About Faith Temple

Faith Temple Christian Church, which is located in Washington, DC, was founded in 1982 by a Howard University professor and theologian whose name was Dr. James S. Tinney.

Dr. Tinney moved to Washington in the mid 1970s and enrolled in a doctoral program at Howard University. He subsequently joined the faculty, and later joined a local Church of God in Christ (pentecostal church) in the city. In September of 1982, he organized a city-wide gay and lesbian revival. Publicity surrounding that event pressured his Bishop to excommunicate him from the church because of his homosexuality. Subsequently, he formed a new church specifically for African American and Latino gay and lesbian people. The church was called Faith Temple.


Services are Sundays at 1:00 pm in the chapel of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Avenue, NW. NYAPC is located in downtown DC at the corner of New York Avenue and 14th Street, NW.

 All are welcome.

To financially support this ministry, send your gifts to:

Rev. Jakki Dennis
Faith Temple
1313 New York Avenue
Washington, DC 20005

Faith Temple's Ministry Team



 

 

Pictures above: First: Rev. Jakki Dennis. Second: Rev. Countess Cooper (sitting to the right of her mother). Third: Elder R. Michael Vanzant.  Not pictured: Elder Mark Penn

 

 

Faith Temple is unique in the sense that the leadership of the church is shared between Rev. Jakki Dennis, Rev. Countess C. Cooper and Elder Michael Vanzant.

(Elder Mark Penn is a part of the ministry team and preaches on Fourth Sundays.)

Each minister brings the message one Sunday of the month.

Faith Temple's church records are in the MLK Library

(R. Michael Vanzant signs gift agreement.  Pictured left to right: Isaiah J. Poole, Derek Gray and R. Michael Vanzant )

"Gay, Sanctified and Guilt Free: The Faith Temple Story" (Part 1)

On Saturday, September 15, 2012, Faith Temple celebrated its thirtieth anniversary by donating its church papers to the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library.  Since the donation was the personal property of charter member, R. Michael Vanzant, the collection is identified as the "R. Michael Vanzant/Faith Temple Collection."

                                 

     (Source: The audience who attended the panel)


"Gay, Sanctified and Guilt Free: The Faith Temple Story" (Part 2)

During the donation ceremony at the MLK library (September 15, 2012), charter members R. Michael Vanzant and Isaiah J. Poole participated in a panel discussion about the church's early history. That discussion was entitled "Gay, Sanctified and Guilt Free: The Faith Temple Story" (part 1).

Part two of "The Faith Temple Story" will be held at the MLK library in the Spring of 2013.  No date has been set for part 2 of the panel discussion.

To support this project or to be kept informed of the next panel discussion, contact Sam at sam.perryman@aol.com, or contact the church at:

Faith Temple
1313 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
c/o Jakki Dennis

"Honoring Our Pioneers: Past and Present"
  (MLK Library, Saturday, December 8, 2012)

 

 

(Musicians who supported the Faith Temple's library panel)

On Saturday, December 8, 2012, Faith Temple will co-host a holiday mixer at the MLK Library. The library is located at 901 G Street, NW.

This social event seeks to help build community support for the oral history projects that will be hosted at the library.

 

Homecoming Picnic Pictures

(June 2, 2012)

Faith Temple sponsored a picnic that was held on Saturday, June 2, 2012 at the home of Sam and Gregg.  Nearly 40 people attended.