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St. Jude A.M.E. Church |
"The Family Church for All People Where Jesus is LORD" |
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A meeting was held on June 3, 1998 to discuss the development of a new church in Germantown, MD. Rev. Byron Grayson, Sr. had previously discussed the inspiration that God had given him with his pastor, Reverend Henry Y. White and Presiding Elder Goodwin Douglas during the Washington Annual Conference in April 1998 and was given approval to proceed with research of the area. The June 3rd meeting was attended by Sisters Joyce Fisher and Barbara Beccles of St. Paul (Washington, DC), Sisters Linda and Emerald Thompson of Union Bethel (Brandywine), Rev. Byron Grayson and Sister Jennifer Grayson. It was decided at that meeting that the church’s motto would be “The Family Church for all People where Jesus is Lord”. Rev. Grayson stated at that time that he would be “looking for persons in Germantown without church homes”. After several weeks of Bible Study, Prayer, and Praise at the Grayson home, the first worship service for St. Jude AME Church was held on July 26, 1998, at the Martin Luther King Middle School. The service was attended by a number of family members and friends. Some individuals in attendance were Nicolle and Byron Grayson Jr., April Gibson and son Isaiah, French and Linda Thompson and family, Garland and Beverly Harris and family, Elton and Yvonne Harrison, Doris Harrison, Kevin and Karon Hammett, and Joyce Perry. Sisters Barbara Beccles and Joyce Perry came from St. Paul AME Washington (the home church of Rev. and Mrs. Grayson) to help get our church started. They both later became members. Brother Kevin Hammett and Sister Yvonne Harrison came prepared to become the ushers for St. Jude and also became members. The Grand Opening Service for St. Jude was held on November 1, 1998 at 4:00 PM at the Fox Chapel Elementary School. Presiding Elder Goodwin Douglas was the Worship Leader for the Service and Rev. Byron Grayson Sr., delivered the word. Others participating on the program were Rev. Rodger Reed (St. Paul, Washington, DC); Elder George Manning (Presiding Elder, Potomac District of Washington Conference); Brother Paul Jones (St. Jude); Rev. Janet Habersham (Metropolitan, Washington, DC); Rev. Courtney Canty (Christ Chapel, Leesburg, VA); Rev. Constance Wheeler (Dickerson, Frostburg, MD); Rev. Caroline Lightner (Brown Memorial, Washington, DC); Rev. Henry Y. White (Brown Memorial, Washington, DC); Rev Kenneth Dunn (St. John, Benedict, MD) and Rev Charles Smith (First AME, Gaithersburg, MD). The Combined Choir of St. Paul AME Church, Washington, DC., rendered the music for the service and ushers from St. Paul stood as the doorkeepers. There were over 200 hundred ministers, family members and friends in attendance for the worship service. Several programs were initiated the first year: the Men’s Thanksgiving Breakfast, Love Feast, the Annual Community Christmas Party/Program and Vacation Bible School. The charter members are Jennifer Grayson, Byron Grayson Jr., Nicolle Grayson, Cortella Jones, Paul Jones, Karon Hammett, Kevin Hammett, Beth Lopez, Yvonne Harrison and Barbara Beccles. The first Stewards were Barbara Beccles, Karon Hammett and Beth Lopez. The first trustees were Yvonne Harrison and Kevin Hammett. One year after the church was founded; several members of St. Jude decided to make a joyful noise unto the Lord and formed the Senior Choir. The very first choir rehearsals were held at the home of Rev. and Mrs. Grayson and very soon after that the rehearsals were held at the homes of other choir members. St Jude continued to praise the Lord with song and in 2003 members of St. Jude also began to praise the Lord by dance by forming a Liturgical dance group – one for adults and one for children. During its initial year, the Liturgical dancers witnessed for the Lord at various church, community, and social events in the state of Maryland. In January 2004, after much prayer and work by dedicated trustees, St. Jude expanded its ministry by purchasing property located in the Germantown community. The church parsonage allowed St. Jude to house an office for the pastor, meeting space for various church activities, vacation bible school, and temporary church services. St. Jude was unrelenting in its mission to be "The Family Church for All People” and in 2004 started a Missionary Society whose initial goal was to start the Young People’s Department so our youth would be active members in this part of Zion and be trained to be future leaders of the church. During its first year, the YPD sent Christmas “care packages” to troops in Iraq, prepared dinner for families in a woman’s shelter and went bowling. Also in 2004, St. Jude continued its mission to evangelize to a lost world and formed the St. Jude Men’s Choir. Shortly afterward in 2005, the Men’s Fellowship was created. During the first year of its inception, the men gathered together in the Germantown neighborhood to bring comfort and hope to a community suffering from the death of a teenager whose life ended violently. The men also took a trip to Deland Spring, Florida where they worshipped with a local AME church by singing while Rev. Grayson brought the word. The men also fellowshipped together by fishing, cooking, go carting, and participating in a variety of other fun activities. In August 2005, St. Jude held its first Annual Community Day to alert the local neighborhood that this church is here to meet their spiritual needs. Over 100 members of the local community attended this fun-filled event. Several activities were sponsored included a moon bounce, face painted, free hot dogs and cotton candy During 2006, in response to the Call to Ministry, Sister Linda Ogundipe has been licensed as a preacher and will be ordained as a local minister at the 2007 Capitol District Conference. God has truly blessed this part of Zion. (I Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.) 2007 began with Watch Night Service and a theme of Thank Heaven for 2007. This is a year of praise. The bank said yes to our loan. The architect is ready. God sent a Construction Manager who joined St. Jude. It’s building time! Our addition to the parsonage, which will serve as our sanctuary, prayerfully will be ready for worship by the end of the year. Pray for us that this building will be a magnet for those who are lost in the world and come saying what must I do to be saved? "The Family Church for
All People, WHERE JESUS IS LORD" |
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