Red Nose

Church Street: The Stats

The Church Street project is officially complete! Shall we, as they say in the statistics biz, slice and dice the data?

Total distance: 14.6 miles of New Hampshire Avenue, Montgomery County Maryland, between Route 29 and Route 97.

Total number of houses of worship: 34

That's about 2.3 houses of worship per mile.

Number of Christian houses of worship: 30

• Evangelical Christian: 6 (Iglesia de Dios, Eun Sam, Tiempo de Gracia, First Alliance, Immanuel's Church, New Hampshire Avenue Gospel Chapel)
• Catholic: 3 (St. John the Baptist, Our Lady of Vietnam, Holy Trinity Ukrainian)
• Baptist: 3 (Resurrection, Colesville, Ashton)
• Seventh-Day Adventist: 3 (Iglesia Adventista de Septime Dio, Emmanuel-Brinklow, Spencerville)
• Lutheran: 2 (St. Stephen, St. Andrew)
• Jehovah's Witnesses: 2 (White Oak, Ashton)
• Orthodox: 2 (St. Thomas Indian, St. Andrew Ukrainian)
• Episcopal: 2 (Transfiguration, St. Luke)
• Methodist: 2 (Ashton, Mt. Carmel)
• Christian Fellowship: 1 (Shiloh)
• Assemblies of God: 1 Christ Fellowship)
• Disciples of Christ: 1 (Heritage Christian)
• Presbyterian: 1 (Colesville)
• Teeny Tiny Unaffiliated Christian: 1 (Prayer Stop)

Number of Islamic houses of worship: 2 (Anjuman-e-Ezzi, Muslim Community Center)

Number of Hindu houses of worship: 1 (Shri Mangal Mandir)

Number of Buddhist houses of worship: 1 (Cambodian Buddhist Temple)

Number of Jewish houses of worship: 0

Number named after people who are not God: 7 (Our Lady of Vietnam, St. Andrew -- twice), St. Luke, St. Stephen, St. Thomas, St. John the Baptist)

Number named after places: 7 (Colesville -- twice), Ashton -- twice), Brinklow, Mt. Carmel, Spencerville)

Number named after the road: 1

Number named after Biblical events: 2 (Resurrection Baptist, Transfiguration Anglican/Episcopal)

That's the objective breakdown. Now, how about a very subjective poll?

Which one is your favorite and why? Tell me in the comments. I'll let you know the results -- and my thoughts -- next Sunday.

Church Street: Iglesia de Dios

Here we are at the end of our visits to the many houses of worship along New Hampshire Avenue, from Route 29 to Route 97. It's another little white house, this time with a big cross on the front to differentiate it from the others.

This church, like some of the other wee ones, doesn't have a web site. I'm willing to bet, though, that they have food!

Thanks for coming on this journey with me. Next Sunday, look for a recap -- and maybe a little quiz for you!

Church Street: Resurrection Baptist Church

For our last church along New Hampshire Avenue, I bring you Resurrection Baptist Church.

I saved this one for later in the list because I was hoping that it would be completed before this series was -- alas! It is still under construction -- a pre-natal house of God, if you will. The congregation is currently meeting in a local school; I'm sure they will enjoy praising God in this simple but elegant building.

As I was driving down New Hampshire Avenue the other day I realized that there may just be one more little home church. Stay tuned!

Church Street: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses -- The Sequel

Whereas this Kingdom Hall is located right next to a huge evangelical Christian church, today's Kingdom Hall is set back from the street on a little wooded lot. Like all the halls, this one is modest and utilitarian, but I think the angle makes the light pole look a tiny bit like a steeple.

No? Okay. Maybe not.

Neither has its own website, but both link up to the main site for the Jehovah's Witnesses, The Watchtower.

One church left! Whatever shall I do after that?

Church Street: Shiloh Christian Fellowship

Here is the bright white home of Shiloh Christian Fellowship.

It's funny -- there are Shiloh Christian Fellowships all over the country. They're in Minot, North Dakota; Oakland, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; Manchester, New Hampshire; even Baltimore, Maryland! But while the congregation of Shiloh Christian Fellowship of Silver Spring, Maryland has no home on the web, it certainly has a home in this little House of God.

And I'm willing to bet they have a good nosh too.

Church Street: Eun Sam Evangelical

This modest house with its tall white steeple is the Eun Sam Evangelical Church.

This picture is not all that great, because the church is at the bottom of a steep driveway. At the bottom of the driveway there was not enough room to get a decent shot of the entire church. But imagine, if you will, a plain brick rambler on the other side of the steeple, and you've got it.

I think this must be a very small congregation, for there is no website that I can find. So I'll just leave it at that -- a plain church with a white steeple. The house of God need not be fancy.

Church Street: Iglesia Adventista de Septimo Dia

Here is the Washington Spanish Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It's right next door to the Gospel Chapel -- and looks quite a bit like it, only less pointy.

I used Google Translate to look at their site, so I may be slightly off base, but one of their fellowship offerings is the By the Cross Cafe! Primarily for young people, it offers music and snacks on Friday nights.

There are only a handful of churches to go!

Church Street: Tiempo de Gracia

The Tiempo de Gracia -- Time of Grace -- Ministries building looks more like an elementary school than a house of worship to me, but God is everywhere.

I can't find a website for this particular place, so I have no idea whether they have a food-based fellowship. They do, however, have a van!

Church Street: St. Stephen Lutheran

Up on a hill, overlooking New Hampshire Avenue, is Saint Stephen Lutheran Church.

Written on the wall just to the right of the door is the phrase "God's Work, Our Hands." I really wish you could see the stained glass windows over the entrance better, but follow this link and you'll get a sense not only of the windows, but of the rest of the art that makes up this sacred space. 

And yes, they serve refreshments during the 11:00 AM fellowship. Not only that, they sponsor a movie night (also with refreshments) and -- most important -- they sell fair-trade coffee! From the look of that lovely lady in the picture, it must be pretty good!

Church Street: Anjuman-e-Ezzi Masjid

Right next door to the Emanuel-Brinklow Seventh-Day Adventist Church is this stately mosque:

It looked abandoned when I took this photo. The light shining in the second-floor window made me think that it was still an active place of worship, so I googled and wiki-ed (there, a new verb!) until I found their site.

This masjid, or mosque, is the holy house of the Islamic sect Dawoodi Bohra, an Indian offshoot of Ismail Shia Islam. But the masjid is not just for religious observances:

The Dawoodi Bohra mosque, in addition to its primary function as a site for prayers and madrasa, should take into account the hospitality concept of the community. Almost every religious function is followed by a jaman (meal) and when ever the Dai-al Mutlaq graces the community with his visit, all the mumin from around the world are invited. The common area is designed to be flexible, to accomodate [sic] for such circumstances.

Worship and eating -- a common thread among all the religions!