what we BELIEVE
Convictions That Shape Us. A Faith That Transforms Us.
@ Joshua Chapel AME Church, our faith is not just something we say—it’s something we live.
Rooted in Scripture, shaped by the legacy of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and guided by the Spirit of God, we believe in a faith that transforms lives, not just fills seats.
our BELIEFS
Clara Howard
Pro-Tem
We believe salvation is by grace through faith—not something we can earn, fake, or borrow. It is God’s loving gift, freely given to all who believe, confess, and receive.
It changes everything: our hearts, our habits, and our hope.
📖 Ephesians 2:8–9 | Romans 10:9–10 | John 14:6
Humanity is beautiful, but broken. We are all sinners, and yet we are all loved. No one is beyond the reach of God's grace. No one is excluded from the table.
📖 Romans 3:23 | John 3:16 | 2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus Christ—Son of God, Savior, and Servant—is the center of our faith. His life, death, and resurrection offer us reconciliation, renewal, and real purpose. We follow His way, walk in His love, and seek to embody His justice.
📖 Luke 4:18 | Matthew 22:37–40 | Acts 4:12
We believe in the Holy Spirit—not as an idea, but as a living presence.
The Spirit empowers us, convicts us, comforts us, and leads us into deeper truth and purpose. We do nothing without the Spirit's breath.
📖 Acts 1:8 | John 14:26 | Galatians 5:22–23
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God—alive, challenging, healing, and transforming. It reveals God’s heart, our humanity, and the redemptive path forward.
📖 2 Timothy 3:16–17 | Psalm 119:105
The Church is not a building. It’s not a denomination.
It’s a living, breathing movement of believers joined in purpose, love, and power. We gather to worship, grow, serve, and go.
📖 Acts 2:42–47 | 1 Corinthians 12:12–27
Everything we believe, everything we do, must be rooted in love.
Love for God. Love for neighbor. Love that forgives, includes, challenges, and transforms. Without love, we have nothing.
📖 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 | Matthew 25:35–40
We stand in the tradition of liberation.
We believe the gospel calls us to confront oppression, lift the poor, and speak truth to power. We believe in faith that is active, not abstract.
📖 Micah 6:8 | Luke 4:18–19 | James 2:14–17
We observe Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as holy sacraments—visible signs of God’s invisible grace. They are not rituals to be checked off, but sacred moments to be lived into.
📖 Romans 6: | Luke 22:19–20
Salvation is the start. Sanctification is the journey.
We believe in ongoing growth, spiritual formation, and the daily decision to live like Christ. We are not perfect—but we press toward the mark.
📖 Philippians 3:12–14 | 2 Corinthians 3:18
our PASTOR
Rev. Damon L. Blakeley is a visionary leader, sacred storyteller, and transformational pastor with a gift for blending biblical truth, theological depth, and emotional honesty. A theologian by training and a creative by nature, Pastor Blakeley draws from a rich tapestry of pastoral leadership, human development, and spiritual formation to help others discover meaning, identity, and purpose.
Before accepting the call to lead Joshua Chapel, he served more than two decades in ministry and brings with him a heart for reviving the relevance of the church, not by repeating tradition, but by reimagining transformation. His voice is prophetic, his preaching cinematic, and his leadership grounded in authenticity, empathy, and a deep belief that God still changes lives.
Pastor Blakeley is known for building bridges—between faith and real life, between old truths and new expressions, between where people are and where God is calling them next. He leads with both fire and tenderness, calling the church to embody radical love, spiritual resilience, and extreme hospitality.
When he’s not preaching or pastoring, you’ll find him mentoring leaders, writing, or building new models of ministry that speak to the heart of this generation’s deepest questions.
“To know him is to know that transformation is not just what he preaches—it’s how he lives.”