Metropolitan Newsletter - Week of March 16, 2025
- Evan Taylor
- Mar 15
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Worship for Black Press Sunday and Lay Annual Day, 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 at 7 am Monday through Friday; and the Men's Prayer Call at 7:30 am on Monday. Noon Day and Pastor's Study is on break.
Engage in ministry with us this season - Sign up for the Truth and Action RoundUp from Sojourners; Volunteer to Support Youth and Families Ministry; Apply for Ifill, McZier, and McClain Scholarships (Feb 15-May 1); Download the Lent 2025 guide (March 5-April 20); RSVP for Immigration Ministry Collective Discernment Session (March 16); SAMs Food Bank (March 22); Women's Veteran's Committee Event (March 22); Sankofa Dinner with Storytelling (March 23); Sign up for Girls Who Code Session (March 29-May 17); Register for Super Science Saturday [Boys 12 and under] (March 29); RSVP for Young Men's Fellowship [ages 13-25] (March 29); Metropolitan Teen Lockdown (April 4-5); Veteran's Council Meeting (April 9); RSVP to Attend Radical Rest (April 27); & Heritage of Heroes: Celebrating Black Military Service and Patriotism (May 3).
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.
In 2025, we will introduce a weekly Sankofa moment. Sankofa comes from the Adinkra cultural system and means, "It is not taboo to return and fetch it when you forget." Each Sunday, as part of our Sankofa practice, we will "fetch" the wisdom, words, faith, and lessons learned from our ancestors. At Metropolitan AME Church, we are dedicated to honoring the legacies of our past while actively working toward our future. This weekly Sankofa moment is not just a one-time event, but a commitment to our cultural heritage that we will uphold continuously. Ashe and Amen.
Join us on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 10:00 AM for the Robert R. & Ora B. Kelly Lay Organization Annual Day at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church. This year’s theme is “Living A Global Witness Ministry That Transforms, Transcends, and Liberates.” Our guest speaker is Bro. Ravi Perry, Professor of Political Science at Howard University. Attend in person or stream live on YouTube and Facebook.
Are you interested in deepening your connection with God, self, and community during this Lenten season? If so, join us for a 40-day Lenten spiritual journey. In this 6-week communal practice we invite you to explore themes around fasting, embodiment, resistance, and Spirit work through a community prayer wall, playlists for lament, reflection, hope and resources for spiritual practices this season.
From Bishop Reginald T. Jackson - February 24, 2025- To the Second Episcopal District
The Boycott will begin on Wednesday, March 5th, Ash Wednesday and will go until Saturday, April 19th, the close of the Lenten Season. The Boycott is in response to Target’s elimination of its Diversity Programs. This is at the behest of the Trump Administration. We should not spend our dollars with stores that do not support our efforts to advance and for which we are qualified. We do not seek tokenism but a level playing field. We also do not want to hurt Black vendors at Target, so we encourage you to shop online to support them. Please support this Boycott to stand up for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
From the Council of Bishops - Christian Recorder
The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church encourages all members to support a boycott of Target Stores across the United States beginning Wednesday, March 5th, Ash Wednesday, and continuing through Saturday, April 19th, the 40 days of Lent.
This action is in response to Target terminating its Diversity Program to support the efforts of the Trump Administration to end Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion across the United States. It makes no sense for Blacks to spend our dollars at companies that do not support providing opportunities to qualified Blacks and other minorities at their businesses. Terminating diversity efforts infers that Blacks and people of color who get promoted are beneficiaries of tokenism and not merit. This is false and a stigma that the Trump Administration and many conservatives want to project.
Some are concerned that this boycott will hurt minority vendors. This does not have to be so. If you must patronize Target, buy only products labeled "Black-owned." Also, visit https://www.targetfast.org/ for more information.
The Lent Guide for 2025 is now available. You can access it on the Metropolitan website and via Issuu using the button below.
We will host a church conference via Zoom on Monday, March 17 at 7pm. During this conference we will elect our delegates for Annual Conference and District Conference. Register to join this by Zoom.
