Who says old dogs can’t learn new tricks? Houston’s historic Wesley AME, just two years shy of 150 years old, is enjoying a “season of transformation” in the form of new pastors and a new location.
John White II and his wife, Maria Mallory White, are pastor and co-pastor, respectively, of the iconic congregation that for decades resided on Emancipation Ave.
Transitions
Soon, Wesley will be located south of the 610 loop, just north of the Sam Houston Tollway at 12850 Cityscape Ave., Houston 77047, right off Highway 288 between W. Orem and Almeda Genoa.
The congregation is currently still holding its services at Brentwood Baptist Church since selling its Third Ward property to the City of Houston for the building of a gospel music museum. But the pastors hope to open the doors to their new sanctuary in April.
The Whites moved even bigger location, arriving in Houston from Florida.
John, a fifth-generation Floridian, met Maria, Ohio-born and Maryland-raised, at a funeral in Atlanta. The pair, both preachers’ kids, built a life that included Maria’s award-winning journalism career and then transitioned into ministry with her husband. They’ve pastored multiple Florida churches, but they’re enjoying their new hometown.
“Man, it’s a Pappadeaux’s on every corner,” answered John when asked what he likes most about Houston. “I’ve gained weight… because I keep going to Pappadeaux’s. It keeps calling my name; the gumbo.”
Maria loves Houston for a different reason.
“Houston is my newest and favorite example of a Chocolate City,” she said, referencing an old Parliament/Funkadelic song. “I like that brothers and sisters are thriving in Houston.”
Maria also appreciates Houston’s diversity beyond merely Black and white. But she especially appreciates what Houston offers the White’s two teenage sons (13 and 17).
“Houston is a good place for them to be as young Black men. I think I read somewhere Houston has the largest number of professional and college-educated Black men west of the Mississippi. That’s a blessing for our children to see that.”
Ministry focus
But, the Whites aren’t merely appreciative of the blessings they receive; they seek to be a blessing to their congregation and the Houston area.
John says “holistic” best describes their ministry focus.
“We don’t wanna just help folks get to heaven, we wanna help them live in the kingdom of God here on earth, particularly in light of all the things that are going on in our divided states of America right now.”
Maria added, “[Kingdom living] is a huge focus of our ministry because we don’t want our lives to be separate, what you do on your job, what you do in your club, what you do in your sorority and fraternity, oh, and then on Sundays, ‘I’m gonna go to church.’ We want people to know that the word can be alive and the power of the word that is promised in Christ Jesus is real and can be real in our lives.”
And they’re getting that message across to the Wesley AME faithful, including longtime member Carl Davis.
“Rev. John F. White II and co-pastor Rev. Maria Mallory White bring a unique twist to Wesley AME Church’s rich legacy that will only empower us as a congregation spiritually,” said Davis, who is also a member of the AME Church’s national General Board. “Their leadership will put us on the road to strengthen our faith and give service to the community.”
And Davis is not alone in his praise of Wesley’s new dynamic pastor duo.
“Our new pastors are taking us in a new direction,” said 102-year-old Wesley usher Juanita Williams. “They have a heart to help people by providing food, clothing, computers and more, to meet the needs of the community.”
Challenges
To Davis’ point, Maria sees the biggest ministry challenge as moving people beyond citing scriptures, creeds, and “church-speak,” and into an expansive experience.
“Saying. ‘I believe Jesus is a son of God and was raised from the dead,’ that’s beautiful, but that is limiting what God wants for us. I think the biggest challenge is to help people understand that religion is a relationship. Christianity is a relationship with the person of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and it’s dynamic.”
John envisions that dynamism playing out in words shared by one of his favorite authors, Washington pastor Mark Batterson – doing ministry out of imagination and not just out of memory.
“So, how do we do ministry out of imagination? Our ancestors did ministry out of imagination. People with no education starting schools. People with no business savvy started benevolence societies,” said John, who seeks to facilitate that kind of ministry derived out of imagination and not just ministry out of memory.
DN VIDEO: Learn more about the Whites and their new sanctuary.
