Rev. Robert Barnes grew up in the United Methodist Church and experienced his conversion to Christ when he was fifteen years old. Shortly thereafter he received a call to preach. After graduating from Towson State University in 1983, he attended Asbury Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1986.
Pastor Barnes is committed to preaching the full counsel of Scripture and believes that there is no true disagreement between faith and honest questions.
He is married to Linda and they have two children who reside in Texas. Cate is a lawyer and Robert is a medical student.
We’re an Uncommon Methodist Church
Welcome to the Family Church
Mount Oak Fellowship is an Uncommon Methodist Church. In a day and age when many churches are unsure of their message we are committed to the truth that is found in the Holy Scriptures and in Jesus Christ. We are ethnically diverse, missionally active and genuinely welcoming.
In addition to this, we believe that God has called us to help foster stronger families. As an outgrowth of this conviction we attempt to order our services so that they are events where the whole family feels comfortable and has an opportunity to engage with Jesus Christ. So if you are looking for a church home we invite you to visit Mount Oak Fellowship; to worship with us or to participate in one of our Bible studies or small groups.
Mount Oak Buy-back Campaign
Mount Oak is affiliated with the United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Baltimore-Washington Conference (BWC). Recently Mount Oak voted to leave the UMC because the UMC hierarchy has not been enforcing the Book of Discipline (the UMC regulations) when clergy have taught false doctrine. The BWC has approved our disaffiliation request but requires us to pay them half of the assessed value of our property, which is $1.53 million.
As of September 13, 2023, we have raised $600,375 (40% of our goal).
How can you help?
We view this situation as an opportunity to strengthen our vision for the future and invite you to join us in our endeavor to seek God’s truth. Our plan is to reach out to our congregation, former members, our surrounding community, and other churches that have similar beliefs, teachings, and missions to reach our communities with the gospel message of Jesus Christ. We have created a pledge card that asks you to pledge an amount to help us reach our goal of $1.53 million. We will ask for the funds to be transferred when an account is established with our new name. We need your pledge cards returned to us by August 31, 2023. We will gratefully accept whatever the Lord calls you to give.