Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church located in the heart of downtown Washington, DC. The congregation was founded in 1838, and the current location has the distinction of being the oldest continuously Black-owned property in DC. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. For more than 180 years, Metropolitan has been the home of thousands of congregants and has hosted funerals of dignitaries like Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, and Gwen Ifill (a committed member of the congregation). While Metropolitan has hosted presidents, authors, and creative artists, its foremost achievement is the impact it makes on the lives of its members and the communities it serves. Under the episcopal leadership of Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Metropolitan AME Church is guided currently by Pastor William H. Lamar IV, whose vision of worship, liberation, and service informs all of the church’s activity—from Sunday service to the Sarah Allen Missionary Society foodbank initiative. The congregation meets the needs of its members through a range of worship opportunities, and the worship and creative arts ministry is at the center of these opportunities.
