The City ChurchHistory

History

The City Church’s origin is a supernatural, God-honoring, vision-rich, faith-filled story that breaks nearly every rule in existence on the subject of ‘how to plant a church.’ Our story is a testimony of God’s faithfulness, grace and endless compassion for this city.

On May 16, 2006, The City Church was launched at an Inaugural Service Celebration at Faith Tabernacle Church behind the Supreme Court Building on Capitol Hill. Nearly everyone in attendance had traveled from distant cities and their own churches to lend support for the historic moment.

The following day the inaugural crowd left, leaving a hand full of people scattered through the District, Maryland and NOVA, to establish The City Church.

Each Thursday night the church would meet at Faith Tabernacle Church to worship and pray with a different speaker flown in with a few musicians. Faith Tabernacle soon became a special place to us as our first official meeting place in the city.

The church without letter head, an email address, worship team, worship leader or even a pastor was in fact apostolically overseen and started by Dr. Wendell Smith from The City Church, Kirkland, Washington, and Ps. Ken Wilde,

from Capital Christian Center, Boise, Idaho. Pastors Wendell & Ken would fly in periodically to preach, sent teams of interns to assist and were earnestly praying for God to provide a pastor for the young church.

Meanwhile, 180 miles south, God had been stirring the hearts of Ps Michael & Heather Giroux concerning Washington, D.C. At the time, they had just planted another church in Newport News, Virginia. Although God was moving in a demonstrative way and the church was experiencing rapid growth, they felt in their spirits that God was calling them to Washington, D.C.

The Lord confirmed again and again with signs and wonders- He was calling them to pastor two churches in two different cities. Pastors Michael & Heather became the first pastors of The City Church on October 8th, 2006. The church continued to pray, worship and ask God for the city on Thursday nights in Capitol Hill, as Ps Michael & Heather commuted back and forth between the two churches over the next 18 months.

In January 2007, the Lord challenged us to ‘cast [our] nets on the other side’ from Luke 5:4-11When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.. We did just that and in an extravagant act of provision, our young church with 65 people, contracted to purchase a beautiful historic church building on the other side of the city.

While waiting to take possession of the new building miraculous doors opened once again as we found an available Sunday morning venue to rent near the newly contracted building. So it was, in March 2007, after 14 months of Thursday night services, The City Church was enjoying Sunday morning services for the first time. This, our second location as a church, became known to us as the Greenburg Theater on Wisconsin Avenue.

On January 28th, 2008, we finally closed and took possession of our new church property at 4100 River Road NW, Washington, DC. The 22,000 sq ft building was all that we had prayed for and more! It was located next to a metro stop, American University, Embassy Row and literally is the highest point above sea level in the District. Truly, a city set on a hill!

We began renovating the dilapidated structure, starting with our present day lobby. The lobby would become our new Sunday morning sanctuary while we renovated the auditorium. On March 30, 2007, we crossed over from Greenburg Theater to River Road and held our first Sunday service in the lobby of the new building. We have been in a constant state of renovation and repair ever since- thanking God for the miracle church home He has blessed us. For more info on the building click here.

Since moving into Tenleytown, The City Church has experienced tremendous grace in gathering, growing and sending. In a highly transient area that sees a population turnover of 40% each year, we see it as God’s hand to allow us to encourage local, national and international leaders with the Gospel of Jesus and then release them as ambassadors for Christ to their next assignment. We have also seen God reverse typical DC culture causing others to turn down transfers and promotions in order to stay, become part of what God is doing and build the local church together in the nations’s capital. It’s been five amazing years and the best is yet to come!