Church News
Compiled by Bruce Henderson
re-dedication of the
washington new church
building
By Bonnie Cowley
This church has been rebuilt from a love of
worshiping the Lord God Jesus Christ, the one
God of heaven and earth. This building will
provide a setting in which people can come
together to be supported in their paths of life. For
here their spirits can be uplifted. Here the glorious truths of the Lord’s Threefold
Word willbe preached fearlessly. Here, in the sphere of worship, the Lord can flow
into their hearts, blessing them with warmth and joy. And here they can feel the
Lord’s presence bringing holiness to their very lives. (The Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith –
Re-Dedication Service, November 23, 2014)
It is hard to describe with words the changes that have been made to
the building at the Washington New Church. Even pictures of the new and
remodeled facility can’t convey the feelings of promise and hope that the
completion of this project has brought. But when planning began it was even
harder to visualize what form this building would take that could suit the
future uses of the church, nor what the focus of the next generation would be.
Yet this is what the congregation did nearly 50 years ago. They knew that
change was needed for the society to grow and flourish. They knew not the
future any more than we do now, yet with leadership, planning and vision
they moved The Washington Church of the New Jerusalem from Washington,
D.C., to what was then farm country in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
They built a modest but functional building which housed several classrooms,
offices, an all-purpose room and a beautifully designed sanctuary.
The society did grow, adding a school in 1970 which subsequently afforded
a New Church education to two generations of children. The school became
a real focus for the church in Washington and quickly gained a reputation
for being a top-notch feeder school for the Academy Schools in Bryn Athyn.
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