Sunday, October 27, 2024 | Pastor Julie | Love’s Undying Heart

Of all the things we chase after, and look for, and think of, and do, and desire, and possess—when we come to the end of life, only three things will have mattered. Only three things will have lasted. Only three things will have helped: Faith. Hope. Love. This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie concludes her three-week sermon series based on 1 Corinthians 13: Faith, Hope, and Love: These Three.

This Sunday’s message is “Love’s Undying Heart." Accompanying passages are Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 and Matthew 28:1-8

(We apologize unforeseen technical difficulties that caused the stream have a maximum of 15 frames per second.)

Sunday, October 20, 2024 | Pastor Julie | Love's Feet

Of all the things we chase after, and look for, and think of, and do, and desire, and possess—when we come to the end of life, only three things will have mattered. Only three things will have lasted. Only three things will have helped: Faith. Hope. Love. This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues her three-week sermon series based on 1 Corinthians 13: Faith, Hope, and Love: These Three.

This Sunday’s message is “Love’s Feet” and will focus on Hope. Accompanying passages to 1 Corinthians 13 are Psalm 130 and Mark 11:1-11.

Sunday, October 13, 2024 | Love's Eyes

Of all the things we chase after, and look for, and think of, and do, and desire, and possess—when we come to the end of life, only three things will have mattered. Only three things will have lasted. Only three things will have helped: Faith. Hope. Love. This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie begins a three-week sermon series based on 1 Corinthians 13: Faith, Hope, and Love: These Three.

Accompanying passages are Proverbs 3:1-6 and John 8:1-11.

Sunday, October 6, 2024 | God’s Big Spenders

This Sunday, October 6 is World Communion Sunday. Pastor Julie will preach the message “God’s Big Spenders” from Isaiah 58:1-12. Together, we will ask with the prophet Isaiah how we can claim to worship God if we are not “spending ourselves” on behalf of the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, and the afflicted. Additional texts are Acts 4:32-37 and Matthew 25:31-40. During worship, we will observe communion. 

Author Cole Arthur Riley | Saturday, October 5, 2024

Acclaimed author Cole Arthur Riley is the keynote speaker at the annual gathering of the World Student Christian Federation, October 3-6, hosted by FBCDC. Read more about this organization below.

Cole spoke in the FBC Sanctuary on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1:00 pm. She is the author of New York Times bestsellers This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us  and Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human.

Sunday, September 29, 2024 | How Hedonism Killed Jesus

This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues the current sermon series with the message, How Hedonism Killed Jesus from Luke 23:1-12. Accompanying scripture passages are Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 and Philippians 4:4-9.

Following last Sunday’s message, How Liberalism Killed Jesus, we turn our attention this Sunday from the legalistic Pharisees and the broad-minded Sadducees, to Herod, who was driven by appetite and organized his life around the pursuit of pleasure. While we live in a nation that seems to have an insatiable appetite for more, how do we enjoy God-given pleasures in our lives without elevating them into idols?

Sunday, September 22 | How Liberalism Killed Jesus

This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues the current sermon series with the message, How Liberalism Killed Jesus from John 11:43-53 and 19:12-16. Accompanying scripture passages are Isaiah 5:1-4, 7 and Romans 8:1-6, 11.

Following last Sunday’s message, How Conservatism Killed Jesus, we turn our attention this Sunday from the legalistic Pharisees to the broad-minded Sadducees, who were known for embracing the culture and customs of the Greeks and the Romans. The Sadducees desired to build a bridge to their world. Liberalism’s frequent fault is walking across the bridge and forgetting to come back. While building a bridge to the world, how do we remain true to the heart of our faith?

Sunday, September 15, 2024 | Pastor Julie | How Conservatism Killed Jesus

This Sunday in worship, Pastor Julie continues the series “Am I the One?” and preaches the message “How Conservatism Killed Jesus” from Matthew 23:1-4, 23-31. Accompanying scripture passages are Micah 6:1-8 and Ephesians 3:14-21.

