New Jerusalem Deliverance Temple

                                        

The New Jerusalem Deliverance Temple Church was born on July 11, 1991 at a meeting held at the Rose of Sharon Church in Pasadena, MD, pastored by Pastor Paige.  Pastor Robert Johnson called the meeting that evening not knowing how many would show up, but there was a very significant crowd there.  The meeting was opened with song “I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES”.  The first Scripture reading was taken from Deuteronomy 1:1-14.  Prayers were offered by Mother Alice Quinn and the late Elder John E. Johnson, father of the Pastor.

 

The Pastor’s wife, Evangelist Jacqueline Johnson, admonished us to “Let the Church be the Church.  The Church consists of the people and is not a building.”  She said that we have a need for healing as many have been wounded, and she proceeded to minister to us as the Lord directed her to do so.

 

There was a call to get organized as a church family and to find a suitable place to call home for worship.  After revealing that the Lord had given it to her in a dream, Evangelist Johnson gave us a name that everyone was pleased with right away: NEW JERUSALEM DELIVERANCE TEMPLE.

 

Our first meeting place was the Freetown Community Center.  On July 18, 1991, Attorney Alice Pinderhughes came and met with us.  She charged us with becoming a church organization and incorporating to protect ourselves.  It was decided to have a Board of Trustees, headed by our Pastor to write by-laws and to have an organizational meeting to determine how we would operate.  On July 7, 1991, a meeting was held after the Sunday Morning Service and it was decided that we would become affiliated with the United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic) as our parent body.  It was that Tuesday that the Presiding Bishop, Monroe R. Saunders, Sr. and his companion, Mother Alberta Saunders came to Freetown and officially welcomed us into the United Church Body.

 

The church has been moving in a timely fashion since that time.  We have lost some people along the way, but the Lord has added to the church such as should be saved.  In September, 1992, we moved to the First Baptist Church of Freetown on Caldwell Road in Pasadena, MD.  We had some tremendous services at the location and visitations from many churches and pastors.  The late Rev. James McCoy, pastor of First Baptist, was willing to share his facility with us.  We would share the expense of the mortgage and utilities.  This worked well for us for a couple of years.  However, the Board of Trustees and membership began to feel the urge to find a permanent place that we could call our own.

 

It was at this point that after prayer and fasting, that the Lord opened a door and produced a miracle.  We were able to obtain the facility that we are currently in from the late Bishop Agnes Scurry by the way of a miracle that is a story all it’s own.

 

When we obtained the site, there was much to be desired, as it had been vacant for a while.  We were able to completely renovate with the help of Bishop Izett Scott of the First United Church.  While it was being worked on, we worshipped at the home church at 5150 Baltimore National Pike with Bishop Monroe R. Saunders, Jr. who is pastor.  We were able to save money for the few months that we were there and we were allowed to collect our own tithes and offering at each services by the gracious auspices of Bishop Saunders, Jr.

 

Finally the work was complete and on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1995, we held our first Sunday Service in our newly renovated Sanctuary.  The first baptism in the church was in a large tin tub in the back potion of the church building.  In the interim, we have lost by death some of our faithful pillars (Dea. Purvis Johnson; Elder John E. Johnson; Bro. Larry Gordon; Mother Mary Martin; and Mother Cora Davis).  These warriors helped us get this far and will not be forgotten for their faithful service.

 

Since then, we have done renovation in the back area to add new offices; new bathrooms; a full baptismal pool and have purchased the house and the two lots next to the church.  We are on the move and thanking God for what He has done for us and with us.

 

We have had several programs that have operated under the auspices of the church.  The Rites of Passage Program for troubled youth under the directorship of Overseer Dexter Edmund who is one of our sons in the Gospel and is currently pastoring in the Laurel Area.  We are planning to add an Outreach Ministry; Summer Program and other things as we deem necessary for Kingdom Building in this community.

 

In the past few years, we have had some hills to climb but we are moving along and Jesus is leading the way.  We are excited because in 2000, our pastor became a member of the Board of Bishops of the United Church and was elevated to that rank.  At this 36^th Convocation, our Co-pastor Elder Jacqueline Johnson officially became PASTOR of the New Jerusalem Deliverance Temple and her husband turned over the reigns to her to become the Overseer and to do other administrative duties for the local church.  

 

Our great excitement that we are celebrating is that we are now in the expansion phase of our church and by the Grace of God and with His help, we are working on a new sanctuary renovation.  This is our time to be blessed and as our Bishop has admonished us ‘HOLD ONTO YOUR FORKS, THE BEST IS YET TO COME’

 

Special Thanks : To the late Mother Elaine Worrell for recording the first few years of this history and for our Bishop for adding the remaining parts.