[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 118 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EBENEZER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CELEBRATES ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-ONE 
                                 YEARS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 13, 1999

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
celebrating the historic Ebenezer United Methodist Church, a beacon of 
hope and ``The Stone of Help.'' For 161 years, Ebenezer has been a 
leading church in the Nation's capital. To know something of Ebenezer's 
history is to understand why the city and the Congress have abundant 
reasons to celebrate the church's history and its continuing 
contributions.
  The history of Ebenezer United Methodist Church dates back to the 
beginning of Washington, D.C. In 1805, the meeting place of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church is known to have been a dwelling located on 
Greenleaf Point (South Capitol and N Street). The membership consisted 
of ``61 whites and 25 coloreds''. In 1807, the congregation moved to 
Dudley Carroll's barn on New Jersey Avenue, SE. In 1811, services were 
held in a newly constructed edifice at Fourth Street, SE between South 
Carolina Avenue and G Street.
  This first church built by Methodists in Washington was named the 
Fourth Street Station. In 1819, the church was renamed Ebenezer, and 
was later changed to the Fourth Street Methodist Church. At a later 
date, this Parent Church of Ebenezer Church was relocated to Fifth and 
Seward Square, SE, where the name was changed to Trinity Methodist 
Church. On April 30, 1961 Trinity United Methodist Church merged with 
three other churches to form the Capitol Hill United Methodist Church.
  In 1827 the ``colored'' membership had outgrown the galleries which 
were reserved for them in the Mother Church. A lot, located at the 
corner of Fourth and D Streets, SE, was purchased from Rachel and 
William Prout on April 27, 1838. A small frame church building was 
erected under the supervision of the pastor of the Mother Church with 
the assistance of three local preachers. The church was named Little 
Ebenezer, and Reverend Noah Jones became the first colored pastor in 
1864. A private school for colored children was held there, and 
Reverend H. Henson served as the teacher.
  In the District of Columbia, as in other southern areas, education 
was considered the concern of the individual and not the community. As 
long as Negroes were a comparatively minor factor in the community, 
concern over their welfare was not a major consideration of the white 
population. After the start of the Civil War, the situation changed. 
Slaves in the District of Columbia were freed in 1962. Between 1860 and 
1863, the local Negro population increased about 68 percent. Such an 
increase could not be ignored by the whole community. For the mutual 
benefit, private charitable agencies, associations, and individuals, 
northern and local, white and colored, began to recognize the need of 
assistance in this situation.
  In the Spring of 1864, the first public government sponsored school 
for colored children in Washington, D.C. was established and housed 
there. The teachers of the school were Miss Frances W. Perkins, sent by 
the New England Freedmen's Aid Society of Boston, who taught without 
pay, and Mrs. Emma V. Brown, a prominent colored worker who was 
employed by the District Columbia for $400.00 per year. Thirteen months 
later, because of the increasing student population, the school had to 
relocate to a new location at Second and C Street, SE and was named the 
Abraham Lincoln School.
  The significant increase in the congregation of Little Ebenezer 
necessitated the building of a larger church. The second church was 
planned by the Reverend Tillman Jackson in 1867, and built in 1870 
under the pastorship of the pastorship of the Reverend C.G. Keys. Many 
dedicated pastors followed in this period including the Reverend George 
T. Pinckney, under whose pastorate the first Annual Conference was held 
in Ebenezer in 1885. During this period, the term ``Little'' was 
dropped from the name of the church. The Ebenezer Colored Station of 
the Washington Conference Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated 
on September 28, 1891 at 2:00 PM.
  In 1896, the second church was damaged beyond repair during a severe 
storm. Reverend Matthew A. Clair, who later became Bishop, developed 
plans to construct a third church. Reverend John H. Griffin, who 
succeeded him, undertook the implementation and completion of the new 
church.
  In 1939, when the three branches of Methodism met and formed the 
Methodist Church, Ebenezer became Ebenezer Methodist Church. In 1968, 
the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged 
and formed the United Methodist Church. Ebenezer's namer changed to 
Ebenezer U.M.W. Church. In 1975, the Ebenezer U.M.W. Church was 
designated a Historical Landmark.
  Ebenezer continues to be known for her support of education for Black 
children and continues to strive to obtain quality education. From 
October through May, the Work Areas in Education of the church sponsors 
a tutoring program to help students who are having difficulty with 
reading and writing. Church school classes for children of all ages and 
Bible classes for adults are held every Sunday. The Saturday Concerns 
Program involves the youth of the church and the community. The church 
also conducts a Summer Enrichment Program and a Vacation Bible School.
  Mr. Speaker, we in the District of Columbia are happy to have the 
Congress join in recognizing Ebenezer for its many contributions to the 
Nation's capital.

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