Maryland

How this Maryland pastor ended up leading one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2024

How this Maryland pastor ended up leading one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation

The Rev. Matthew L. Watley says it’s not happenstance that his suburban Maryland congregation, part of the historically Black African Methodist Episcopal denomination, landed at the top of a list of the fastest-growing churches in America.

From hearing his call to ministry while dancing with his Step Afrika troupe in South Africa to giving up his law school aspirations and enrolling at the Howard School of Divinity, all paths led to the pulpit — and eventually Kingdom Fellowship AME Church — for this son and grandson of AME ministers.

“There’s a phrase that says, ‘In America we believe in God, but in Africa, they depend on God,’” said Watley, who also met his wife, a lawyer and federal lobbyist, at Howard. “I had never seen faith like that before.”

In 2019, the year Kingdom Fellowship AME was founded, the church had about 3,000 members and an average weekly attendance of about 1,800 people, according to the church’s figures. Today, membership has swelled to nearly 8,000, and its weekly services draw about 2,500 attendees altogether.

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On a recent Sunday morning, Watley, 50, preached to a packed sanctuary from the Gospel of Luke about Zacchaeus’ transformative meeting with Jesus. The short and corrupt tax collector changed his ways after climbing a tree to see Jesus over the crowd.

“When Zacchaeus climbed that tree, that was his way of doing what he needed to do to become whole — to become healed from the stuff he’d been carrying his whole life,” Watley said.

A woman dances in the aisle during a church service at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church on Sunday, June 2, 2024, in Calverton, Maryland. The suburban Maryland congregation, led by the Rev. Matthew L. Watley, has landed at the top of a list of the fastest-growing churches in America. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) (Terrance Williams/AP)

Afterward more than 20 people, some with tears in their eyes, retreated to an intake room for new members. Kingdom Fellowship is averaging about 110 additions per month, according to the church’s count.

Before Kingdom Fellowship, Watley built a robust following for years through a ministry called Power Lunch, the first of which drew about 300 people. These were midday worship hours held in the District of Columbia and the greater Washington metropolitan area that provided attendees with a to-go meal before they headed back to work.

Watley also brought a church to the people, taking note of the scores of Black Americans relocating from D.C. to the suburbs and in need of a place to worship. Although outside the district, Watley and Kingdom Fellowship have remained in the capital’s political orbit, sharing his pulpit with Baptist pastor and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, and hosting Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff for the inaugural service in its new church building. They have also welcomed Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee challenging former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, among other politicians.

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But Kingdom Fellowship still wants to be identified with its homespun hospitality and a culture that puts its members on equal footing regardless of what they do outside the church.

“We appreciate that you’re the CEO, whatever. We need some help on the parking lot. It’s great you’re … the head of the ER medical unit. We need somebody to hold this door. And that’s the culture,” Watley said.

Kingdom Fellowship began as a satellite campus of the growing Reid Temple AME Church in nearby Montgomery County, which is where Watley served as executive pastor, overseeing the budget, local ministries and its 132,000-square-foot-facility featuring a sanctuary, credit union and bookstore that was completed in 2004. Watley also served as the de facto chief of staff for Reid Temple’s senior pastor, the Rev. Lee Washington.

“He had a lot of ideas,” said Washington, who recently retired. “I gave him the freedom and the flexibility to do what he thought was best.”

With Washington’s blessing, those ideas included launching Reid Temple North with a small contingent of volunteers. They held the first worship service in 2006 in the Montgomery Blair High School cafeteria, where they met until 2010. The growing congregation moved into a renovated building in Silver Spring, Maryland, where Watley added a second Sunday service in 2011 and a third in 2013. The campus eventually became financially self-sufficient.

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Instead of naming Watley his successor, Washington with an eye on retirement chose to spin-off Reid Temple North as an independent church. It was renamed Kingdom Fellowship AME, and Watley became its inaugural senior pastor in 2019.

“Our church was growing by leaps and bounds, and I did not believe in hoarding,” Washington said. “I believe in sharing.”

Watley, even as a young leader, was noticed within the denomination for his maturity and strong opinions, said Bishop James Levert Davis, the presiding prelate for the AME district that includes Kingdom Fellowship. Davis has selected Watley to be part of his district’s delegation to the forthcoming AME General Conference, at which the denomination’s ban on same-sex marriage is expected to be debated — an issue Watley hopes won’t cause a schism.

“I tease Matthew constantly, telling him that he’s the oldest young person that I know,” Davis said. “Between his father and his grandfather, he has been anchored and nurtured by the best of who we are.”