Pastor Julie’s message focus’ on the Pharisees, who focused on secondary concerns, as conservatism tends to do. Conservatism can get so busy building a fence around the treasure that it often forgets what the treasure is. Jesus frees us for weightier matters of justice, mercy and love.

Sunday, September 8, 2024 | Pastor Julie | Our Deadly Systems

Today in worship, Pastor Julie will begin the series “Am I the One?” and preach the message “Our Deadly Systems.” from Matthew 26:17-25. In Matthew 26:22, after Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” the disciples all asked, “Am I the One?” Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 126 and James 2:1-10, 14-17.

In Jerusalem in C.E. 30, three cultural and religious systems contributed to the crucifixion of Jesus: Conservatism, Liberalism, and Hedonism. These same systems are alive and well in 2024, and this series and message will prompt personal and corporate reflection on the ways that we participate in the deadly systems of this world.

Sunday, August 25, 2024 | Pastor Julie | Coming Back to Say Thanks

This Sunday in worship, we welcome back to the pulpit our Senior Pastor, Julie Pennington-Russell . Pastor Julie returned last week from her 12-week sabbatical, and together we marked the end of her sabbatical journey and brought her back into mission and ministry among us joy, gratitude, and hope.

Pastor Julie’s message on Sunday is “Coming Back to Say Thanks” from Luke 17:9-11. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 95:1-7 and Colossians 3:12-17.

August 18 2024 | Mark DeVries | A Camino Kind of Church

This Sunday in worship, we wrap up the sermon series, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?

This Sunday, we will welcome back with joy, gratitude, and hope our Senior Pastor, Julie Pennington-Russell, from her 12-week sabbatical. Pastor Julie will assist with worship leadership this Sunday, and she will return to the pulpit next week: Sunday, August 25.

This week, we will welcome to the pulpit Rev. Mark DeVries. Mark spent 35 years in youth ministry, serving as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee for 28 years. Mark is the co-founder of Ministry Incubators and the founder and of Ministry Architects, the consulting group that has been working alongside First Baptist as they discern and begin to implement their next strategic chapter. Mark is the author of 12 books, including Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry.  He and his wife Susan make their home in Nashville, TN and have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Mark’s message on Sunday is “A Camino Kind of Church” from Mark 1:16-20. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 62:5-12 and Ephesians 1:15-23.

August 11 2024 | Charlie Fuller | The Scent of the Spirit

This morning in worship, we continue the sermon series, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?

The message today is “The Scent of the Spirit” from John 6:35, 41-51. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 34:1-8 and Ephesians 4:25-5:2.

We welcome to the pulpit Rev. Dr. Charlie Fuller. Charlie is a former Executive Pastor of The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC. After failing at retirement, he is currently director of Pathways to Ministry and Coach in Residence for Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Pathways to Ministry is a nearly quarter-century-old ministerial preparation program that, among other things, hires ministerial residents for two-year terms to engage in the practice of ministry.

In addition to his time with First Baptist, Charlie has also been a music professor, dean, music minister, chaplain, and transition pastor. The position in Dallas has brought him and his wife Cindy near to their two daughters and four grandchildren who live in the Dallas suburbs. Charlie is truly excited for the privilege of coming back home to FBCDC!

August 4 2024 | Sterling Severns | The Peacemakers' Journey

This Sunday in worship, we continue the sermon series, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?

The message this Sunday is “The Peacemakers' Journey” from Matthew 5:3-11. Accompanying scripture passages are Micah 6:1-8 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

We will welcome to the pulpit Rev. Sterling W. Severns. Sterling and his wife, Laura, are looking forward to being back among dear friends at FBCDC where he served as Associate Pastor from 1998 - 2004.

Since 2004, Sterling has served as the Senior Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. During his twenty-year tenure, he has focused on rekindling Tabernacle's role as a teaching congregation, partnering with several seminaries and universities to mentor numerous pastoral residents and interns. Under his leadership, Tabernacle has become known for its innovative and participatory worship practices and strong commitment to inclusivity. Sterling guided the congregation through a year-long discernment process on sexuality, leading to the church becoming welcoming and affirming. He also led efforts to integrate diverse ethnic refugee communities from Myanmar into the church's life and leadership and was instrumental in the founding of ReEstablish Richmond, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping newly resettled refugees integrate into the broader Richmond community.

