Dear Govans family,
Our hearts are heavy this week as we hold the Sharp family in our deepest love and prayers following the passing of Joanne (Dotty) Sharp on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
Dotty shared life and ministry alongside her husband, the late Rev. John (Jack) Sharp, who served as pastor of Govans for 27 years and whose visionary leadership helped found GEDCO. Together, Jack and Dotty poured their lives into this congregation and neighborhood. While I did not have the opportunity to visit with Dotty during my first few weeks here in Baltimore, many of you have shared touching stories of her warmth, gracious spirit, and generous welcome to everyone she met. We give thanks for her long, faithful life and the deep imprint she and Jack left upon the soul of Govans, resting in the sure promise that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God.
This coming Sunday at 10:30 AM, we gather in the sanctuary and online to celebrate Reformation and Heritage Sunday. In keeping with our traditions, we will honor our shared roots with bagpipes and bring our annual per capita gifts in support of, and gratitude for, the wider church.
Our worship centers on the sermon “To Put the Protest Back in Protestantism,” taking its title and inspiration from church historian Diana Butler Bass’s provocative essay on the radical origins of the Reformation. Butler Bass reminds us that Martin Luther and the early reformers were not necessarily polite; they were protesters who stood up against religious conventions in thrall to power, challenging systems of oppression and economic cruelty to embody God’s tangible bounty for all.
Grounded in Matthew 22:34–46, our worship wrestles with the Great Commandment: to love God and love our neighbors. As we reflect on this calling, we are invited to bring our lives into authentic congruency. Discipleship asks us to live courageously in the tension between our religious reflections and our daily actions, cultivating the quiet humility that allows love to take root and flourish. Join us as we explore how the ancient call to be reformed and always reforming becomes an adaptive spiritual practice of humility and repair in our daily lives.
Following the service, everyone is warmly invited to gather in the gallery for fellowship hour. Enjoy community, share snacks and beverages, meet fellow congregants, and give me a chance to say hello and connect in person!
Looking ahead on our calendar, we are also two weeks away from my installation service on Sunday, November 8, at 3:00 PM. The Presbytery of Baltimore will gather alongside Govans to affirm my call as your pastor and celebrate the covenant promises we make to one another before God. Please mark your calendars and join us for the celebration.
Please note that starting Sunday, November 1, we will start streaming worship exclusively on YouTube. Please read the note below.
I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday.
Mooi Loop,
Dries