The history of the Outreach Ministry started back at Peace Baptist Church located off of 18th and Benning Rd., N.E. Washington, D.C., Pastor D's father's church. That was the church where I got saved in 1977.

Pastor D's father, Rev. Arie Mangrum, conducted an outreach into the immediate neighborhood near the church. We would go 'door to door' asking people if we could come in and show them the plan of salvation. Many people would be saved this way and later join the church.

I later read in Mathew chapter 25:35-

35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

That set of verses inspired me to do more than just help Pastor Mangrum in the 'door to door' witnessing once a month. I began to go to the hospitals and visit the sick. I witnessed on my job, on the subway, buses, street corners. I went to the highways and byways and compelled them to come in. It was strange that I could get very few church members to join me in reaching out for the lost. After a while, the Lord did send two or three people to help.

In 1980 the Lord called me into the ministry and I gave my trial sermon at Peace Baptist. Shortly afterwards, I left Peace Baptist to help my uncle who had just started a church named "Evening Light Church of Christ". This church was located off of Alabama Ave., in S.E. Washington D.C. I continued to do the "door to door" witnessing I had learned from Pastor Mangrum at Peace Baptist around the vicinity of the Evening Light Church of Christ.

I stumbled across a whole complex of half way houses in the process of this door to door witnessing. A few Sundays later our church was filled with the people who were residents at these half way houses. The half way house was called "Hope Village".

A few years later they began to move the residents out from the "Hope Village" in order to bring in newly released prisoners from jail. A lot of the residents were moved to two new half way houses, one was called "The Caldwell Home", located on Good Hope Rd. in S.E. Washington D.C. I would conduct services at this location and at another half way house, "The Harrison House", located off of 18th and East Capital St., S.E.

When the residents were moved from Hope Village, The Evening Light church lost a lot of its members. This was about the time I started visiting Cornerstone, before it merged with Peaceful Bible Baptist. I left the Eveing Light church and joined Cornerstone about 1984. I continued conducting services at the Caldwell Home and Harrison house after I joined. Basically I brought an outreach ministry to Cornerstone.

Eventually the Caldwell home and Harrison House were closed. But the Lord began to open up doors in other areas. Outreach ministries were started at D.C. General's PCP ward 42, Shepherd's Cove women's shelter, P.G. House men's shelter, Cheltenham Boys Village, American Rescue Workers Drug Rehab program, St. More's Nursing Home, and Waxters Women Detention Facility. I would also do some 'street ministry' off and on during this time. The Outreach ministry grew to about 45 members at one point.

The P.G. House, D.C. General and Waxters Outreaches are no longer in operation. The Boys Village and American Rescue Workers Outreaches are on hold. The Shepherd's Cove and St. More's Outreaches are currently in operation.

I left Cornerstone Peaceful Bible Baptist church (CPBBC) to start a church called Faith Evangelical Baptist church. This effort didn't work out and Pastor 'D' suggested I come back to CPBBC and "drop back and punt".

While I was starting the church, I started a bible study at the Shepherd's Cove women's shelter, helped out the choir at the "Mission of Love" church located inside the women's shelter, and assisted on my saxophone at the "Gospel Rescue Ministries" mens' shelter located 810 5th St. N.W., Washington, D.C.

I am hoping the Outreach ministry will begin to expand again with new outreaches, evangelize the internet and do more outdoor and street evangelism. The long range plan of course is to eventually "go into all the world, and preach the gospel".(Mark 16:15)