I am pleased to have you visit the Canaan Baptist Church web site where you can learn a little about who we are and what we are about. Hopefully, your interest will be intensified enough to visit us or seek more information Canaan Baptist Church has been serving the Washington, D.C. religious community since 1947. It is dedicated to the edification of glorifying our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Canaan has made many contributions in the moral humane, and religious growth of the community through the struggles of faithful members, both past and present. Today's Canaan Baptist Church is a vibrant church family that has gotten its second wind. We are an inclusive church family, meaning that we recognize the importance of EVERYONE that is in our employ. We have an active youth ministry and an energetic senior population. We are a church striving to be more committed to God by MAKING MOVES IN MINISTRY. We encourage our members to develop better spiritual growth habits and we provide enabling infrastructure for that to take place. We are a people that stresses ministry and not maintenance, so that our members can discover their spiritual gifts and utilize them in the church and in the community. Our worship style is in the context of celebration and praise. Canaan is a hopeful, expectant congregation. We mandate a ministry that is reverent yet relevant. We are contemporary without compromising our faith or belief. We are called and committed to meaningful ministry. We invite you to come worship with because we are reaching for a real relationship. We realize that in order to receive my favor, I have to do my part.
MESSAGE OF HOPE - June
A Message of Hope
(Reprint from 2012)
Calling all godly FATHERS!
Every week we hear via the media that something has now reached “epidemic” status. We have epidemics of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other potentially fatal diseases. But I am convinced that “fatherlessness” should be classified as an epidemic as well. Far too many of our children, regardless of race, are growing up without godly men in the home who will speak the commands of God into their lives. Recently, there was article about a young man in Tennessee who experienced the birth of his 30th child (his oldest is 14 years old). Now he is petitioning the state for assistance in paying his child support payments as he only holds a minimum wage job. Some of the mothers, 11 in all, only receive $1.49 per month in child support from this young man. While this is deplorable on all sides, my questions, are where is his father? Where is the man who should have taught him that sex does not make you a man? Why was there no intervention when his case was initially brought before the authorities of the state (he only had 21 at the time)? And finally, did no godly man know about him, but more than that, did no godly man care?
The Word of God gives much instruction to men and fathers, for example Proverbs 6:20 tells sons to “keep [their] father’s command…”, Ephesians 6:4 says “fathers, do not provoke your children…” and, Genesis 2:24 says “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife…” (NKJV). Man is given the primary responsibility of the stability of the family. Before God established the church, He established the family and gave the father headship over it (Eph.5:22). We’ve all heard the cliché “like father, like son”. Although that is not always an accurate assessment, but for the most part it remains true. Sons tend to be the mirror image of their fathers; therefore fathers must set the example they’d like to see replicated. You see, we teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are.
Fathers, let me admonish you – your wife and children reside under your spiritual umbrella. You are the one who is appointed by God to establish the spiritual environment in your house. Be the example of God the Father in your home. On those days when things go absolutely crazy and the enemy is disturbing the peace, when it’s seems like “trailer park day” in the house, YOU have the authority and the responsibility to quell every attack and speak peace and pray with your family. In this month that we celebrate fathers it is my prayer that fathers everywhere will lead their families to.................Seek, Serve, and Celebrate (our Father) The Savior!
Larry Owens, Jr., M.Div., Senior Pastor