Covenant Baptist Church

* Harper's Choice: 5900 block Cedar Fern Court: Someone damaged several small crosses on display outside the Covenant Baptist Church last Tuesday.Vandals also attempted to knock over a sign opposing abortion.Hickory Ridge: 10800 Little Patuxent Parkway: Someone broke into a 1984 Renault at Howard Community College Wednesday.Cash, a purse, a leather book bag and books, worth $560, were stolen.

On January 21, 2009, DEBORAH R. GOODMAN. The family will receive friends at the Howell Funeral Home, 10220 Guilford Road, Jessup, MD on Wednesday January 28, 2009, from 3 to 8 P.M. Funeral services will be held on Thursday at Covenant Baptist Church, 4550 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, Maryland, Wake 10 to 11 A.M. Service will follow. Interment Columbia Memorial Park.

On January 21, 2009, DEBORAH R. GOODMAN. The family will receive friends at the Howell Funeral Home, 10220 Guilford Road, Jessup, MD on Wednesday January 28, 2009, from 3 to 8 P.M. Funeral services will be held on Thursday at Covenant Baptist Church, 4550 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, Maryland, Wake 10 to 11 A.M. Service will follow. Interment Columbia Memorial Park.

HOUSTON - After a week of waiting in lines for help from the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies, Donna Sturken still had no idea yesterday where she will be living when she leaves the Reliant Park shelter complex here this week. But the parishioner of St. Rose of Lima Church back in New Orleans took time out yesterday morning to bring her mother and two children to Mass at the Reliant Arena. "I know somewhere beyond this there is a door open somewhere," said Sturken, a day care employee now out of work.

The Howard County Board of Appeals voted last night to postpone a hearing on whether to allow Covenant Baptist Church of West Columbia to build senior housing units in Ellicott City.The hearing, which attracted more than 200 people last night, is expected to last several days. Last night's session was postponed because William Waff does not officially join the board until June 8. Panel members questioned whether his vote would be valid if the hearing began before he joined the board.The case will be continued June 24.Pub Date: 5/26/99

DEVELOPERS hurt themselves when they fail to build a relationship with residents in areas where they want to build.Baltimore County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger pointedly advised homebuilders at a conference in Columbia this week that keeping residents abreast of plans can save time and money. Better to respond to concerns while drafting plans rather after they're presented, he said.That lesson is bearing out in Anne Arundel County, where the Mills Corp. held a series of meetings to discuss its 1.4-million-square-foot shopping outlet proposed near Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Hanover.

The Rev. Darrell Baker dreams of one day building a mega-church in Howard County that will attract people from far and wide and convince even the nonreligious to give their lives to Christ.First, though, he has to face another challenge: building a church to house the 400-or-so congregants of Covenant Baptist Church, where he is senior associate pastor. That has proved harder than he thought. His efforts to develop the church's land off Centennial Lane in Ellicott City have landed him in the middle of a nasty dispute and caused neighbors to question his intentions, integrity and character.

CLARKSVILLE resident Sue Wagner is on a mission. She wants to teach the Gospel to the Korean-American children of Howard County. Wagner says that many of them are latchkey kids who go home to an empty house. Often, their parents work and are not available to take them to activities. So they watch television and play computer games, she says. Many struggle in English classes, although they may do well in math and science. She envisions a Christian after-school program, in which children can go to a church and study, be tutored and receive spiritual guidance.

The Covenant Baptist Church is expected to receive approval tonight from the county Board of Appeals for a new home on 123 acres across the street from Centennial Park.Pastor D. Walter Collett plans to move his growing congregation of 500 to a new building housing a church and Christian grade school on what is now rolling, overgrown farmland north of Route 108 and along the west side of Centennial Lane.The church's petition for a special exception for a religious facility was unopposed at a March 18 hearing before the Board of Appeals.

