Our History

The Mission was founded by Jim Resh, of Hagerstown, who had a heart for mission’s work; Mr. Resh founded six other missions through his ministry.

Westminster Rescue Mission first opened on Green Street, with a thrift store on the ground floor; the men in the program occupied the rest of the house. We outgrew Green Street house and moved to Railroad Avenue where clients worked as street sweepers.

Purchased 39-acres of farmland on Lucabaugh Mill Road in order to move away from the easy access to alcohol and other temptations that came with being in town. The City of Westminster helped us find this land to move to as they needed our railroad avenue location to expand parking space for downtown Westminster.

New Mission facility opened, where it served 32 men (video says 27men). The program was helping many men to turn their lives around through the power of the gospel and the structure, nurturing, and help of the staff, and we had long waiting lists for the program.

Our neighbors at Random House inquired about purchasing the Mission’s land to expand their warehouse operations. When negotiations concluded, Random House purchased over 9 acres that they needed and the beautiful 30,000 square foot facility we now enjoy was built to accomplish even more ministry to the addicted and hurting. In the same deal with Random House, we were able to move from a store in downtown Westminster that was found to be structurally unsound to a building on Main Street to house the Spare Room, later known as The Mission Store

Larger facility built. The 30,000 ft facility we use today. Also grew the mission’s food outreach program. We partnered with Maryland Food Bank and Feeding America, allowing the Mission to redistribute a surplus of food in the community to people in need.

In April, a fire destroyed the barn and one of the Mission’s thrift operations.

Our onsite food pantry was serving so many people in need, that we had to expand the location and move its operations down to the original Mission building on campus (Sparrow’s Nest).

The downtown building sold in July and The Mission Store operations was consolidated with the store at our Lucabaugh Mill Road campus.

Mission celebrates 50th anniversary.

August marked a grand reopening for The Mission Store.

CARF three-year accreditation was awarded to WRM in the spring for the following programs: Community Housing- Alcohol and Other Drugs/Addictions (Adults) and Outpatient Treatment: Alcohol and Other Drugs/Addictions (Adults.) Also, the structured 9-month residential program is licensed by the Maryland Behavioral Health Administration as an American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 3.1 level of care.

Westminster Rescue Mission’s Addiction Healing Center  expands their levels of care to include: 3.3 and 3.5 residential treatment, as well as more comprehensive outpatient counseling services.