A woman holds a Bible during Sunday church service at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church on June 2, 2024, in Calverton, Maryland. (Terrance Williams/AP)

Watley’s role as the first leader of Kingdom Fellowship also came with a nerve-racking capital project — building a new worship center with sky-high ceilings and an amphitheater-style sanctuary. Not only was there a recent example of a similar project falling apart at another church in the region, but Kingdom Fellowship was preparing to break ground when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

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“I was very cognizant of that. Absolutely,” Watley said.

But no one pulled out: neither the bank nor the contractor or the congregation. Instead, members of Kingdom Fellowship increased their giving, and the congregation celebrated their first service in the new worship center in 2022 for Easter. Recently, Outreach magazine named the church the fastest-growing, a ranking based on a self-reported Lifeway Research survey that compared average weekly in-person attendance for February and March 2023 to 2022 numbers.

In the U.S., Black Protestants’ monthly church attendance declined 15% from 2019 to 2023, a larger drop than in any other major religious group, according to a 2023 Pew Research study. They are also more likely than other groups to take in religious services online or on TV, with more than half (54%) saying they attend services virtually.

The pace of growth at Kingdom Fellowship AME has been rapid but seamless, said Sharon and Billy Watts of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. What has remained constant is the kindness and care of church staff, they said.

The couple previously attended Reid Temple North, where they got to regularly witness Watley’s gift for preaching and reaching people. Watley inspires outside the church, too, said Sharon Watts, noting the speech the pastor gave at her husband’s retirement party that had the crowd of soon-to-be retirees wondering how and where they could hear Watley again.

“It’s something about that man and what he brings forth in his preaching,” said Sharon Watts, who first noticed that Watley’s knack for drawing crowds in the Power Lunch days. “To me it seems like we’re called to bring the community together, to hear the word of God, to not just prepare them spiritually, but to prepare the whole person.”

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Maryland

Road condition, traffic congestion in Md. costs drivers thousands, report finds – WTOP News

Published

2 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Road condition, traffic congestion in Md. costs drivers thousands, report finds – WTOP News

A new report by the transportation nonprofit TRIPS found the condition of the roads in Maryland’s D.C. suburbs is costing residents over $3,500 annually.

A new report found the condition of the roads in Maryland’s D.C. suburbs is costing residents over $3,500 annually.

This includes increased wear and tear on vehicles as well as depreciation, wasted fuel, wasted time and the cost of traffic accidents.

Rocky Moretti is the director of development and research at TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit. During a news conference Wednesday, he said the average driver in Maryland’s D.C. suburbs is spending an additional 90 hours per year stuck in traffic and wasting an additional 26 gallons of gas.

Statewide, 30% of Maryland roads are in “poor” condition, which Moretti said is significantly higher than the national average. The D.C. suburbs fare somewhat better, with 27% in poor condition, according to TRIP. Another 24% of Maryland’s roads in D.C. suburbs are rated in “mediocre” condition, compared with 21% statewide, the report found.

“I’m sad to say, you know, a lot of that stuff just rings true with me. For a long time, I was a local commissioner back about 20 years ago, in the early 2000s. And we were constantly wrestling with the need to put more money in our traffic infrastructure and just struggling to find the funding for that, as we saw state and federal dollars continue to drop,” said Jim Kercheval, executive director of the greater Hagerstown committee.

The report said the federal transportation program that was last reauthorized in 2021 was a significant boost to Maryland, increasing federal funding for roadways by 29%. Highway construction inflation since that bill was passed, however, has increased 47%. At the same time, the state is seeing decreasing revenues from gas taxes because of electric and more fuel efficient vehicles.

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Maryland

Irish heritage and history run deep in Maryland. Now to celebrate it.

Published

14 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Irish heritage and history run deep in Maryland. Now to celebrate it.

The Delmarva Peninsula, particularly Maryland, has deep historical ties to Irish immigrants.
Ocean City celebrates this heritage with one of the Eastern Shore’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades.
Irish immigrants played a significant role in building American infrastructure, such as the B&O Railroad.

The Delmarva Peninsula is no strange to Irish heritage and history.

Now, ahead of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, 2026, here’s a closer look at just how that rich Irish history has shaped Delmarva and one of its most popular resort towns.

Irish immigrants helped shape Maryland infrastructure

The state of Maryland, in particular, has deep historical ties to Irish immigrants.

According to the Delmarva Irish-American Club, thousands of Irish immigrants arrived through the Port of Baltimore seeking refuge amid the Irish Potato Famine during the 1840s and 1850s. Together, the immigrants built railroads, dug canals, and formed tight-knit communities in areas such as Locust Point and Fell’s Point in Baltimore.

Irish immigrants also played a big part in early American infrastructure in Maryland.

