The Church of God in Washington, D.C., USA
The Church of God in Washington, D.C., U.S.
| |
| Category | Church |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Worship, Preaching the Gospel, Community Service |
| Location | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Belong to | World Mission Society Church of God |
| Website | Church of God Official Website |
The Church of God in Washington, D.C. is located in Washington, D.C., U.S. It was established in August 2007 and moved to a new temple in July 2012. Its official name is the World Mission Society Church of God in Washington, D.C., U.S.
Sanctuary Overview
- Established: July 31, 2012
- Scale: Two stories above ground, one basement floor, and a total floor area of 641.4㎡
- Facilities: Main worship hall, fellowship hall, study rooms, multi-purpose room, cafeteria, and other activity rooms
- Location: Washington, D.C., U.S.
Features
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. The district is home to White House, the Capitol Building, Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court, which are in the city's center. Other various government agencies such as the Pentagon are also located around the city. The members of the Church of God in Washington, D.C. diligently preach the truth of the new covenant and the love they have received from God Elohim to local residents. They are also making efforts to create a warm and cheerful community by carrying out various activities for citizens and government officials from all walks of life.
Disaster Relief
The Church of God in Washington, D.C. carries out swift and systematic relief efforts whenever local communities face hardships due to unexpected disasters.
In April 2018, when a tornado swept through Lynchburg, Virginia, the members drove over 4 hours to support recovery efforts. They helped the local residents by cleaning up the trees lying on the side of the road and the houses that were ruined by the wind. In June 2016, when a flood struck West Virginia, causing many deaths and property damage,[1] the members in Washington, D.C. quickly went to Clendenin, the impacted area, and scooped out the muddy water that stormed into the houses, took out furniture and household goods, and cleaned them. About a week later, the members of Washington, D.C., and the local church members went to Clendenin again to help with recovery efforts.[2]
In 2012, when Hurricane Sandy, an extremely strong hurricane, hit the eastern US, the Church of God in Washington, D.C., along with the Church of God in New Windsor, carried out a relief activity.[3]
The members also completed the Community Emergency Response Team [CERT] education program so they could appropriately carry out emergency relief in the event of a disaster. CERT is a program to receive education on disaster response skills such as fire safety, search and rescue, and animal relief. After completion, you can quickly approach the site of a disaster with the help of the police, and carry out urgent relief activities.[4] Whenever there is a disaster, regardless of the distance, the members who completed the program go to impacted areas with a sense of responsibility and help the victims recover from the disaster.
Environmental Protection
The Church of God in Washington, D.C. makes every effort to keep the city clean.[5] In June 2017, they carried out an environmental cleanup in Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens. This cleanup was conducted in Washington, D.C. in cooperation with the Department of Energy & Environment [DOEE], and the members collected over 900 kg of garbage, such as car debris and bicycle parts, from parks and nearby roads.[6]
ASEZ, the University Student Volunteer Group, also takes initiative in improving the local environment. A police officer who was on patrol saw the members cleaning up and said, “What you are doing is very important for improving the environment of the area that no one pays attention to.” The residents also cheered for the ASEZ members and gave them snacks and drinks.[7][8]
In July 2017, they were invited to visit the UN headquarters with some Korean members. They held a meeting with the officials in charge of SDGs and specified the direction of their activities to solve various social problems such as environmental pollution and sanitation. They also visited five African embassies, including the Embassies of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Cabo Verde, Mozambique, and Mauritius in the U.S., and had discussion about plans to partner with each country. Each ambassador promised to actively support ASEZ activities.[9] In December of the same year, ASEZ members held an environmental seminar at George Mason University in Virginia, to find practical ways to implement the SDGs. Experts such as Environmentalist Carole LeBlanc and Aerospace Engineer August Kruesi stood at the podium and emphasized the importance of good behavior and having a positive spirit to the young adults.[10]
ASEZ WAO, the Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group, also carries out various environmental protection activities such as removing ecological disturbance plants and collecting plastic trash as part of the No More GPGP Project. In June 2020, more than 50 members gathered at Rock Creek Park, located in the center of the city, and collected plastic trash on the walking trails and in the woods.[11][12] In November of that year, in cooperation with the environmental group Anacostia Riverkeeper, they removed the floating garbage from the Anacostia River and collected about 500 kg of waste such as tires, pieces of carpet, and bed frames. Trey Sherard, a riverkeeper, complimented the members’ work. He said, “I want to work with all of you again. You did a great job. I hope that our relationship will extend to all riverkeepers around the world.”[13]
Neighborly Love
The church members in Washington D.C. take care of their neighbors and practice God’s love according to the Bible’s teaching, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” They help patients in urgent need of blood transfusions by holding blood drives on a regular basis.[14] In August 2015, the members of the eastern United States, including Washington, D.C., gathered in New York to hold a blood drive, and about 1,400 donations were collected to help saved over 4,000 lives.[15]
As the COVID-19 pandemic placed more pressure on educators, university students from the church held “The Future Starts with You” Concert in March 2022 to deliver their thankful and cheerful messages to professors. More than 30 university professors from schools such as Columbia University, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, and Howard University attended the virtual concert. A professor at Columbia University said, “Some may take what we do for granted, and say that we are just doing our job as educators. But it feels great that there are people like these students who acknowledge our work.”[16]
The Church of God in Washington, D.C. also actively supports the youth who will lead the future. Before the school year started, members performed outdoor landscaping and cleaned school classrooms.[17] Some members who are also parents organized an event to help their children prepare for school.[18] The members visited elementary and junior high schools to put wood chips on the school fields to make them softer and helped create an environment where children could run around without the concern of getting hurt. In addition, they visited nursing homes to bring comfort and love to the elderly.
