Lead Pastor - Rev. Dr. Steve Davis
The Worship Center began as a home Bible study in a basement, with Dr. Steve and Ms. Linda, teaching their friends and their friends' friends how to develop a relationship with the Lord and how to apply Bible principles in their day to day lives. Steve and Linda have always had a passion for helping people to get right with the Lord and then to get their lives working well. That home Bible study grew and developed into The Worship Center. Steve and Linda met at Asbury College and began hanging out together and being pretty much inseparable from the very beginning. After college, they got married. Linda worked as an elementaary school teacher and Steve owned and operated a graphic design and custom paint business. After two years of marriage were recuited by George Verwer to join up with operation Mobilization, where they served based in London, England on the International Coordinating Team for four years.
After returning to Maryland, they began a Bible study, which ultimately developed into the Worship Center. They had no plans on starting a church, they just wanted to help people find the Lord and to get clean and sober, and then grow in grace and wisdom in the Lord. After a couple of years, they all realized that what they had was in fact "a church." They continued their studies, with Linda working on her Master's degree in Elementary Education and Steve on his Master's in Divinity. During this time also, they re-opened their business, which supported them and helped the church to be able to rent space to meet in - and to keep their three children clothed and well fed!
Dr. Steve completed his Ph.D. in Psychology and was approached to serve as Chaplain for a Federal law enforcement agency in Washington, DC. God has opened some amazing doors for the Davises in ways that clearly are beyond anything they could have imagined. Steve and Linda have gotten to travel more than they have liked to, and have worked with some of the most interesting people in the world! They still are passionate about helping people to find the Lord, and then grow in Him. Dr. Steve serves tirelessly in pursuing God's best, so that he can pass it on to the people around him. Both the Davises are very people oriented and will give themselves wholeheartedly to anyone who is in need of prayer, counsel or intercession. With all that seriousness going on, Steve unwinds by playing blues guitar and working on his cars. Bring a guitar, and you probably can get him distracted enough to sit up half the night and play! Well, most of the time, anyway...
Associate Pastor - Rev. Andrew Hooker
The Hooker family hail from Chicago, Illinois. Both have walked with God since the 1970’s. Each has served throughout various capacities of church ministry to include pastoring, Sunday school leaders, bible study instructors and associate assistant leaders to other pastors. Each are military veterans, as a family having served 25 plus years of service for the United States Air Force. They presently serve as leaders in the areas of the "Two Become One" Marriage Ministry. Rev. Hooker is the Director of the Men Of Favor men’s group, where he leads the men in how to grow and develop into spiritual maturity, and to know what it is to be a spiritual and godly man in a confused and mixed up culture. Rev. Hooker is a dynamic preacher and teacher, who thrills us whenever he preaches, and always bears fruit for the Kingdom of God.
Rev. Hooker and Linda have a flare for coordinating special events and celebrations, to include the Annual Christmas Banquet, private events and events held for and by the Daughters of the King Women’s Ministry. They are event planners extrordinaire! When they get their team together for an event, you can be sure that eberyone will work hard and that the event will be mind-blowing! Rev. Hooker currently works with the Prince Georges County Public School System within the AFJROTC Department and Mrs. Hooker works retail sales with Kohls Department stores. They are the proud parents of a grown son, Andrew III.
Worship Leader - William "Shep" Shepherd
Shep came to the DC area initially as a military assignment and then he and his wife Ingrid felt led by the Lord to stay here when they retired. Shep lives a lifestyle of worship and brings that atmospehere with him as he leads us in praise and worship. His goal as a worship leader is to have each person experience the presence of the Lord as we enter His gates with thanksgiving, and enter His courts with praise. The Shepherds have hearts to serve the Lord and to pass their faith to as many people as possible.
Their top priority is living as a Christian couple and Christian family, setting an example of what God can and will do when we dedicate our lives, families and homes to Him. They have two kids, Victoria and William, Jr - and they all ALSO have a lot of fun! They are all each other's best friends!
While Shep directs the Worship Team, Ingrid is the "Mayor of Kids Town," where she overseas the ministry to the children of Kids Town. She is mission minded, determined that the children experience what it is to truly worship and praise the Lord, and that they get strong Biblical foundations that they can build on for the rest of their lives.