Metropolitan Weekly Newsletter - Week of March 29, 2026
- Evan Taylor
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Metropolitan,
We encourage your presence this week in 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 is Thursday at 7pm on Zoom; Noon Day and Pastor's Study is on break.
Engage in ministry with us - Read and Download the 2026 Lenten Devotional Guide (Feb. 18-April 5); Metropolitan Music and Creative Arts is Looking for Artists and Creatives; Celebrate Women's History with the Women's Anthology; Answer the Immigration Ministry's Call to Witness; Take Action and Organize with Metropolitan; Girls Who Code Spring Session (Mar. 28 - May 16); Church School Re-imaging Initiative (Mar. 29); Palm Sunday worship (Mar. 29); Morning Meditations with Metropolitan (Mar. 30 - April 3); Good Friday Services at Noon and 7 pm (Apr. 3); Register to Join us for Sacred Meantime: A Holy Saturday Experience (Apr. 4); Sunrise Service (Apr.5); Church School Easter Program "From The Cross To The Crown" (Apr. 5); Resurrection Sunday Worship (Apr. 5); Washington Annual Conference (April 14-18); Apply for Metropolitan Scholarship Endowment Awards (April 15); and Apply for Ifill, McZier and McClain Scholarships (May 1).
This month the MAMEC Lorraine Gillian MD Health Commission is focusing on SAVING YOUR VISION. To help others see better in worldwide communities, in conjunction with the Lions Clubs International, we will be collecting your old prescription glasses throughout the month of March. A receptacle will be available in the Lee-Glover Room to collect your old glasses.
Did you know?
To keep your eyes healthy you should have a dilated eye exam regularly to check for the common eye problems.
An estimated 11 million Americans aged 12 years and older could see better if they used corrective lenses, or eye surgery, if appropriate.
The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that children have at least one eye exam between age 3 and 5 years.
Being African American, Asian, or Native Alaskan raises your risk for glaucoma and other eye diseases.
For more information on how to keep your eyes healthy, and to learn more about common eye diseases/conditions, visit our online resource library by clicking here.
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.
You’re invited to join us for Sacred Meantime: A Holy Saturday Experience facilitated by Rev. Janet Habersham. Holy Saturday represents the sacred “meantime,” a space between suffering and resurrection, where faith invites us to remain present with God even when the future is not yet clear.
We will center on the spiritual significance of Holy Saturday.
Participants will be guided through a brief introduction to contemplative prayer, a short reflection drawing on themes from Pastor Lamar’s sermons, shared silence, reflections, and closing prayer. This interactive experience will be hosted on Zoom on April 4 at 9am.
Register to join us using the QR code above, clicking the imager or this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/RCXDqgZNSs-co5RwG7SPQg
The 2026 Lent Devotional Guide is available. You can read and download the book here: https://bit.ly/MAMEC-LentGuide-2026
The United Voices of Metropolitan under the leadership of Eld. Armand Peterson, recorded a new hymn composed by Nolan Williams. Their recording and more information about the contemporary hymn was published in CBN here: https://cbn.com/news/us/more-100-churches-across-19-denominations-united-one-song
Save the Dates for the 2nd Episcopal District's 2026 Calendar
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!
Will You Answer the Immigration Ministry's Call to Witness?
A call to witness in March from Metropolitan’s Immigration Ministry. Co-lead Rev. Kendal McBroom led Congressional visits during the UMC Faithful Resistance ecumenical event —you can call them to urge support of the Sensitive Locations Act. Co-lead Sister Dora Muhammad was a featured faith leader for Faith in Action’s press conference in response to Renee Nicole Good’s murder—you can support #WitnessonWednesdays in front of the White House at 12p every week.
The AME Social Action Commission has called for participation in the #EyesNotLies digital action for faithful witness to combat misinformation about Alex Pretti’s murder.
Find ministry resources for March here.
To receive our monthly updates or join our monthly planning sessions, email us at: immigration@metropolitanamec.org.
The Freedom Table will be made available most Sundays in Lee-Glover conference room (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.
Comfort, Care, Lament and Share is Thursdays at 7pm., 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.
Housing Notice: Please note that there are individuals in our community currently seeking rooms to rent or housing. If you have leads or are able to assist, please contact the church office.
Update: There is some housing available in DC's SE quadrant. Contact the Church office for more information.
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.
This week's meditations will be offered by:
Monday, March 30 - Brother Charles Summers
Tuesday, March 31 - Brother Pius Bola Akinola
Wednesday, April 1 - Sister Betty J.D. Smoot
Thursday, April 2 - Brother Thedford Collins
Friday, April 3 - Sister Dorothy Payne Bryan
As always, 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!
Metropolitan AME Church School cordially invites you to our 2026 Easter Program.
Our theme is “From The Cross To The Crown”. The Program will be held on Sunday, April 5, 2026 at 8:30 am in Douglass Hall. Refreshments will be served.
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 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 to share your interest and availability.
The Lamp Oil of Black Women and African Methodism anthology of reflections from Metropolitan’s women and girls is now available for pre-order!
