175th Anniversary Celebration

Testimony of Sudila De Silva

​

My wife Keshika and I worship at this church regularly with our two children Kimaya and Kiyan. As we celebrate its 175th anniversary I as a member of this congregation wanted to share  my thoughts as to why our family call Rockville UMC our church home and our hopes for the future of this church.

​

Keshika and I grew up in Sri Lanka and worshiped at the same Methodist Church, a church that was started in 1841, where our parents, grandparents and great grandparents worshiped. Being involved in the church was an important part of our lives from an early age. We were baptized and we got married in the same church. We saw our grandparents, and our parents serving in the church, in the Sunday school and various ministries and we  were encouraged to do the same. When we moved to the DC area, we wanted a church that we could be a part of and raise our children, much like the church we grew up in.

So as anyone would do these days to find something, we sought Google’s help to find the nearest Methodist Church which lead us to Rockville United Methodist Church in 2012. Google may have brought us here, but there are many more reasons why we chose RUMC as our church and why we continue to worship here. 

​

We still recall the first day that we stepped into this church and the warm welcome that we received from the members of this great faith community.  There were many folks who took the time to introduce themselves and showed us ways we could be part of the various ministries of this church. The warm welcome we received from this community reaffirmed that we had chosen not just a Methodist church in Rockville but a church that embraces you as a family and cares for its members.  As we listened to the many stories that were shared at the anniversary banquet, we were amazed but not surprised at the commitment of members of this congregation, both past and present to the growth of this church despite many challenges along the way. So, it is because of each and every one of you that we continue to worship in this church.

​

Rockville UMC has been a blessing to our children’s lives as well. They continue to build their faith as they attend Sunday school and participate in the Sunday worship. As a couple with young children our list of priorities and needs seem endless and time is always in short supply.  So, on Sunday mornings or when there are church events that compete with numerous other commitments, we continue to remind ourselves of the faithful Rockville United Methodist Community that worshiped here and kept the Church open that made it possible for us to be a part of this faith community. This is why, we have committed ourselves to be a part of the church so that our children have the same opportunity to experience the wonders of being a part of a community that had such a vibrant history and is a towering witness in Rockville.   

​

So it is my hope and prayer that just as the faithful members of the past contributed to the growth of RUMC, that we as the present day congregation will commit to keeping RUMC standing strong as pillar of faith for our children and future generations so that they too may experience the many blessings of God through this Church.