Metropolitan Weekly Newsletter - Week of August 17, 2025
- Evan Taylor
- Aug 16
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 17
Worship for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, starts tomorrow at 10 am in the sanctuary and via live stream on Facebook and YouTube.
We encourage your presence this week in Church school on Sundays at 8:30am; Morning Meditations with Metropolitan starting at 6:50 am for music and meditation Monday through Friday; and the Men's Prayer Call at 7:30 am on Monday, Comfort, Care, Lament and Share returns this Thursday; Noon Day and Pastor's Study is on break.
Engage in ministry with us this Summer - The Gathering with Young Adults (August 17); Register for the Know Your Rights Teach-in (August 17); Comfort, Care, Lament and Share resumes (August 21); Sign up to volunteer with the SAMs Food Bank (August 23); SEDLO Biennial Convention (August 23); Storytelling Workshop with Jamila Minnicks (August 23); Contribute to The Women of African Methodism anthology (August 31); Creating Hope Through Faith – Connecting Our Veterans to Life with the Veterans Council (sept. 10); MarchOn Festival (Sept. 15-21); .Nap Ministry presents Napping as Resistance: Rest as a Tool for Collective Liberation (Sept. 20); Vivian Malone Courage Award (Sept. 20) CBCF Annual Prayer Breakfast (Sept. 27).
Need to join via phone? You can dial in for an audio-only livestream at 1-929-205-6099, 975804722.
Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel and you'll be notified every time we are live. You can subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/metropolitaname.
Attention all young adults! If you're looking for connection, community, and conversation with folks your age, we invite you to join us for The Gathering — our Young Adult Fellowship happening on the Third Sunday, Aug 17th, immediately after service in Douglass Hall.
Register by scanning the QR code or using this form. For questions, reach out to Joy Masha.
Law enforcement and bounty hunters - real and imposter - are increasingly infringing the rights of immigrants and citizens. It is incredibly vital to know your rights and the rights of others during these encounters. The DMV’s Congregation Action Network will lead a teach-in on Sunday, August 17 from 3-4:30pm via Zoom for Metropolitan to help build our knowledge and strength to show up safely and confidently to protect ourselves, neighbors and community. Register here.
During the month of August, the Music and Creative Arts Ministry is excited to continue our Artist in Worship series, a special time where gifted musicians and vocalists join us to lead the congregation in powerful, Spirit-filled worship. This series is designed to inspire, uplift, and draw us closer to God through the ministry of music.
We are honored to welcome Elder Xavier Parker as our guest musical artist on Sunday, August 24th, and Jasmine Walton on Sunday, August 31st. Both will bring their unique anointing and musical gifts to bless our worship experience. Come with open hearts and expectant spirits, ready to encounter God in a fresh way!
We are pleased to announce that transportation services resumed on January 5, 2025, after a long hiatus. Starting in January, transportation will be available on the first and third Sundays of each month. Services may be expanded to other Sundays based on the demand. If you are interested in transportation to and from the church, please contact Ellen and Tyrone Fizer at 301-579-2482. We look forward to serving you and helping you get to church with ease!
The Freedom Table will be made available most Sundays in Douglass Hall (except Sundays when there are post-worship events/activities) for families that need to step out of the Sanctuary for a freedom space for active students while still being able to watch service. Middle and high school students are needed to help set up and clean up in exchange for student service hours.
Please e-mail Youthministry@metropolitanamec.org for the Schedule and Volunteer information.
We will begin again on Thursday, August 21st. In the interim period, if you are in need of prayer, emotional support, or just looking for someone to hold space with, Sis. Satira, Sis. Flavia, or Rev. Brandon Cox will make ourselves available via email/Zoom as needed.
Please join us this week, Monday-Friday for “Meditations with Metropolitan.” Join us at 6:50am for music with the meditation starting at 7 am. To sign up to offer a meditation or share your prayer requests, email the Morning Meditations team at prayer.metro1518@gmail.com.
The Men's Prayer Call is a sacred space where brothers can share and explore their relationship with God in Christ Jesus. All brothers are encouraged to join. The call will be every Monday Morning from 7:30 am – 7:45 am on Zoom.
Meeting ID: 767 5679 7276
Passcode: y28Ma2
Train up your child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it. Church School meets each Sunday morning at 8:30 am, and concludes at 10am in Douglass Hall. There are classes available for EVERYONE! We will be excited to see you in attendance!
The Metropolitan AME Veterans Council is a ministry that supports military service members, veterans, and their families by providing information and prayerful support. All service members, veterans, and family members are invited to attend. Join us on the second Wednesday of each month at 6pm. For more information, please contact Dr. Bryon L. Garner at bryongarner@gmail.com.
The Sarah Allen Missionary Society Food Bank of the Metropolitan AME Church announces that in-person food bank operations will be held on Saturday, August 23rd from 9 am to 3 pm. The SAMS Food Bank is also accepting new food bank recipients.
Please see the flyer with a link to sign up for volunteer opportunities with the SAMS Food Bank. For more information, please contact Sister Virginia Boateng at vab-59@hotmail.com.
The Youth and Family Ministry is in need of amazing people like you to serve for upcoming events and other additional projects. Please scan the QR Code and or fill out the Microsoft form to share your interest and availability.
Passionate about faith, culture, and digital creativity? Join the Metro-P Digital Engagement team at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church! We’re looking for volunteers to help co-create meaningful content for Metro-P. Roles include producers, hosts, editors, videographers, social media leads, and more. Ready to make an impact? Scan the QR code to apply or contact Naomi or Joy for more info!
The SEDLO (Second Episcopal District Lay Organization) VIRTUAL BIENNIAL CONVENTION will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2025 from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. For additional information or to register please contact Maria Wallace or Janice Murray. Cost - $36.00.
