About MMBC
Discover Our Journey So Far
Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church has had a few homes and has grown over the years.
Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church was established on July 1st , 1997 at 7400 9th Street NW, Washington DC. Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church is the realization of a vision, given by the Lord to the senior pastor and founder, Mary E. Fowler. Prior to the initial service, Pastor Fowler was led to assemble a ministry team to assist in the formative aspects of the ministry. This group served as the ministry leadership team. It consisted of 14 people, who were: Rev. Cartha Christian, Mr. Cleveland Johnson, Mr. Oliver Corbin, Mrs. Carolyn Corbin, Ms. Ruth N. Perry, Ms. Linda Hudson, Ms. Hannah T. Jackson,
Miss Mary L. Corbin, Ms. Otelia Gilliam, Ms. Stephanie Saunders, Ms. Dortha P. Mercer, Ms. Virginia Littlejohn, Mr. Milton Body and Ms. Elizabeth MacRae. At the initial meeting, Pastor Fowler detailed the mission for the church under the guiding biblical
principles. Pastor Fowler and the ministry leadership team worked quickly to make MMBC a reality, securing the Nolte Center at 2000 Denver Rd., Silver Spring MD as the worship site. They obtained necessary worship items, developing evangelism materials and making other necessary arrangements. In 1997, Pastor Fowler moved the mission from 7400 9th Street NW, Washington DC to 2000 Denver Rd.,
Silver Spring MD. In 1998, she moved the church to the current location which is 2811 14th St. NE, Washington DC.
MMBC is a ministry that’s moving forward to reach people from all walks of life. We will not allow ourselves to become stagnant. We are proud but do not think ourselves better than others. We will accept donations and will allow others to help us. We will not take from the community. We will make a difference. “God has called us to reach the unreachable”.
The church has been diversified. With much prayer and supplication and talking with the congregation, we decided unanimously that we would rename the church, and we did. The church is now called Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church. As God leads and directs us, we will be leaders in our family, community, and in this world. “We willseek Jesus as we seek to reach the unreachable”.
The Lord has blessed us to purchase our present building at 2811 14 th Street, NE in 1998. With fifteen years to pay for it, the Lord blessed us to pay for it in nine years. The Lord has blessed MMBC with a daughter Church, United Community Fellowship Church located at 5223 – 25 Central Avenue, SE Washington, DC under the leadership of Rev. Alice Smith and the Rev. Dr. Mary E. Fowler Overseer.
In 2009, wanting to take the Church to another level, Pastor Fowler embarked on trying to build a new sanctuary. After three years of many meetings with the architect, and the board of zoning, repeatedly. MMBC finally prevailed. Zoning gave us permission to build our new sanctuary. We are hoping and
praying in the next three months with the help of God, we will be able break ground for the new sanctuary.
Meet Our Founding Pastor
Reverend Dr. Mary E. Fowler
Reverend Mary E. Fowler was born in Conway, South Carolina. She attended Elementary and High School in the South Carolina Public School System. Pastor
Fowler received her associate degree in religion from Washington Saturday College in 1994. She completed her master’s degree at Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC in 1997. While at the Howard School of Divinity, Pastor Fowler received the Excelsior Award. She holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Mutual Missionary Baptist Association of Washington, DC. In 2011 Rev. Fowler received an earned Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Christian Bible College and Seminary, Independence, Missouri.
Pastor Fowler was licensed to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in March of 1992 at Zion Baptist Church in Washington, DC under the tutelage of Reverend Carlton W. Veazey. On September 30, 1995, she was ordained by the Mutual Missionary Baptist Association.
Pastor Fowler has worn many hats in hierarchy of ministry. She has served as a Sunday school teacher, a Deaconess, the Director of the Women’s Ministry and until May 1997, as an Associate Minister under the Reverend Dr. Emil M. Thomas at Zion Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
Loving the Gospel, as she does, Pastor Fowler knew that wearing many hats was not the mission that she had been anointed to do. She prayed hard and asked the Lord to deliver to her, His mission. It was finally revealed that her duty was to Pastor her own Church. After much prayer and sacrifice, Pastor Fowler started her quest to find a church. She was blessed almost immediately with a church and congregation. Today, Rev. is the proud Pastor and Founder of Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church, which is located at 2811 Fourteenth street NE Washington, DC 20017. In 1998 Pastor Fowler was featured in The Washington Post and The Afro Newspaper. In 2000, she was highlighted in Time Magazine and Your Reward Magazine in Cleveland, Ohio for her achievements. She was also selected in the 2002-2003 Edition of Who’s Who of American Women.
Today Rev. Fowler is an Evangelist, Preacher, Pastor, and an author. You can read about how this incredible woman became who she is, as she overcame all the obstacles in her life in her very first book titled, “The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn”.
She is dedicated to serving the unwed mothers’ population and all who have a special need. She is the mother of three daughters, Carolyn L. Corbin, Rae James, and Terrie F. Taylor
Meet Our Interim Pastor
Reverend Bryant Stewart
Rev. Bryant Stewart is a native of the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. He was called to ministry and licensed at the age of 16 and ordained at 23 vears old under the leadership of the late pastor. Dr. Edgar L. Williams Sr. of Second New St. Paul Baptist Church in Washington. DC.
Rev. Stewart is a graduate of the Prince George’s County (MD) Public School System. Upon graduating, he attended Howard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Philosophy and Religious Studies). He also earned a Master of Science Degree from McDaniel College of Maryland (Educational Leadership). Rev. Stewart has over 25 years of experience in education. He is currently employed with Montgomery County Public Schools (MD) as a Special Education teacher working with students with Autism at Jonn F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, MD. Rev. Stewart furthered his theological studies at the Washington Baptist Seminary, and the Dallas Theological Seminary, and is currently completing his Doctorate Studies at the Newburgh Theological Seminary.
Rev. Stewart has served as Youth Minister at St. John’s United Missionary Baptist Church and Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church both located in Washington, DC. In Addition, he has also served as the Assistant Pastor of the New Birth Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
Rev. Stewart is the son of First Lady Mary Stewart-Benjamin (Pastor Nathaniel Benjamin Jr.) and the late Deacon Arthur Stewart, older brother to Brandon Stewart and Byron Stewart (Lindsey Stewart), and uncle to nephews Beu and Sage.