Alfred Street Baptist Church

I visited in Spring 2016. I was impressed with the intelligent biblical analysis of the pastor; he is certainly a gifted teacher. The church was overflowing and obviously popular and resonating with young and old. However I just felt a sense of discomfort because a certain Spirit-​filled authenticity was missing from the Pastor. I really appreciate his obvious strong mastery of the Bible and ability to teach in a relevant style, but that Spirit-​led connection was not there. When I got home I read online that there had been a scandal regarding an affair with a member of the congregation. I don’t know the true details of his personal life but that gave me pause and I wondered if everything was truly right with God in the life of leadership… it certainly explained my sense of unease at the time. I am still open to the church and hope that the pastor has repented of any sin and been made right to lead his flock.

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Church is always wonderful. If you’re asking specifically about Alfred street, the experience is different BUT the outcome is the same… Loving. My first visit was 9 years ago for a Christmas celebration and I fell in love w/​the aura. I came back to visit about 1 or 2 years ago from now and joined. No, I’m not active in serving. That’s a work in progress. I trust my pastor, just don’t know many members but one. Yvonne, she use to work in same building as me. Bible study has become my way of inching and opening up. I’m kinda shy. Not when it’s time to sing tho. Lol. Ok then, that’s my take on MY church, Alfred Street Baptist Church

Since my husband is a member and we have been attending this church ever since we had been dating, it was natural for us to host our wedding at Alfred Street on 9÷5÷2015. Overall we were satisfied with this venue and would do it all over again! Below are some of the highlights for me:
— The premarital counseling was a highlight and I like the fact that this is MANDATORY. Every couple should undergo this in order to fully understand what marriage is and how God views it.
— Pastor Wesley is such a dynamic speaker… he really made the wedding fun and eased our stress. In fact the day of I got lost in the church and ended up in a different section. He escorted me all the way to my private room and helped me evade our guests. Talk about humble!
— They will put you in a special room and set up a screen so that you can watch your guests arrive before your ceremony begins. This was definitely a lot of fun for me as the bride because I wanted to see my friends and family without having them see me.
— Since our wedding reception was held at the Lorien Hotel & Spa (6 blocks away), they allowed our guests to stay parked at the church which was very convenient for our guests.
My only gripe was that in the beginning they made it a point to say that my Wedding Planner (Events a la Chic) could only have limited involvement on the day of and in the planning process. As time went on however, they eased up on this and allowed her to handle a few things which thankfully worked out perfectly.
Overall I would recommend Alfred Street weddings and other events.

+Sermons are excellent
+Great music ministry
+There is a ministry for everyone to join
–parking can be hard to find sometimes, but arrive EARLY
+the church is going into 4 services every weekend to accommodate the growing numbers
+Come As You Are (CAYA) provides a great service for the younger 18−40ish folk

Historic church, great people and great Christian educational programs/​service. All are welcome to this house of worship.

For me, it would be hard to write a bad review about ASBC. I’ve been a member since I was 7 (and I won’t tell you how many years that’s been).
I started going when Rev. John O. Peterson, Sr. was the pastor. While he wasn’t my favorite pastor, I grew to love the members. I remember the lock-​ins and retreats like they were yesterday.
Fast forward… Rev. Dr. Howard-​John Wesley! Yes! That man was born to give the word!!! I love his «keep it real» guidance. He doesn’t preach… he teaches. With every word… Pastor Wesley helps you understand how ancient commandments from an ancient «Book» relate to modern day life. And while he’s giving the word… he doesn’t hesitate to remind you that he is from «The South Side of Chicago» LOL, (it’s an inside joke and you must attend to find out why that comment is so funny). «My church» was slowly dying (that’s what they say when young people have chosen to move to another church, and the older folks have started to die). Pastor Wesley has revived Alfred Street Baptist Church and it’s never a surprise when 20 people give their life over to God each Sunday. While I don’t attend as often as I use to, because my beliefs have changed slightly, my mother, brother and his family still attend.
If you want to attend a church with great members and one that gives you an awesome message EVERY SUNDAY… ASBC is the church to visit.
Make sure you get there early (at least an hour); the pews fill up fast. They offer Saturday and Sunday services. The parking is horrible (it’s in Old Town Alexandria… what can you expect?), however, you can park across the street in the garage for free.

You can’t really give a church a negative review can you?!
Anyway one is not required here as I really enjoyed attending Alfred Street. The pastor is younger and quite relatable. Most importantly he preaches from the bible.
If you want a seat within the main congregation you have to arrive by at least 10am for the 11am service and parking in that area is impossible on a Sunday. We parked a few streets over and walked to the church. We arrived about 10 mins early and sat in the overflow room which was not ideal at all. Never the less everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Even insisted on sharing bibles with us when we forgot ours.
There is a live stream which we have gotten used to doing from home during the winter when the whether isn’t great.
Theres a come as you are service (CAYA on Saturday) and marriage counseling that I’d like to attend at some point.

After searching for almost a year, I finally found the best church *for me* in the DMV. Here’s why:
1. The pastor is brilliant. He analyzes the Bible in ways that always lead me to a new understanding, a deeper connection with the text, an alternative way of applying it to my own life… He really goes deep in his thinking/​analysis but stays simple in his delivery. I LEARN and grow in my Christianity every single week.
2. The sermons are Biblically based. Which should go without saying in a Christian church, but sadly can’t. I’ve been to lots of Christian churches in which the Bible is something of an after-​thought and the Pastor just kind of talks about whatever is on his/​her mind/​heart, regardless of how God’s word addresses the subject. Not at Alfred Street. Most commonly heard phrase: «The Bible says…»
3. It is a socially responsible church. Majorly involved in the surrounding community through a wealth of ministries and outreach efforts that serve and uplift those in various types of need.
4. The congregation is friendly and welcoming. It’s a very large church, but you never feel like a stranger there. People speak, smile, hug, and welcome each other beautifully. Really feels like a huge family.
5. The choirs are (mostly) incredible. There’s one I’m not a huge fan of, but as for all the others: if they released CDs, I’d buy them.
In short: I wake up excited to attend church every single week — not my norm.
If you decide to try Alfred Street, I hope it blesses you as it has me. But be warned: parking spaces and seats in the sanctuary are in high demand! Get there early, or prepare to struggle to park and wind up sitting in one of the four overflow rooms…

I went to this church for a wedding. This historic church itself is beautiful and located in a nice area. However, at the end of the ceremony the minister announced that they were going to take up an offering. Huh? Excuse me, an offering at a wedding? All the guests looked at each other in shock and amazement. Sorry, never ever heard of an offering at a wedding. I had a few relatives sitting in the back of the church who heard the commotion amongst some of the church members trying to take up the offering. The church members insisted upon taking up an offering during a wedding ceremony because the bride and groom were not members of the church.
Sorry, this is tacky ! If I was the bride or groom I’d be mortified ! In a case where a couple wants to use a church that they are not members of, the couple usually gives them a «donation» or a fee is required of the couple, etc. This is usually requested by the church and taken care of long BEFORE the ceremony. You don’t place that responsiblity on the guests. The only reason they didn’t collect an offering was because they couldn’t find the collection plates in time. Wow, a new one on me. If that happened to me during my wedding, I’d be mortified and upset. Several guests were baffled and still talking about it at the reception. Definitely not what you want your guests to be focused on.

Great service… the sermon reflected upon communion and why we «take» communion. It is a commitment. The saturday evening service is «come as you are» and the Pastor ensures that the congregation understands the biblical text, the intellectual perspective, and he wraps it in humor from time to time. My children love it and so do I.