Baltimore, Maryland
Outreach Ministry

May 18, 2008

By Taiwo Oladapo

Our Apostolic Faith Church in Washington, D.C., officially launched its outreach ministry in Baltimore, Maryland, on Sunday, May 18. We were able to obtain the use of a local Baltimore church for these meetings, and instead of having the dedication service in the multipurpose room where we were scheduled, the pastor graciously invited us to use the sanctuary with the sound system and organ. The service began with a welcome by Ayodele Mobolurin, followed by Seye Banjo leading the congregation in singing “There is Power in the Blood” and “Love Lifted Me.” Reverend Josephine McElveen then gave thanks to God and the local church for the open door that has been provided to begin this ministry in the Baltimore area.

Following prayer, we heard testimonies from the brethren who will be leading the Gospel work in Baltimore. Akanimo Ekanem, who resides in Baltimore and has been conducting Bible studies in his home, thanked God for opening doors and told how the saints in Baltimore had longed for the opportunity to reach out to others in their community. He also encouraged those in attendance to tell a friend about the services and invite them to attend. Kenrick Samuel testified of how his mother had raised him in the Gospel, and he is thankful that God saved his soul. He also told of God's powerful work of sanctification in his life as a young person while he still resided in Saint Thomas , Virgin Islands . Later, the Lord laid it on his heart to make restitution to his mother, and that same night God baptized him with the Holy Spirit.

Seye Banjo, Solomon Ogunbiyi, and Kehinde Adebanjo harmoniously sang “Jesus Will Give You Rest.” Reverend Josephine McElveen read the Scripture reading from Luke 9:61 to Luke 10:9 about being laborers in the Lord's service, and 1 Corinthians 3:4-10, which says that if we do our part, God will give the increase. Following the Scripture reading, Kehinde Adebanjo and Solomon Ogunbiyi sang “Where Could I Go But to the Lord.”

Peter McPhun, the outreach director, brought a very inspiring message titled “Salt and Light.” He spoke about the calamities of the previous week in Myanmar, China, and Pakistan, and challenged those in attendance to respond to the call of God by reaching out to those who are lost in sin. He said that God has called the Church to be salt and light. Salt prevents decay, and we can reach out to touch and heal the world with God's love. There is decay, death, and darkness in the world, but God wants Christians to show people the wholeness of the Gospel so that sinners will be saved. Salt gives an appetite! As Christians, we want to retain our spiritual saltiness so that others will want to receive what we have. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said that we are the light of the world, and our responsibility as Christians is to make sure the Light of God is shining through us. Peter McPhun closed his sermon by saying, “God has put something in us that we can impart to the world; I pray that God will help us to be salt and light here in Baltimore!”

For further information on these services, contact information can be found at www.apostolicfaith.org/aboutus/location/washingtondc.asp.