In recent years, Sterling has expanded his ministry by focusing on re-missioning work and equipping pastors around the world. This work involves leading online collectives for church leaders, helping them develop vision and tools to revitalize their congregations. Sterling's leadership is characterized by a wholistic vision that values the interconnectedness of human experiences and prioritizes equipping the church to love God and live like it.

July 28 2024 | Bruce Salmon | A Church That Lives Like Jesus

This morning in worship, we will welcome with gratitude to the pulpit Rev. Bruce Salmon. Bruce graciously agreed to preach on short notice, following a family emergency that impacted Aqueelah Ligonde's ability to be with us in person. 

Bruce is a member of First Baptist Church, and retired pastor of Village Baptist Church in Bowie, Maryland, where he served for 33 years. During that time he preached almost 1,500 original Sunday morning sermons. He taught a Sunday morning Pastor’s Class which read and discussed entire books of the Bible. He also led winter, summer, and Lenten Sunday evening Bible studies for adults. Before his service at Village, he served for eight years as associate pastor of Montgomery Hills Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. Thus, his entire full-time ministerial career was served in two churches in suburban Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. 

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Salmon received the Bachelor of Arts with a major in English from Baylor University. He received the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Ministry degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also received the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University, with a specialization in Clinical Pastoral Counseling. Salmon served on several commissions of the Baptist World Alliance and several committees of the D.C. Baptist Convention. He is the author of several books, including Storytelling in Preaching (Broadman Press) and six titles published by Nurturing Faith Books. He also authored a cover feature for Preaching magazine, “Preaching Without a Net,” which is available online.

Bruce is husband to wife Linda, father to grown children Amy and Marc, and grandfather to granddaughter Ford.

July 21 2024 | Tiffany Triplett Henkel | What Kind of Church?: Who Can Withhold the Water?

This Sunday in worship, we continue the second sabbatical series of the summer, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?

The message this Sunday is “Who Can Withhold the Water?” from Acts 10:44-48. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 98 and John 9-17.

We will welcome to the pulpit Rev. Tiffany Triplett Henkel. Tiffany is the Pastor of Metro Baptist Church and Executive Director of Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries in New York City, where she has served since 2005.

Prior to Metro, Tiffany served on the ministerial staff of Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville, TN where she was also Adjunct Professor of Religion at Belmont University. Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Samford University and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

An active member of her community, Tiffany currently serves on the board of the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance and is a founding member of the Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project.

July 14 2024 | Jonathan Merritt | The Longing for Belonging

This Sunday in worship, we continue the second sabbatical series of the summer, “What Kind of Church?” This series asks three important questions: What is the universal church called to be? What kind of church makes God’s heart glad? What kind of church will make the strongest gospel impact in our fractured, anxious world?

The message this Sunday is “The Longing for Belonging” from 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Accompanying scripture passages are Psalm 24:1-6 and John 15:1-8.

We will welcome to the pulpit noted speaker and author Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan is an award-winning faith and culture writer who has published hundreds of articles in outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, USA Today, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed and Christianity Today. He is the author of five critically-acclaimed books including Learning to Speak God from Scratch, named “Book of the Year” by Englewood Review.

Following worship this week, Jonathan hosted a book signing in the Narthex featuring his debut children’s book My Guncle and Me. You can purchase copies of My Guncle and Me or Jonathan’s book Speaking God from Scratch for on Amazon using the linked titles.

(note that there were technical difficulties - we had to use backup systems - and we apologize for the video and audio quality)

July 7 2024 | Pastor Eric | The Dangerous Act of Worship

This morning in worship we begin the second summer sabbatical series, “What Kind of Church.” Pastor Eric will preach the message titled, “The Dangerous Act of Worship.” The sermon text will be Luke 4:14-21. Accompanying passages will be Nehemiah 8:1-10 and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. We will celebrate communion and collect a benevolence offering in worship, and enjoy our first Sunday potluck fellowship following worship.

