Community of Hope Finds New Life

Story by Richard Castillo

Community of Hope is a church that has experienced many changes in its lifetime. At some points, it may have even been considered dead. With much prayer and fantastic resilience, this church has risen from obscurity and found new life in a new location.

The church, known by several names and located in various places, has had a rich and diverse history. The pandemic, a significantly challenging chapter for many churches across the denomination, led the membership to a period of reflection and reassessment.

Pastor Paul Graham was appointed as pastor of Community of Hope Dec. 10, 2022. With his signature energy, drive and optimism, Graham envisioned the church from a modern perspective. He relaunched the church utilizing Takoma Academy’s auditorium in Takoma Park, Md., as a worship location. Still, he made it clear that the new structure for the church would be a hybrid model, embodying both an in-person structure and being heavily supportive of the online audience that had grown out of necessity during the pandemic. “The church desires to make disciples who are ‘Hope Dealers,’” says Graham. “We want them to provide hope to the community and each individual.”

The Potomac Conference recently dedicated a property in the Camp Springs/Temple Hills area of the D.C./Maryland/Virginia region to serve as its northern office. A portion of the property includes a beautiful chapel accommodating around 200 attendees. A unique aspect of the location is its ability to fill an empty spot on a map of churches across the metro area—perfect for Community of Hope.

“By using our newly dedicated campus to serve not only as an administrative office but as a meeting place for the Community of Hope congregation,” says Charles A. Tapp, Potomac Conference president, “helps to transform this space into an outreach center that is well-positioned to serve the community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Sharon Green, church clerk, says, “I’m motivated by the freedom to worship in a safe environment that has been created for members to be transparent without judgment, a genuine desire to be unified, and the many opportunities to use my gifts and talents to help build up the body and to serve the new community.”

With standing room only at the recent launch of Community of Hope’s new location, this growing church is poised to grow in abundance. By God’s grace, miracles will continue to multiply as these dedicated members make their mark on the south side of the Beltway, say conference leaders.