Despite a compromise reached last week, bad feelings remain between Covenant Baptist Church and its future Ellicott City neighbors.Several days after withdrawing a controversial application to build a senior housing complex on their Centennial Lane property, church officials have said they instead plan to build 20 upscale single-family homes on the property -- in addition to a long-planned church and church school.Neighbors aren't pleased."Nobody in the community is opposed to them building the church and school," said Len Busso, a nearby resident.

CLARKSVILLE resident Sue Wagner is on a mission. She wants to teach the Gospel to the Korean-American children of Howard County. Wagner says that many of them are latchkey kids who go home to an empty house. Often, their parents work and are not available to take them to activities. So they watch television and play computer games, she says. Many struggle in English classes, although they may do well in math and science. She envisions a Christian after-school program, in which children can go to a church and study, be tutored and receive spiritual guidance.

Mount Pisgah AME Church can be proud of how far it has grown beyond its modest beginnings of 100 years ago in a log cabin near Howard High School. Yet it was not the church but Jesus who was the focus Sunday as the congregation raised its voice in praise and worship at a Christmas sing-along service. At its spacious new building in east Columbia, purchased in 1996 from Covenant Baptist Church, six choirs performed Christmas carols and songs to the accompaniment of piano, guitar and drums.

When the Rev. Danny M. Crow became senior pastor of Covenant Baptist Church a little more than a year ago, he had no idea he would be caught up in a controversy that would create rifts among him, the community and his right-hand man. Darrell Baker, the longtime senior associate pastor at the church, fought with neighbors and county officials who were opposed to the church's plan to build 90 housing units for senior citizens and a related complex on...

The Rev. Darrell Baker dreams of one day building a mega-church in Howard County that will attract people from far and wide and convince even the nonreligious to give their lives to Christ.First, though, he has to face another challenge: building a church to house the 400-or-so congregants of Covenant Baptist Church, where he is senior associate pastor. That has proved harder than he thought. His efforts to develop the church's land off Centennial Lane in Ellicott City have landed him in the middle of a nasty dispute and caused neighbors to question his intentions, integrity and character.

DEVELOPERS hurt themselves when they fail to build a relationship with residents in areas where they want to build.Baltimore County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger pointedly advised homebuilders at a conference in Columbia this week that keeping residents abreast of plans can save time and money. Better to respond to concerns while drafting plans rather after they're presented, he said.That lesson is bearing out in Anne Arundel County, where the Mills Corp. held a series of meetings to discuss its 1.4-million-square-foot shopping outlet proposed near Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Hanover.

Despite a compromise reached last week, bad feelings remain between Covenant Baptist Church and its future Ellicott City neighbors.Several days after withdrawing a controversial application to build a senior housing complex on their Centennial Lane property, church officials have said they instead plan to build 20 upscale single-family homes on the property -- in addition to a long-planned church and church school.Neighbors aren't pleased."Nobody in the community is opposed to them building the church and school," said Len Busso, a nearby resident.

In what might be only a temporary victory for its neighbors, Covenant Baptist Church has agreed to withdraw its plans to build a hotly contested senior housing complex on its Centennial Lane property in Ellicott City.In exchange, Howard County Council members Guy J. Guzzone, a southern county Democrat, and Allan H. Kittleman, a western county Democrat, agreed Friday to withdraw a bill they introduced several weeks ago that would have removed the church from access to public sewer and water.

Mount Pisgah AME Church can be proud of how far it has grown beyond its modest beginnings of 100 years ago in a log cabin near Howard High School. Yet it was not the church but Jesus who was the focus Sunday as the congregation raised its voice in praise and worship at a Christmas sing-along service. At its spacious new building in east Columbia, purchased in 1996 from Covenant Baptist Church, six choirs performed Christmas carols and songs to the accompaniment of piano, guitar and drums.

In what might be only a temporary victory for its neighbors, Covenant Baptist Church has agreed to withdraw its plans to build a hotly contested senior housing complex on its Centennial Lane property in Ellicott City.In exchange, Howard County Council members Guy J. Guzzone, a southern county Democrat, and Allan H. Kittleman, a western county Democrat, agreed Friday to withdraw a bill they introduced several weeks ago that would have removed the church from access to public sewer and water.