Throughout the 19th century, countless Irish immigrants helped construct portions of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad, the oldest railroad ever to be built in the United States. Even Delmarva Irish-American Club Vice President John R. O’Brien’s great grandfather was a stone mason on the second half of the Washington Monument.

In what ways does Ocean City celebrate Irish culture?

Ocean City, Maryland’s first ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade took place in 1980. Since then, the parade and accompanying festival have grown into one of the Eastern Shore’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Following the influx of Irish immigration during the 1840s and 1850s, many individuals of Irish descent began to settle throughout Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. Now, that heritage is reflected in local organizations, churches, music traditions and community-wide events such as Ocean City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration will take place on Saturday, March 14, 2026. The procession will begin at noon at 57th Street on Coastal Highway, marching south to the 45th Street Shopping Center.

How can people honor their Irish heritage at home?

There are many ways people of all ages can honor their Irish heritage and history alongside friends and family at home.

A few Irish-centered activities include:

Listening to traditional Irish folk music
Baking Irish soda bread or stew
Learning about family genealogy
Reading Irish literature and mythology
Sharing Irish stories and folklore with children
Decorating with Celtic symbols and shamrocks

Fun Irish phrases such as “Sláinte” (meaning cheers or good health), “Céad míle fáilte” (meaning a hundred thousand welcomes), and the Irish blessing “May the road rise to meet you,” can also be incorporated into daily vocabulary.

What is the Delmarva Irish-American Club?

The Delmarva Irish-American Club was founded in 1980 by a small group of friends with the vision of celebrating the Feast Day of St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, with a grand parade.

The club’s first membership drive resulted in 75 members. Today, there are nearly 300. The club is open to anyone who is Irish, of Irish descent, or likes all things Irish, Delmarva Now previously reported.

The Delmarva Irish-American Club — a 501(c)(3) social organization — is an all-volunteer, local charity that works year-round to celebrate and preserve Irish history and culture on the Eastern Shore.

“Our goal is to celebrate Irish heritage and share those traditions with the broader community while keeping them alive for the next generation,” Vice President John R. O’Brien shared.

The club is largely responsible for the Ocean City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and also supports Irish music, dance and cultural events throughout the year. To learn more, visit www.delmarvairish.org.

Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

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Maryland

Maryland parents push to hold drug dealers accountable in overdose deaths

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Maryland parents push to hold drug dealers accountable in overdose deaths

Parents who’ve lost their children to fentanyl overdoses went to Annapolis, Maryland Tuesday in search of accountability.

They want a new law that would hold drug dealers accountable when someone dies from an overdose. Their efforts have met strong opposition in the past, so this year, lawmakers are making changes.

Isis Flores held photos of her 16-year-old son, Yader, who died from a fentanyl overdose.
The Montgomery County mom pleaded with lawmakers to pass legislation that would hold drug dealers accountable when someone dies from an overdose.

“A mother who lost a child in 2022 to this horrible drug,” she said. “This is something horrible and that a child passed through — my son was one of them.”

Scott Broadfoot Sr. spoke through tears about his 21-year-old son, Scottie, who also died from an overdose. While prosecutors say there was a suspect in his son’s death, the person could not be charged under current Maryland law.

“Losing Scottie is a devastation unlike any other,” Broadfoot said. “The pain that follows, his passing, is something our family carries every day.”

These families are supporting a bill that would make distribution of heroin or fentanyl causing serious bodily injury or death a felony in Maryland. Supporters say it’s needed to hold people accountable for overdose deaths.

“We can’t bring these brothers, sisters, moms, dads back,” said Maryland Del. Chris Tomlinson, who represents Carroll and Frederick Counties. “But we can take this small step to keep this poison off the streets and hold drug dealers accountable for selling a lethal product that results in death of those we cherish the most.”

This is the third year in a row this legislation has been introduced, but because of the opposition, supporters have made changes. They’re hoping those changes will make a difference in getting it passed this year.

Among the concerns from opponents is the bill could punish those struggling with addiction who need help and treatment they won’t get through the prison system.

The biggest change supporters made to the bill is that a suspect must have a prior drug manufacturing or distribution conviction in order to face this new felony charge.

Supporters say dozens of other states already have similar laws.

“It is time that House Bill 1386, that this bill be passed so Maryland can join the vast majority of jurisdictions that already see the dangers of fentanyl and already have drug-induced homicide laws” said Stuart Welch with the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office.

In previous years, the bill has not come up for a vote. Supporters say they’ll keep coming back until the bill passes.

“How many lives must we lose?” Broadfoot said.

The maximum sentence for anyone convicted under this new law – if it passes – would be 20 years in prison.

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