcrest in 1988, having purchased the property. They also moved to Laurel, along with their youngest child, the only one who still lived at home—Karen Rutherford.

Rutherford says she felt called to serve at the age of 21, after having been involved in various ministry positions starting at age nine—she had sung in choir, served as a candy striper, helped lead Bible study, and then served for a long time as a junior missionary and youth minister. She crossed the country for college, majoring in speech communications at Portland State in Oregon, and worked as an insurance agent there for a short while before returning to Maryland. At that point, Rutherford began traveling extensively with Ida on evangelism trips. “We went to many states for speaking engagements, and I loved it.”

Then, on a Sunday in September 2009, she was surprised to hear her father proclaim from the pulpit, “In two weeks, I’ll anoint my daughter as pastor of this church.’” Rutherford says she was shocked but happily accepted the position. She has led the church ever since, following the example set by her parents, both of whom have now passed on.

“My parents focused on ministering to the whole person, to help people become better people, so that every aspect of our life can reflect the love of Christ,” Rutherford says. “So we tap on the skills in our congregation to help people improve not only their spiritual health, but also their mental health, their financial health, and more.” People “come from all over” to attend services, and the congregation is a multi-generational one. “We have several original members who still attend.”

GWDC is a Pentacostal church. Services feature not only music of all types, from traditional hymns to contemporary/urban songs, but also special presentations such as drama, spoken word, and dance. About 80 to 100 people attend on any given Sunday, and the church also offers a Tuesday night Bible study and an online Sunday School on Saturday mornings. Homebound members can experience some services via Zoom, a practice which began during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rutherford says the church has never had any issues with its neighbors, some of whom will occasionally attend services. “One neighbor came to see the church after we remodeled, and they said, ‘I feel love in here.’ ” And that was music to Rutherford’s ears: “We are a church who loves people, and we want to be known by our love.”

To learn more about Pastor Rutherford and her church, visit gwdt.org and myahaswithgod.com.

BARC Receives Funding for 2026

The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, which had been targeted for closure under a U.S. Department of Agriculture reorganization plan, apparently has been given a reprieve. Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks announced in late November that they had procured $6 million in federal funding for the site through fiscal year 2026: half from congressionally directed spending and half from an appropriations bill enacted in November. For now, at least, BARC will stay in operation and will remain in Beltsville, protecting the livelihood of its 1,000 area employees.

Make Plans for the Montpelier Festival!

Although it might seem far away, April will be here before you know it. So mark your calendar now for April 25, when the annual Festival of Herbs, Tea, and the Arts will take place at the Montpelier House Museum from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free.

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Diane Mezzanotte is a staff writer and member of the Board of Directors for The Laurel History Boys. In addition to covering Laurel city municipal news, she also reports on all things from South Laurel.