The book’s inspiration draws back to a 1997 anthology, “Black Women Stirring the Waters” published by an Oakland-based women’s discussion group of the same name which Sister June Costa was a member during her 20’s. She brought the idea to Metropolitan’s Sisters of the Covenant Committee in 2003 during planning for the church women’s season and that committee of 13 women published the “When I Touched” anthology in 2006.
We celebrate their legacy! Nine of them are living today and blessed this 2026 anthology from the beginning, with five of them contributing. Order your copy today!
The Spring Session of Girls Who Code will begin on Saturday, March 28. Sessions for the Spring will continue until May 16. Middle and High School ladies are eligible. All sessions will be held Saturdays via Zoom. For more information contact Cristol Primas via email at cprimas@msn.com.
Join The United Voices of Metropolitan as they minister in song at the DC Chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America 5th Sunday Musical. This powerful afternoon of gospel music and fellowship will take place on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 4:00 PM at St. Paul Baptist Church in District Heights, Maryland. Come and experience an uplifting time of worship as choirs and voices from across the region gather to celebrate the power of gospel music. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Metropolitan A.M.E. Church Scholarship Endowment Payne-Tanner Memorial’s mission of awarding scholarships to students who demonstrate scholastic achievement and financial need continues. The scholarship application will be available from February 15, 2026 - April 15, 2026. Applications can be downloaded from https://sites.google.com/view/mamec-scholarship/home.
The deadline for submitting applications and all supporting documents is April 15, 2026.
All materials must be mailed to The Scholarship Committee at P.O. Box 19322, Washington, DC 20036. Applications and supporting documents that are not mailed to the Scholarship Committee’s post office address or are not timely received by April 15, 2026, will not be considered. The modifications to application requirements that were applied during the pandemic are no longer applicable.
Please contact Pamela Moore at plfmoore@yahoo.com with any questions.
Youth ages 10-14 are invited to join Metropolitan AME Church for the Neighborhood Love Quest, an interactive discussion on understanding your freedoms and advocating for yourself and your community. Games, activities, and food will be provided. The training is open to all youth in this age range, regardless of church membership.
Are you currently working with ministries for youth at Metropolitan or desire to get involved with church school and/or ministries serving our youth?
This is training is for you.
This training is mandatory for all current church school and youth ministry volunteers. This training will cover Metropolitan’s Child Abuse Prevention Policy, required background clearance procedures, and Safe Shores “Stewards of Children” certification to ensure all volunteers help create a safe and protected environment for our children and youth.
Have questions? Contact Rev. Thomas A. Brackeen, Jr., for more information at Thomas.Brackeen@metropolitanamec.org
Join Metropolitan's new Faith Action Committee and our 2026 DC Primary Election Voting Activations. Use the linktree to access sign-up forms and learn more.
Our first initiative in partnership with WIN -Washington Interfaith Network is a 100% Voting Congregation Campaign. Through this effort, we are committing to:
Help register people to vote and ensure that every member of our congregation is registered;
Adopt a DC polling site (we need 14 volunteers to sign up, get trained, and work the polls the day of the election);
Host (4) listening sessions so that the voices and concerns of our community are heard; and
Commit our congregation's participation in the mayoral candidate forum on May 17 that WIN will host for the faith community. Organized people make organized demands.
The DC primary is less than 90 days away on June 16, with Virginia and Maryland not far behind on June 23 and August 4 respectively.
The Music and Creative Arts Ministry is expanding its mark to galvanize the visual and performing artists within the Metropolitan community to form an inspiring creative collaborative to further its mission. The time is now for artists to come together as a liberative force and joyful source for transformative truth-telling, restorative justice, and revolutionary love. For more information, contact Minister Armand Peterson or Sister Dora Muhammad. Tell them about your artistry by completing this form.
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.
Stay connected to what’s unfolding in Metropolitan’s young adult community.
If you’re interested in leadership opportunities, faith formation, service projects, fellowship gatherings, and upcoming events, sign up to receive the RAYACNewsletter for monthly updates.
Be the first to know what’s happening—and how you can be part of it. Sign up here.
Do you have Instagram or Tik Tok? Be sure to follow our Youth and Family Ministry at @yafmamec to stay in the know!
We are at a pivotal place globally, politically, and spiritually. Our world is beautiful yet broken; holy, yet not fully healed. We have weathered similar storms with grace and strength, and we shall do so again. This is our moment to proclaim the unlimited power and majesty of our God.
All encumbrances must be eliminated so we can be an even stronger voice and catalyst for justice, livable wages, affordable housing, and food security.
We must liquidate the mortgage we assumed several years ago to restore the beauty and physical health of our beloved Metropolitan. Once free, we will have additional energy and resources to further our work to make manifest God’s reign here on earth.
In this moment, Metropolitan has a mind to work.
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;
Dear Rev. Lamar, Rev. Cozette, the Ministerial team and our church family:
Thank you for your love and support as we grieved the loss of our beloved Edward Hughes, Jr. Each prayer, card, call, text and visit was a source of comfort and strength to our family. Your kindness will never be forgotten.
With love and gratitude,
Queen Hughes and Family
“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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