The Fourth Quarterly Conference with Presiding Elder Jonathan L. Weaver is scheduled to be held in person in Douglass Hall on Tuesday, March 18 at 7:00 PM. This conference will be available on Zoom with audio only.
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!
Our discernment process is designed to give members deliberate time to discuss essential information and explore critical considerations about the formation of our immigration ministry. Three seminars anchoring this process are aimed to foster deep personal reflection on various roles and impact of contributing to the ministry. On March 16, we will provide an overview and spiritual grounding for the process. Please complete the survey to share your interests and knowledge and to RSVP for the informational session by Wednesday, March 12th.
Please join us this week, Monday-Friday, from 7 am-7:15 am for “Meditations with Metropolitan.” 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 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.
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, 2025 - April 15, 2025. Applications can be downloaded or can be requested and delivered via email from mamecscholarship@gmail.com.
The deadline for submitting applications and all supporting documents is April 15, 2025.
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, 2025, 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.
The 2025 Ifill, McZier and McClain scholarship applications are now available. All completed applications are due by May 1, 2025. Completed applications should be submitted via email to scholarships@metropolitanamec.org on or before May 1, 2025.
The Sarah Allen Missionary Society Food Bank of the Metropolitan AME Church announces that in-person food bank operations will be held on Saturday, March 22nd, from 9 am to 3 pm. The SAMS Food Bank is also accepting new food bank recipients.
Please see the flyer with the QR code and 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.
Join us for a Sankofa Dinner, a special intergenerational gathering dedicated to preserving the rich tradition of Black storytelling. Rooted in the Sankofa principle—honoring the past to build a stronger future—this dinner will bring together voices from across generations to share wisdom, faith, and family stories that shape our identity. Through heartfelt conversations, traditional rituals, and a shared meal, we will celebrate the power of storytelling as a bridge between history and hope. Register now to secure your seat at the table!
Registration is now open for GWC Club 58425's Spring 2025 Session! Join us for an 8-week virtual program designed to empower and inspire. Sessions are held Saturdays, March 29 – May 17, 2025, from 11 AM – 12 PM via Zoom. Best of all, it's FREE, sponsored by the Daniel Alexander Payne CDC! For more information or to register, email cprimas@msn.com. Don’t miss out!
"Super Science Saturday" A two-hour fun science session that will be a blast! There will be activities that stimulate their minds, encourage teamwork, and themes of faith and endurance that are important in life. Registration with the QR Code for Boys Ages 12 and Under.
Calling all Young Men ages 13-25, Join us for our inaugural fellowship. Register by using the QR Code. Activity info will be shared closer to the event date.
All Youth in 9th to 12th grades are invited to attend the Metropolitan Teen Lockdown hosted by Youth and Families Ministry on April 4th and 5th. Register to attend using the QR code above or the link below. Contact Rev. Thomas A. Brackeen, Jr, for more information via email at youthministry@metropolitanamec.org.
Youth and Family Ministry is partnering with the Black Health Research Lab to provide a space for our Metropolitan families to learn how to use rest as resistance and discuss wellness strategies as we navigate unprecedented issues in our society. Join us by registering with the QR Code or Eventbrite link.
Stay Informed and Inspired: Sign Up for the Truth and Action Round Up!
In the wake of the 2024 election, it's important to stay connected to truth and action, without being bombarded by the 24-hr news cycle. Sojourners’ Truth and Action Round Up is a source of news, actionable steps, and uplifting inspiration—shared three times of week. Together, we can navigate the challenges ahead and work toward justice and hope. Sign up today.
Save the Date for Saturday, May 3rd, 2025. Metropolitan AME Veterans Council will partner with Ebenezer AME and Greater Mt. Nebo AME to host "Heritage of Heroes: Celebrating Black Military Service and Patriotism" in collaboration with the VA Center for Faith-based Initiatives for veterans and their dependents. The event will take place during military appreciation month in May.
For more information and to reserve a spot visit the event listing on Eventbrite.
Have something to share with the congregation? Please send ALL announcement information to announcements@metropolitanamec.org. Blurbs should be no longer than 75 words.
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.
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