June 30 2024 | Chancel Choir | Hymns of the Presidents: A Service of Music and Worship

The FBCDC Chancel Choir leads worship inspired by hymns of the Presidents. This service includes hymns sung by the Chancel Choir and congregation, accompanied by readings that connect the hymns to the life and service of United States Presidents.

June 23 2024 | Glenn Prince | When Hunger Goes Unmet

We continue the summer sabbatical series, “One True Thing.” Our guest proclaimer is Glenn Prince, who grew up in our congregation. He is delivering the message titled, “When Hunger Goes Unmet.” The sermon text is Mark 11:12-14; 20-22. Accompanying passages will be Psalm 138 and Hebrews 13:7-16.

Reverend Glenn Monteith Prince is the Senior Pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and a high school social studies teacher in the historic city of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Reverend Prince accepted Christ at the age of 13 while he attended First Baptist Church of Washington, DC. and accepted his call to the ministry at 17. He was ordained as a Baptist Minister in 1993 and throughout his walk with Christ, Rev Prince has been an educator, author, and community advocate.

Rev. Prince received his Bachelors in History from the University of South Carolina, and Master of Divinity degree from Howard University. He has over 25 years of experience in education as a special education analyst, church health ministry developer and as an organizer, speaker and an adjunct instructor for Claflin University, South Carolina State University and Benedict College. Rev. Prince is an ABD doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology at the University of South Carolina’s School of Education.

Rev Prince moved from Washington, DC to Columbia, SC in 1992. Prior to his current pastorate at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, he served as the Senior Pastor of Shiloh First Independent Church, Dean of Chapel for Benedict College, and as an associate minister where he preached and taught throughout the state.

Rev. Glenn M. Prince is the proud son of Wilma and the late Melvyn Prince, long-time FBCDC members. He is a loving and devoted father of three adult children ages 28, 27, and 21. He is a mentor to many youths and an advocate in the fight against poverty, and for senior care. Pastor Prince loves the Lord and seeks to walk with God each day.

June 16 2024 | Ben Sandford | It Depends on Your Perspective

This week we continue the summer sabbatical series, “One True Thing.” Our guest proclaimer will be Ben Sandford. He will be delivering the message titled, “It Depends on Your Perspective.” The sermon text will be Luke 10:25-37. Accompanying passages will be Deuteronomy 30:9-14 and Colossians 1:9-14.

Chaplain Bennett C. (“Ben”) Sandford, a native of Hampton, Virginia, entered active duty in 2001. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and he has earned a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. His prior service includes 6 years in the Navy Reserves as an Intelligence Specialist.

His first assignment was on USS NORMANDY (CG 60) where he deployed for 6 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002. He then served at CREDO Norfolk from 2003-2006. Transferring to 2D Marine Division, he was assigned to 2D Battalion, 6th Marines, and deployed to Fallujah, Iraq for 7 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon his return, he was reassigned to 2D Combat Engineer Battalion. In January 2009, he reported to U.S. Marine Corps, Special Operations Command, and deployed with the Special Operations Task Force-82 to Herat, Afghanistan for 10 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Chaplain Sandford completed the Pastoral Care Residency program in 2011, and served at Naval Medical Center-Portsmouth in 2012-2014.

Upon promotion to Commander, he became the Director, Surface Forces Ministry Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Following this tour, he served as Command Chaplain, USS HARRY S TRUMAN (CVN 75), and deployed as the Carrier Strike Group EIGHT Chaplain during a 9-month deployment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Norwegian Sea. He was then assigned as Command Chaplain, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. After selecting for Captain, he was forward-deployed to Okinawa, Japan as Wing Chaplain, 1st Marine Air Wing in November 2019. In 2022, he assumed the duties as Force Chaplain at III Marine Expeditionary Force. Chaplain Sandford became the current Director of Strategic Communication for the Chaplain Corps in July 2023.

Captain Sandford’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), Combat Action Ribbon (two awards), and various unit, campaign, and service awards. He is married to the former Lindsey Matthews, and he has three sons and a daughter.