Are you interested in storytelling? You’re invited to join Jamila Minnicks for “Let the People Speak for Themselves: Finding Character Voice and Making It Shine” on Saturday, August 23 from 10 am to 1 pm PST. Register to attend by scanning the QR code or using this link.
Nearly a year ago, boxes of Metropolitan’s 2006 anthology, “When I Touched: Testimonies of God’s Transformative Power” were found in storage at the church. When they were handed out in the sanctuary one Sunday, the moment sparked the idea for a contemporary anthology of writings of the women at Metropolitan. Listen to the inspiring story here. Six of the 7 living members of the Sisters of the Covenant committee that published the book have blessed this project. Their interviews will form the introduction for this anthology. All ages are encouraged to contribute to this precious endeavor—the 2006 book included contributors from age 10 to 111. Proceeds will benefit Metropolitan. Details can be found on the Submission Form, accepting contributions thru August 31.
Join Us for a Powerful Evening of Faith, Healing, and Hope
In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month and World Suicide Prevention Day, the Metropolitan AME Veterans Council invites you to a special virtual program titled “Creating Hope Through Faith – Connecting Our Veterans to Life.”
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM (ET)
📍 Location: Virtual – Join us via Zoom by scanning the QR code
March On! is a year-round platform using film, music, and the arts to uplift the untold stories of the Civil Rights Movement and connect them to today’s social justice struggles. We bring history, scholarship, and the performing and visual arts together to inspire civic engagement and cultural change.
This year, the festival centers on health—exploring how history has shaped disparities in patient care, medical trust, mental health, and access to care. From panels on disability justice and women's health to films, workshops, and a funky awards gala, March On! 2025 is where storytelling meets resistance, healing, and joy. Metropolitan is a proud partner for this year's festival serving as the host site for two festival events on September 20.
😴 "Napping as Resistance: Rest as a tool for Collective Liberation"
Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, challenges everything we know about productivity. Learn how rest is reparations and disrupts oppressive systems.
📅 Saturday, Sept 20, 3:30pm 📍 Metropolitan AME Church 🎟️ $25
👑 SIGNATURE EVENT: Vivian Malone Courage Award
Honoring Joy-Ann Reid in conversation with former US Attorney General Eric Holder. Presented by Dr. Sharon Malone.
📅 Saturday, Sept 20, 7:00 PM 📍 Metropolitan AME Church 🎟️ $65 (student discounts available)
Come Learn to Code and Change the World! The Girls Who Code Fall session is starting soon.
Every Saturday starting September 20th thru November 8th
11:00 am-12noon via ZOOM
Middle and High School ladies are eligible
Contact Cristol Primas at cprimas@msn.com to join the next session and scan the QR code for more information about Girls Who Code.
Are you interested in attending the annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Prayer Breakfast? This year's breakfast will be on September 27, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
If you would like to join the group from Metropolitan contact Sis. Maria Wallace for more information.
You are invited to a special exhibition reception and artist talk of the Sanctuary documentary photography project by Metropolitan’s Immigration Ministry’s co-lead Sister Dora Muhammad, hosted by Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia on Sunday, September 28, as part of its 250th anniversary commemoration this year under the theme, Celebrating Black Excellence from America's Beginning. Immigrant justice advocacy and ministry today can be grounded in the fascinating history of Mother Bethel as one of the earliest recorded sites of sanctuary. Find inspiration for our collective work toward liberation. Get your ticket to attend in-person or via livestream. RSVP required here.
Have something to share with the congregation? Please send ALL announcement information to announcements@metropolitanamec.org. Blurbs should be no longer than 75 words. Announcements can be submitted by Tuesday for the following week OR by the 4th Sunday for the next month.
Do you have Instagram or Tik Tok? Be sure to follow our Youth and Family Ministry at @yafmamec to stay in the know!
We hope you can stand with us by investing in the Community Justice Fund and purchasing a limited edition commemorative t-shirt. In these unprecedented times, we are called to continue doing the work of Jesus in the church, the community, and the world. Every contribution will make a difference as we counter the radical ideology and rhetoric that is flowing from the leaders of our Nation while eroding and eliminating civil rights and societal strides that have been made by the sacrifices of our elders and ancestors.
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1838. From its founding, Metropolitan AME Church, has and continues to do what other churches will not. We are known locally, nationally, and internationally, to be deeply spiritual and deeply engaged in the world. From anti-slavery leadership in the mid-19th century, in the harboring of runaway slaves, to organizing power, people and money toward the flourishing of all people in the District of Columbia today. Metropolitan has been not just a significant center of worship, but also an institution in the forefront of the civic, cultural, and intellectual life among African Americans and others. Today, Metropolitan is focused on theologically sound teaching and preaching in worship; combatting food insecurity through our Food Bank; addressing ecological devastation by addressing heat islands in metropolitan cities with Smart Surfaces Coalition; equipping parents and families with culturally responsive and biblically grounded teaching through the Sankofa project; and building Black Equity and Wealth through Homeownership, prioritizing community safety and holding political leaders accountable with Washington Interfaith Network.
-Pastor William H. Lamar IV
We're grateful for your generosity.
There are several ways to give:
via check mailed to Metropolitan AME Church, 1518 M Street NW, Washington, DC. 20005;
via Credit card: on our website and via Realm;
via Text: To text to give, text “metro1518” to 73256;
“Truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Let us continue to lift each other in prayer - please pray for those experiencing grief or in need of health, strength, and healing. Lord, hear the prayers of your people.
Have a prayer you would like to share in community, you can leave your prayers on our prayer wall here.
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