A record of the faith, hopes and dreams of thousands of members of Metropolitan AME Church over the past 173 years was entombed for posterity when the church buried its historic time capsule on Sunday, November 20. The event was covered by Hamil Harris of the Washington Post:
The Metropolitan AME Church’s spirited “homecoming” service Sunday concluded with the D.C. congregation’s children placing items important to the church’s 173-year history into a time capsule that will be opened in more than 100 years.
Church members put hymn books and church records into a silver vault, along with photographs from President Bill Clinton’s inaugural prayer service, Rosa Parks’s funeral and the day President Obama and his family came to worship.
“It is so important in the history of African America that we not only preserve our history, but we lift up our future,” said the Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, the church’s pastor. “This time capsule talks about the 173 years that we have been in this city, and we have made a tremendous contribution.” Read more . . .
Tags:
Historic Preservation,
Time Capsule
For Immediate Release
Contacts: Maurita Coley, for CAAB, mcoley@caab.org 202-419-1440 ext. 103 or 202-422-4411
Cell; or Adrian Harpool, aha@adrianharpool.com for Moneywise; or Anthony Hawkins for Metropolitan AME, hawant@metropolitanamec.org or 202-331-1426.
Metropolitan AME Teams Up With National and Local Financial Education Leaders for One-Stop Financial Empowerment on November 5, 2011
Washington, DC – The historic Metropolitan AME Church, a landmark in downtown Washington DC since 1838 whose pulpit has hosted presidents and global heads of state, has emereged after a two-year renovation to address issues such as poverty, joblessness, and other pressing local community needs.
Metropolitan has teamed up with national author and host of the long-running PBS personal finance TV series Moneywise with Kelvin Boston, and local nonprofit financial education leader, Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) to provide a free, all day “financial empowerment” event on November 5. Key speakers include Kelvin Boston, host of Moneywise with Kelvin Boston, national motivational speaker Willie Jolley, author of Turning Setbacks into Greenbacks, Rev. Deforest Soaries, Jr., author of Breaking Free from Financial Slavery, and Obama-appointee Marie P. Johns, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. This event features other high level speakers from the public, corporate, and faith-based communities, dynamic music performances, panel discussions on a broad range of cutting-edge financial topics, plus one-on-one mini credit coaching (with a free credit report) and financial planning sessions, exhibits and prizes.
“We here at Metropolitan are reaching out to everyone in the community and encouraging ANYONE who needs help to come to this event. So many people are hurting from this financial tsunami, but they can come here on Saturday to get the tools they need to restore hope,” says Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Braxton, Senior Pastor of the predominantly African American congregation.
The partnership with CAAB and Metropolitan AME for the DC tour is one of 26 stops on Moneywise’s national financial empowerment tour. Boston, who MC’s the event and facilitates an opening panel entitled: “Why We Are Here: Finding Success In An Economic Mess,” tapped E*Trade and other sponsors to bring national speakers and regional resources together to help to solve local problems all across the country.
Maurita Coley, Executive Director of CAAB says, “This is a community event that is for everyone – not just the members of the church. Whether you need to access services about how to get a job, how to start a business, how to modify your mortgage, how to prevent foreclosure, how to pay down your debt – the CAAB-Moneywise Financial Empowerment Tour has something for you.”
“It is the church’s responsibility to help people who are in need,” says Braxton. By partnering with Moneywise and CAAB to bring this information to the community, we are just doing what we are supposed to do. We are just blocks from the White House and the “Occupy DC” movement and we have our finger on the pulse of our people’s needs. This week we have middle school children coming to the church to learn about majoring in STEM programs. Next Saturday, we have CAAB and Kelvin Boston of Moneywise and the financial empowerment tour. This is just the beginning of what you will see coming from Metropolitan AME to aid our community.”
The event is at Metropolitan AME Church, 1518 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (www.metropolitanamec.org), 8:30 am to 5:30 pm and provides free parking and free lunch. Seating is limited so participants may register at www.caab.org or www.moneywise.tv/empowerment-tour or call 202-419-1440 (CAAB) or 202-3331-1426 (church). Metro accessible from McPherson Square (blue) or Farragut North (Red).
Register now!
Tags:
Financial Planning and Empowerment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Alert
Contact: Anthony Hawkins
Phone: 202-331-1426
KENT AMOS TO SPEAK AT METROPOLITAN AME WORSHIP SERVICE COMMEMORATING OMEGA PSI PHI ‘S CENTENNIAL CONVENTION
History meets history on Sunday, July 31 when Omega Psi Phi Fraternity concludes its Centennial Conclave in Washington, D.C. with a worship service at 9 a.m. at historic Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, 1518 M St. NW.
Kent Amos, founder of the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter School, will be the featured speaker at the service that also is part of Metropolitan’s 173rd anniversary celebration. “…Our sanctuary and church have been restored and modernized, and all the while we have honored the labor of those (enslaved African Americans) whose original handiwork and devotion made our church the great edifice that it is,” said the Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, senior minister.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, founded almost l00 years ago at Howard University, is the only fraternal organization that originated on the campus of a historically black institution. The service concludes the organization’s 5-day convention in the Nation’s Capitol.
A graduate of Delaware State University, honored by his fraternity (Omega Psi Phi) as a “National Citizen of the Year”, Amos is a former executive for Xerox Corporation. Drawing on his corporate experiences, his work in urban neighborhoods, and his personal mentoring of dozens of children in his own home, he started the charter school in l998. Viewing education as a critical element in helping children realize their potential, but convinced that a new educational paradigm was needed, he opened the charter school to support his convictions. The school now has 1,800 students in grades pre-school through 8th on five campuses.
The community is invited to the service. Free parking is available.
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July 4, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Anthony Hawkins
Phone: 202-331-1426
TWO BISHOPS AND FOUR MEMBER-AMBASSADORS HIGHLIGHT JULY EVENTS CELEBRATING 173RD ANNIVERSARY OF METROPOLITAN AME CHURCH
National A.M.E. Historian Helps Lay Cornerstone for Newly- Restored “Downtown Church with a Down Home Feeling”
Under the theme, “A Season of Thanksgiving and Recognition in Kingdom Building,” Metropolitan AME Church will hold an array of activities in July that will begin the celebration of its 173rd anniversary in its newly-restored sanctuary at 1518 M St., NW.
“During the last two years, our sanctuary and church have been restored and modernized, and all the while we have honored the labor of those (enslaved African Americans) whose original handiwork and devotion made our church the great edifice that it is,” said the Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, Metropolitan’s senior minister.
On Sunday, July 10, Bishop James L. Davis, former president of the AME Council of Bishops, will be the guest preacher at 9:00 am. Bishop Adam J. Richardson of the Second Episcopal District will dedicate the new cornerstone and Dr. Dennis Dickerson, historian of the AME Church, will assist him and give a statement of the occasion.
On Sunday, July 17, in a special worship service observing the United Nation’s International Year for People of African Descent, Metropolitan will present citations to four of its members who have devoted a lifetime to international diplomacy as former U.S. ambassadors to African nations. They are: Shirley Elizabeth Barnes, Horace G. Dawson, Jr., Howard F. Jeter and Joseph M. Seegars.
Metropolitan’s youth will present a talent showcase on Saturday, July 16, in the newly restored Douglass Hall, and on the following day, Sunday, July 31, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity will commemorate its Centennial Anniversary during the morning service.
The church invites the community to all events. Free parking is available.
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Tags:
Church Anniversary
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 172nd 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 86th 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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Tags:
Dr. Cain Hope Felder,
Guest Preachers
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