Reid Temple A.M.E. Church
Encyclopedia
The Reid Temple A.M.E. Church is an African Methodist Episcopal megachurch
located in Glenn Dale, Maryland
, USA to the northeast of Washington, DC.
In 2008, Outreach Magazine
reported that attendance was 7,500, making it the 88th largest church in the USA.
As of 2010 membership exceeded 8,000.
with over 23,000 members.
The Reid Temple A.M.E. Church has its origins in the former Dent Chapel of Bladensburg, Maryland
, purchased in 1900 from the Methodist Episcopal Church
and named for its first pastor, Reverend Abraham Dent.
The Dent Chapel was severely damaged by flooding in the late 1950s and the congregation was forced to find a new location.
The new Reid Temple A.M.E. Church was opened on October 4, 1964 on Michigan Avenue, NE in Washington, DC, initially burdened with debt and with limited facilities.
These problems were overcome, and with a congregation that had grown to 300 members, Reid relocated to Good Luck Road in Lanham, Maryland
in January 1990.
The new sanctuary cost $28 million to complete.
The Glenn Dale worship center has a seating capacity of 3,000 and is designed to support a very energetic worship style,
including a choir with 300 members backed up by a band with electric guitars, organ and drums.
The center has carefully designed acoustics, and has modern sound and video projection systems.
The mass gospel choir, led by award-winning recording artist Myrna Summers
, provides a stirring accompaniment to the preaching and prayers.
The church includes the on-campus Reid Temple Christian Academy, teaching up to Grade 7.
In July 2005 the church awarded $100,000 in scholarships to twenty of their high school graduates to help them in their college and university education.
The affiliated Reid Community Development Corporation provides programs and resources to assist socially and economically disadvantaged residents of the area.
The church also runs a credit union to provide financial advice and assistance to its members.
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
located in Glenn Dale, Maryland
Glenn Dale, Maryland
Glenn Dale is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,609 at the 2000 census...
, USA to the northeast of Washington, DC.
In 2008, Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Vista, California. It focuses on activities of growing churches and is non-denominational.It is a periodical from the organization Outreach, Inc...
reported that attendance was 7,500, making it the 88th largest church in the USA.
As of 2010 membership exceeded 8,000.
Background
The parent AME Church is a Methodist denomination founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816. The AME Church now has over 2,000,000 members in North and South America, Africa and Europe, and includes other major churches such as the First A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles with over 19,000 members and the Greater Allen A. M. E. Cathedral of New YorkGreater Allen A. M. E. Cathedral of New York
The Greater Allen Cathedral of New York is an African Methodist Episcopal cathedral located in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The congregation is over 23,000 members, and Prospect Magazine named the cathedral the 57th largest church in the United States of America....
with over 23,000 members.
The Reid Temple A.M.E. Church has its origins in the former Dent Chapel of Bladensburg, Maryland
Bladensburg, Maryland
Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,661 at the 2000 census.Bladensburg is from central Washington, DC...
, purchased in 1900 from the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and named for its first pastor, Reverend Abraham Dent.
The Dent Chapel was severely damaged by flooding in the late 1950s and the congregation was forced to find a new location.
The new Reid Temple A.M.E. Church was opened on October 4, 1964 on Michigan Avenue, NE in Washington, DC, initially burdened with debt and with limited facilities.
These problems were overcome, and with a congregation that had grown to 300 members, Reid relocated to Good Luck Road in Lanham, Maryland
Lanham, Maryland
Lanham is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County in the State of Maryland in the United States of America. Because it is not formally incorporated, it has no official boundaries, but the United States Census Bureau has defined a census-designated place consisting of Lanham and the...
in January 1990.
Today
The senior pastor is Lee P. Washington, who led the move to Lanham, and as the congregation continued to grow led the drive to establish new worship facilities in Glenn Dale which opened in December 2004.The new sanctuary cost $28 million to complete.
The Glenn Dale worship center has a seating capacity of 3,000 and is designed to support a very energetic worship style,
including a choir with 300 members backed up by a band with electric guitars, organ and drums.
The center has carefully designed acoustics, and has modern sound and video projection systems.
The mass gospel choir, led by award-winning recording artist Myrna Summers
Myrna Summers
Myrna Summers is a Gospel Music singer who has performed professionally for over four decades and is now the Minister of Music at Reid Temple A.M.E. Church in Glenn Dale, Maryland.She has a commanding yet distinctive alto voice....
, provides a stirring accompaniment to the preaching and prayers.
The church includes the on-campus Reid Temple Christian Academy, teaching up to Grade 7.
In July 2005 the church awarded $100,000 in scholarships to twenty of their high school graduates to help them in their college and university education.
The affiliated Reid Community Development Corporation provides programs and resources to assist socially and economically disadvantaged residents of the area.
The church also runs a credit union to provide financial advice and assistance to its members.