ABOUT US - Our History

Pisgah SDA Church, Bryans Road, Maryland

The Pisgah Seventh-Day Adventist Church started as a dream of Sister Edna Bailey Criddle. For many years, Sister Criddle was the only known black Adventist in Charles County, and as such was very diligent in carrying out her God-given responsibility to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although a member of the Ephesus Church in Washington, D.C., she conducted numerous home bible studies and branch Sabbath Schools in Charles County long before the Pisgah Church was formally organized. Realizing the magnitude of the work, she appealed for help from the members of Ephesus Church. A company of interested and dedicated persons was formed, who met at the houses of Sisters Criddle and Hancock.

In response to Sister Criddle's desire to have a church in her community, Elder Walter Starks of the Dupont Park Church (formerly Ephesus) dispatched some workers to the area in preparation for an evangelistic meeting in 1964.

Brother & Sister Rallie Brown, Sr., Charter Members

Lay Elders Wilmer Hunt and Henry Smith assisted, as did workers Edna Criddle, Josephine Flowers, Nettie Lewis, Amos Lewis, Earline Smith, Edith Winters, Catherine Rivers Jackson, Malachi McKelvin, Timothy Bright, Robert Pyndell, Helen Pyndell, Bernard Smith, and Mildred Hunt.

From the evangelistic effort, ten souls were baptized. Included among the ten were Rallie Brown, Sr. and his wife, Liza Ann of Pisgah, Maryland, whose home was used for church services for a brief period immediately after the tent effort.

When the group grew too large for the Brown's home, they moved to Sister Hancock's home. Continued growth necessitated moves to the following locations: The Grange Hall, Mason Spring School in Pisgah, and then to Elder and Mrs. Smith's home on Nelson Point Road. It was at Elder Smith's home in 1968 that Elder W.A. Thompson, then president of the Allegheny East Conference, organized the Company into a Church with Elders Henry L. Smith and William Hunt serving as lay pastors until Elder Mack Wilson was appointed as pastor. From the Smith's home, the church moved to the Elks Home on Bryans Road, and Elder James Clements served as the spiritual leader. The church continued to grow and later moved to the J.C. Parks School, with the appointment of Elder Alonzo L. Banks as pastor. Lay elders were very active in the leadership of the church, on of which was Elder Lawrence Saunders, whose dedicated and committed work resulted in many new converts.

Replacing the interim pastor, Elder Harold Singleton, Elder Colin Brathwaite was appointed pastor in 1979. The congregation worshipped at the Faith Methodist Church in Accokeek, Maryland. Under the leadership of Pastor Brathwaite, the church's building project, which has begun many years ago, rapidly progressed.

Groundbreaking, Liza Ann Brown & Rallie Brown, Jr.

The succeeding pastor was Elder Amos Hosten, whose associate was Pastor Carl Hines. The Pisgah congregation began worshipping at the Metropolitan Methodist Church in Bryans Road, Maryland and did so for three years, during the construction phase of the Pisgah Seventh-Day Adventist Church building project. The Metropolitan Methodist Church congregation was gracious beyond measure and their hospitality and generosity will always be remembered. Pastor LeCount Butler was assigned to assist in the construction phase of the building project. Many hours (night and day) were spent in prayer and dedication labor to erect a sanctuary that would appropriately represent the God we serve. It was remarkable to see God use ordinary people, who overnight became carpenters, roofers, land surveyors, bricklayers, chain saw operators, painters, and electricians. Another blessing was to see God unite the hearts of so many different people to work as one for His cause. What a remarkable demonstration of the POWER OF THE LIVING GOD to the neighboring community.

Construction in progress

In 1985, LeCount Butler became full-time pastor of the Pisgah Church. Under his able leadership, and through the prayers, hard work, dedication and financial support of the members of Pisgah (old, young, and in-between), former pastors and many friends, a "lighthouse" was erected on Bumpy Oak Road to the Glory of God and for the service of mankind. The opening celebration began on Friday, February 28, 1986 and ended with a dedication service on Sunday, March 2 1986.

Pastor LeCount Butler's tenure was through early 1987, after which Alonzo Wagner was appointed as interim pastor. In March 1987, Pastor Bruce Flynn was appointed to shepherd the flock of the Pisgah SDA Church.