They also carried out traffic safety campaigns in areas where there are many crosswalk accidents. With the help of the police and fire departments, they continuously carry out volunteer activities for the well-being and happiness of their neighbors, including providing public safety education for citizens.[19]
Support for Local Community
Whenever there is a national event or a charity event in the region, the church members provide assistance and emotional support so that it can be carried out smoothly. At the inauguration ceremony of President Donald Trump held at The Capitol on January 20, 2017, they worked as volunteers at the request of the Volunteer Services Department of the city. With bright smiles, the members maintained order, provided guidance, stayed with children that were lost so they could be safe, and helped with the overall safety of the event. They also delivered food to servicemembers who could not freely move from their guard duties. Sharon Pellum, a member of the Department of Health, expressed her gratitude to the members for their efforts. She said, “It was important to welcome and take care of the residents and visitors, and they did such a great job.”[20]
In May 2014, church members worked as supporters at the “Avon Walk for Breast Cancer,” a walkathon to support breast cancer patients. The members raised the morale of the participants and energized the event venue with cheers, encouragement, and great enthusiasm. In October of that year, they supported a walkathon for cancer patients held by the Cancer Society by providing drinks and snacks to the participants. The Church of God in Washington, D.C. held a dinner party for local police officers in September 2016. The police officers received comfort while enjoying dinner and the cultural events prepared by the members. The members also prepared food for the police officers who could not participate because of their work duties. After the dinner, they presented a plaque of appreciation to the police officers who make great efforts to protect the community.[21] On Firefighters’ Day in May 2018, the members visited four nearby fire stations and delivered hearty lunch boxes to the firefighters who work hard day and night.
Awards Received
For their sincere service to the community and their neighbors, the Church of God in Washington, D.C. received the Promising Partnership Award from the Mayor of Washington, D.C. in April 2014.[22] The Mayor of Washington, D.C., sent a letter of congratulations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Church of God, which read, “It is an opportunity to recognize the Church of God for its years of service and fellowship to pursue the goals of peace and harmony to all.”[23]
External links
- "World Mission Society Church of God Washington D.C."
- "The Church of God in Washington, D.C., U.S." Church of God Official Website.
See also
- The Church of God in North America
- North America Church of God’s Emergency Relief
- North America Church of God’s Welfare Promotion
- Church of God U.S. Hurricane Damage Restoration Work
- The Church of God in Middletown, CT, USA
- The Church of God in Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Church of God in Ridgewood, NJ, USA
- The Church of God in Belleville, NJ, USA
- The Church of God in New Windsor, NY, USA
- The Church of God in Philadelphia, PA, USA
References
- ↑ "West Virginia Floods: 23 Killed, Including Toddler, as Thousands Left Without Power," NBC news, June 24, 2016
- ↑ "West Virginia Flood Relief Efforts," WMSCOG EAST COAST, July 17, 2016
- ↑ "Volunteer Relief Efforts by the New York Church After Hurricane Sandy". English WATV. October 30, 2012.
- ↑ "[Planning & Volunteerism] Volunteer Work Continues Around the World". Aju News. September 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Park Cleanups," East of the River, February 7, 2020
- ↑ "Father's Day Park Cleanup," Washington DC WMSCOG, June 25, 2017
- ↑ "On Earth Day". WATV.org. April 22, 2018.
- ↑ "ASEZ Mother's Street Project at H Street," Washington DC WMSCOG, July 30, 2017
- ↑ "Establishing the Proposal for Implementation of the UN SDGs and Building Up an International Network". ASEZ.org. January 30, 2018.
- ↑ "Korea-US ASEZ Searches the Roles of Students for SDGs through Seminar on Environment". ASEZ.org. January 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Rock Creek Park Cleanup Hosted by ASEZ WAO," Washington DC WMSCOG, June 13, 2020
- ↑ "More than 50 volunteers gather to help clean up Rock Creek Park," abc 7 News, June 14, 2021
- ↑ "Anacostia River Area Cleanup Hosted by ASEZ WAO," Washington DC WMSCOG, November 8, 2020
- ↑ "A Step to Make the World a Happier Place for Families, Neighbors, and all of Humanity". Weekly DongA. January 16, 2020.
- ↑ "Record-Breaking Mega Blood Drive 2015," WMSCOG EAST COAST, August 9, 2015
- ↑ "A Message Delivered Through the Cheering Concert in Washington, D.C., U.S., "Thank you, Professor." ASEZ Cheer Up Concert". ASEZ.org. March 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Volunteers work to beautify 4 Chesterfield County Schools," abc 8 News, July 30, 2017
- ↑ "Back-to-School Encouragement Rally," Washington DC WMSCOG, August 27, 2016
- ↑ "Capitol Hill Residents Organize to Weigh Concerns About Recent Crime," Hill Now, October 23, 2015
- ↑ "2017 Presidential Inauguration Volunteer Service," Washington DC WMSCOG, January 30, 2017
- ↑ "Police Appreciation Dinners," Washington DC WMSCOG, September 26, 2016
- ↑ "Promising Partnership Award 2014". WATV Awards. April 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Congratulations Letter from Washington D.C. Mayor". WATV Awards. May 19, 2014.