Pastor Emeritus Arch Van Devender & his wife Judy. Founding Pastor, retiring in March 2016

The Severn Run Evangelical Presbyterian Church began as a work of Jesus Christ using the combined efforts of the Mission To North America [MNA] committee of the Potomac Presbytery and the Severna Park Evangelical Presbyterian Church. It was originally conceived as an outreach to the Gambrills-Odenton-Millersville community which at the time [1990] was the fastest growing community in the State of Maryland. A telephone call campaign (“It’s For You!”) was undertaken and successfully completed – slightly under 20,000 calls to the local community were made to inquire if there was interest in a new local church. Many people responded positively, and some 200 people ultimately came to our first service on 3 March, 1991. Some of those are still with us. Severn Run started out as a “mission church” in the PCA but became a full fledged church, on our Second Anniversary, March 7, 1993. Arch Van Devender was called as the first official pastor and was ordained on the Fourth Anniversary of the church, March 5, 1995. After many years in temporary locations, God gave us our current home in Feb. 2000. It was the result of much labor and sacrifice on the part of the congregation and many friends from our sister churches in the area.

Pastor Jesse Crutchley with his wife Holly and four children, Ellie, Jack, Nora, and Addison

16 years later, in March of 2016, Pastor Arch retired, and SREPC called Jesse Crutchley to be its Pastor. Before being called as our Pastor, Jesse had been our Pastoral Intern and Director of Family Ministries for 7 years. Throughout the years, the church has earnestly endeavored to serve the Lord by being a place where people can find rest. Our motto, Rest Yourselves Under the Tree, refers to the hospitality offered to our Lord by His servant Abraham in Genesis 18:4. By exhibiting love to strangers, Abraham actually ministered to the Person of His Savior. In the same way, Severn Run E.P. Church understands itself as being a community of believers where weary folks who are tired of traveling in a world that offers little hope or encouragement, can be refreshed through the caring love shown by God’s people. Within this vision there are many and varied ministries through which the Lord reaches out His hands to those with whom we come in contact. Worship of our Sovereign God is understood as the deepest need for any person and as such is the cornerstone of the church’s hope for bearing fruit to the Kingdom of Christ.

Severn Run E. P. Church continues to look forward to new ministries to our community and new ways that we can touch the lives of people to help spread the vision of our fellowship even further. We look back with grateful astonishment to what God has done through the history of our church. He has shown Himself faithful to us in all things, sustaining us when we were weak, encouraging us when we were timid, and providing for us when we were needy. He, and He alone, is the reason for our existence, and it is to Him that we look for all that we need in the coming years of our service. To Him, and to Him alone, be all glory, honor and praise, now and forever, world without end. Amen!