321days since
Inauguration Day

Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington 1500 9th Street NW Washington, DC 20001

 
The Inaugural Committee of Shiloh thanks you for choosing to worship, celebrate, dine, view, cheer, reflect and enjoy the moments that comprise the 44th Inaugural with the Shiloh Baptist Church global community.
 
Committee Members:
Joanne Beasley,  Rev. George Mensah, Yelberton Watkins, Willa Hall Smith, Dr. Rochelle Hardy, Walter Pryor, George Hardy, J. Otis Harris, Jr., Andrea Johnson, Min. Thomas Bowen, Lorraine Miller, Thomas Tyler, Tracey Walker, Chuck Hall, Donald Richardson,  Jo Fisher-Hall, Ed Washington, Bob Bates, Dr. Hattie Davis, Muriel Lewis, Marlene Howard, Christine Clark, Diana Roach, Warren Pyles
 
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith, Senior Minister

Pastor's Message

 

 Dear Friends, 
Welcome to the Shiloh Baptist Church website which celebrates the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. Much of the world joins us as we celebrate this truly momentous event.
 
A few weeks ago as we gathered in our sanctuary to watch the election returns we held a special worship and prayer service.  ABC News covered our gathering and reporters from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and the Manchester Guardian took interviews.  We are delighted that in partnership with ABC News, Shiloh is one of the venues to watch the swearing in of our next president, as well as the parade and other exciting events    Read More...
 
    

Inaugural Worship Services

7:45AM
Shiloh Baptist Church
1500 9th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
 
 "SERVICE OF HOPE & INSPIRATION" 
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith
Senior Minister
 

Wallace Charles Smith, D.Min.
Senior Minister
Shiloh Baptist Church


The Reverend Dr. Wallace Charles Smith is senior minister of the historic Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington, DC, one of the oldest African American congregations in the city. With a membership of over 4,000 persons, Shiloh's congregation has a long history of community outreach and family-empowered ministries.

In addition to his ministry as pastor of Shiloh, he also serves as president of Palmer Baptist Seminary (formerly Eastern Baptist Seminary) in Philadelphia, PA, and is a popular guest lecturer and teacher.  Dr. Smith is a vice president of the Baptist World Alliance, a worldwide fellowship organization representing Baptists in more than 160 countries. He has served as chair of the Budget Committee of the Baptist World Alliance and as chair of the Study Commission on Freedom and Justice. In that capacity, he was part of the team that visited South Africa to help bring about reconciliation between Black and White Baptists.

He was also a major participant in an international seminar on racial reconciliation held at the Carter Center in Atlanta, and authored segments of an international declaration against racism which has been used by churches and conventions throughout the world. He has traveled extensively and preached in South Africa, Argentina, Russia, Zimbabwe, and Cuba.

A longtime member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., he taught leadership courses, led seminars and served as trustee of the Board of Home Missions. He has been a guest speaker at meetings of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and is in great demand throughout the country as a guest speaker and revival preacher.

He is contributing editor to The Pulpit Digest, has written numerous articles, including guest editorials for the Washington Post, chapters for several books, and is the author of a book, The Church in the Life of the Black Family (Judson Press).

10:55AM
Shiloh Baptist Church
1500 9th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
 
"SERVICE OF CELEBRATION"
 Guest Speaker:
The Honorable John Lewis
US House of Representatives
 

Often called  "one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced," John Lewis has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he calls "The Beloved Community" in America.   His dedication to the highest ethical standards and moral principles has won him the admiration of many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the United States Congress.  
 
While still a young man, John Lewis became a nationally recognized leader. By 1963, he was dubbed one of the Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. (The others were Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer and Roy Wilkins). At the age of 23, he was an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.

Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks and serious injuries, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence.

John Lewis holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Fisk University, and he is a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary, both in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been awarded over 50 honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and universities throughout the United States, including Spelman College, Princeton University, Duke University, Morehouse College, Clark-Atlanta University and Howard University.

He is Senior Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Party in leadership in the House, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, a member of its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Oversight.

John Lewis authored his biography with writer Michael D'Orso, entitled Walking With The Wind: A Memoir of the Movement (June, 1998).  In 2006, two other books were written about his life:  Freedom Riders:  John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement, by Ann Bausum  and John Lewis in the Lead , by Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson, with illustrations by famous Georgia artist, Bennie Andrews.  John Lewis has also been featured in many books about the civil rights movement, including The Children by David Halberstam and the Taylor Branch series on the Movement