Ebenezer Baptist- pastor's anniversary

The Cumberland Times-News September 7, 2007

Ebenezer Baptist to mark pastor's 18th anniversary

The congregation of Ebenezer Full Gospel Baptist Church, 861 Columbia Ave., will celebrate the 18th anniversary of its pastor's and first lady's service today through Sunday. Bishop John B. McIntyre Sr. and Evangelist Earline McIntyre have been traveling from their native Washington, D.C, to serve as pastors of Ebenezer for the past 18 years.

Pastor McIntyre was consecrated as bishop Aug. 26, 2005. He just graduated from the Washington Technical Institute and Federal City College. He and his wife, Earline, have been married for 39 years and are the parents of seven children. They also have 15 grandchildren. The McIntyre served as youth pastors at Macedonia Community Church in Washington under the direction of Mark K. Jackson until their move to Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1989.

Today at 7 p.m. at Ebenezer, Pastor Darin Allen of Greater Works Ministries of Columbus, Ohio, will be the speaker. Allen, a native of West Virginia, began playing the piano at his church and writing songs at the age of 12. He began preaching at the age of 13 and received his minister's license by the age of 16. He continued to travel to area churches ministering in both word and music and by the age of 18 he was elevated to an elder within his church.

Allen's ministry took him to Ohio, where he attended World Harvest Church, an internationally-known ministry in Columbus. Allen currently serves as the pastor of Greater Works Ministries in Columbus. He has continued with his love of music and has released several CDs and one DVD. Allen and his wife, DeAnn, a native of Frostburg, have two daughters and one son.

Musical selections will be presented by the City of Refuge Ministries Praise and Worship Team of Cumberland, Karen Walker, a gospel Psalmist from Roanoke, Va., and Kerensa Gray. Walker recently released a debut CD entitled "I Need To Hear From You, A Word." She is a disc jockey for WTOY 1480 AM in Roanoke. Gray, of Soul'd Ministries Waynesboro, Pa., is a contemporary Christian music artist.

On Saturday at 6 p.m. there will be a "Gospel Extravaganza" at the church. Allen will speak and Ministree, a gospel recording group from Bridgeville, Pa., will perform. The group consists of five women accompanied by a full live band and has shared the stage with Kurt Carr, John R Kee, The Clark Sisters, Terrell Carter, Vicke Yohe and Andrae Crouch. The recently released a CD project entitled "His Ministree."

Tonya Armstrong, a mime dancer from Ranson, WVa., also will perform.

On Sunday, at 11 a.m., Shanion Watkins, co-pastor of Souls Won Ministries, Cumberland, will give the morning sermon. Watkins, who was born and raised in Baltimore, revealed a gift for music at an early age. As a student at Frostburg State University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in liberal studies, Watkins was a member of The Gospel Voices. She has completed her first solo project, a CD entitled, "You Can Trust in God."

Jeanette Harris, a gospel recording artist from Washington, D.C. will perform.

At 4 p.m., Pastor Alfred Deas, Metropolitan AME Church of Cumberland, will be the speaker. Deas was born in Wilmington, N.C., and attended Wilmington's Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church. He graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh with a bachelor of arts degree in history education and as a Distinguished Military Honors student of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. While in the service, Deas met and married Carrie Elizabeth Shanks, his wife of 33 years and the mother of their four children. Deas received his calling from God in 1984 while in route to a military school and assignment to Germany. He was ordained in April 1996 as an itinerant elder of the AME Church.

Gospel musical selections will be performed by the Metropolitan AME's Combined Choir and Evangelist Serena Ford, a gospel recording artist from Wilmington, Del.