News and Announcements

PRESS ROOM METROPOLITAN AME CHURCH
1518 M St. NW
Washington, DC 20005    

JUNE 23, 2010                                              

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:  Anthony Hawkins
202-331-1426

BIBLICAL SCHOLAR TO PREACH AT METROPOLITAN

WASHINGTON (June 23, 2010)  –  Renowned preacher, author, divinity educator and scholar Dr. Cain Hope Felder will preach at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, 1518 M St. NW, on Sunday, July 11 at 9 a.m. for the celebration of the historic church’s 172^nd anniversary.  Metropolitan is the oldest AME church in the nation’s capital and has hosted US presidents, statesmen and world leaders.

Recently declared one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historical Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Metropolitan will use the occasion to announce  a multi-million dollar National Capital Campaign to help finance the restoration of its massive edifice.  “The Washington community is invited to join us for this special event,” said the Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, Metropolitan’s senior minister. 

Dr. Felder, professor of New Testament Language and Literature and editor of The Journal of Religious Thought at the Howard University School of Divinity, has been on Howard’s faculty since 1981. Prior to coming to Howard, he taught within the Department of Biblical Studies (1978-1981) at Princeton Theological Seminary.  Founder of the Biblical Institute of Social Change (BISC), he was recently honored for “extraordinary accomplishments” at Howard University’s 86^th Annual Charter Day Dinner. His books include “Troubling Biblical Waters: Race, Class, and Family” and “The Original African Heritage Study Bible.”   He is a sought-after preacher, lecturer, consultant and media interviewee and has appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, The New York Times and EBONY, and on BET, PBS, BBC and NBC.

Metropolitan, built by free blacks and former slaves as a connectional church for the African Methodist Episcopal denomination, is an important landmark of American history.  Frederick Douglass, whose funeral was held at Metropolitan, often worshiped at the church.  The memorial service for Booker T. Washington and the Washington funeral services for Rosa Parks were also held there.

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The DC Preservation League, Washington’s only citywide non-profit historic preservation organization promoting the preservation and enhancement of the District’s historic and built environment, issued its annual list of Most Endangered Places in Washington for 2010.

This list, issued annually since 1996, is selected by the Board of Trustees of the DC Preservation League from nominations submitted by concerned individuals and organizations across the city.  These sites are selected based on the severity of the threats to the buildings and landscapes in question, whether through demolition, neglect, or inappropriate alteration. The list can include buildings, parks or other landscaped areas, as well as vistas and other aspects of the city’s unique planned history.  All Most Endangered Places listed are located in the District of Columbia. 

The sites on the 2010 list of Most Endangered Places in Washington are: Anne Archbold Hall, District of Columbia Historic Firehouses, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, and 2228, 2234, 2238 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE and 2253 Mount View Place, SE located within the Anacostia Historic District.  

Read the full press release.  

From the Washington Informer: [Metropolitan Steward] Ernest Green, vice president of Lehman Brothers and a member of the Little Rock Nine has agreed to serve as honorary chairperson of a capital campaign committee established to raise $11 million to restore Metropolitan AME Church in Northwest. The 124-year-old church that’s often referred to as the “National Cathedral” of African Methodism at 15th and M Streets in Northwest has fallen into disrepair.

This year, the church was listed among the nation’s 11 most endangered historic landmarks by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Last month, the D.C. Preservation League also placed Metropolitan on its roster of endangered sites in the District. However, the designation places the church in a favorable position to apply for federal funds to help fulfill its $11 million fundraising goal. “The designation tells funders that this is a place of historical significance that’s worth saving,” said Dena Curtis, co-chair of the Capital Campaign to Preserve Metropolitan.  Read more. . .

The Metropolitan AME Church Historic Preservation and Restoration CRAB FEAST will be held on Friday, September 17, 2010 at 7:30 PM at Martin’s Cross Winds. 7400 Greenway Center Drive, Greenbelt, Maryland.

MENU: Endless steamed, hard shelled crabs; plus a sumptuous buffet of succulent beef, pork, chicken and seafood entrees; tasty vegetables and salads; luscious desserts; and beverages.

Tickets: $55.00 per person

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Register Online!

For more information contact: Isiah Dupree 301.452.8078 or idupree@hotmail.com

Sponsored by the Mighty Men of Metropolitan and the Love and Peace Unit of the Sarah Allen Missionary Society

Dr. Cain Hope Felder

Please join us as we celebrate our 172nd Church Anniversary on July 11, 2010 at 9:00 AM. Dr. Cain Hope Felder will be the guest preacher.

Dr. Cain Hope Felder is professor of New Testament Language and Literature and editor of The Journal of Religious Thought at the Howard University School of Divinity. He also serves as chair of the Ph.D. program and immediate past chair of the Doctor of Ministry program. He has been on Howard’s faculty since 1981.

Prior to coming to Howard, he taught within the Department of Biblical Studies (1978-1981) at Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Felder is an ordained Methodist minister within the United Methodist Church. From 1969-1972, Dr. Felder worked as the first national director of the United Methodist Black Caucus, then headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1990, he founded the Biblical Institute of Social Change (BISC), headquartered in Washington, DC.

A prolific writer, his publications include “True to Our Native Land” (Augsburg Fortress, May, 2007), the first African American commentary on the New Testament; “Troubling Biblical Waters: Race, Class, and Family” (Orbis Books, 1989) – 16th printing; and “The Original African Heritage Study Bible” (Winston Publishing Company, 1993). A world-renowned scholar, he is a sought-after lecturer, consultant and media interviewee. He has appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, The New York Times and EBONY, and on BET, PBS and NBC, to name a few. Read more. . .