Worship Location: 6016 Allentown Road, Camp Springs, MD 20746
Mailing Address: 9201 Edgeworth Drive #4734 Capitol Heights, MD 20791
Office Phone: (301) 499 - 7115
Inclement Weather Notice
Sermon 5/3/26:
"The power of the gospel"
Pastor Lehman d. Bates
First Bethel Baptist Church Announcements – Sunday, May 10, 2026
“Happy Mother’s Day” First Bethel. The following are our church announcements for the week:
Our Sunday School Class occurs each Sunday, beginning at 9:00 a.m., and our Noon Day Bible Study Class occurs each Tuesday. All are welcome to join us for these classes.
If you have an interest in going on the California trip in August, please sign up today in the church foyer. Pastor Bates will be preaching week-long Revival services for Dr. Grady Jones.
Also, if you would like to go with us to Cape Cod and Martha’s Vinyard in the Fall, a sign-up sheet and trip flyer are posted in the foyer. May 21st is the deadline to pay the initial deposit and Double and Single occupancy are still available. For questions or to make payments, please see Deaconess Antoinette Vallier after service.
We extend “Happy Birthday Wishes” to everyone born in May. This week we are showcasing Sister Yvonne Barts, who will celebrate her birthday on Wednesday, May 13th. Happy Birthday Yvonne and God bless you always! Also, please note that our beloved and esteemed Pastor will celebrate his birthday this month, so we will set aside an appropriate time during the Worship Service on Sunday, May 24th to give everyone the opportunity to shower him with love and birthday greetings. If you would like to present Pastor Bates with a card or monetary love offering, you can do so at that time.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we extend much love and appreciation to all Mothers, Aunties, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, mentors, role models, and mother figures who have molded our lives. We pray God’s richest blessings upon you and THANK YOU for caring so deeply and giving so much of yourselves to your families and those around you. Today we also remember our Mothers who have gone to sleep in the Lord. We are grateful for all the love and life’s lessons they poured into us and thank God for the legacies they left behind for us to follow. To God Be the Glory for their lives and the memories we will cherish forever.
We send our love out to all those on our sick and shut-in list as we keep Maurice Askew, Sister Helene Richardson, Sister Barbara McEubanks, and Deacons Herbert Corbin and John Mozon lifted in prayer. Please continue to pray for and send cards or text messages of encouragement to all our church family and friends who are shut-in, experiencing ongoing health challenges, bereaved, and/or caregivers.
Thought for the Week
“Wake up feeling BLESSED because God’s got you!
So walk in favor and trust Him for everything and know that
everything’s gonna be alright because God is in control.”
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3pm Appreciation Service
Speakers:
-
Damien Briggs
-
Bernard Winchester
-
Anthony Maclin
Pastor Bates' Thank You
“I want to sincerely thank the Pastors: Dr. Lehman D. Bates, II, Ebenezer Baptist Church – Charlottesville, VA; Dr. Damion Briggs, Eastern Community Church – Landover, MD; Dr. Bernard Winchester, First Baptist Church of Fairmont Heights – Fairmont Heights, MD; Bishop Anthony G. Maclin – The Sanctuary at Kingdom Square, Upper Marlboro, MD that preached the WORD; the Pastors, the Ministers, the First Bethel Family; present and former members of First Baptist Church of Marshall Heights, Washington, DC; and all of my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, who came together and those who could not attend, to make this a very special day for me.
Your presence, fellowship, love, time and generosity will never be forgotten. To God Be The Glory… For The Things HE Has Done!!!
I am truly beyond grateful. Thank you so very much!” – Dr. Lehman D. Bates
Heading 6
Welcome to First Bethel Baptist Church
Welcome to the Website of FBBC of Camp Springs, MD
Thank you for visiting us.
On behalf of myself and the First Bethel Church family, we welcome you to our sanctuary. It is our hope that your experience with us will strengthen your relationship with God, cultivate your desire to link with our church and its numerous activities, and/or accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
At your first opportunity, you are invited to come and Worship with us on Sunday Mornings at 10:00AM. Sunday Church School Classes for all ages begins at 9:00AM.
Moreover, on each Tuesday of the week Structured Scripture Study is taught by Pastor Bates at 12 Noon and 7:00PM, everyone is welcome to attend.
Additionally, Members and Friends of FBBC can contribute Tithes, Offerings and Special Gifts through our various QR Code/PayPal links on this web page (including below).
“My Prayer for You is that the LORD will Bless You and Keep You Daily.”
(Psalm 118:24)
Lehman D. Bates, Pastor
About Our Church
Committed to Spreading the Good News
The First Bethel Baptist Church of Capitol Heights Maryland was organized and held the initial Worship Service on Sunday, December 23, 2012 under the dynamic leadership of our beloved Pastor and Organizer, Dr. Lehman D. Bates. The initial service was held at our previous location, 9171 Central Avenue, Capitol Heights, MD with a total of 47 members. The Lord allowed us to grow and we were officially incorporated in January 2013 with a Charter Membership of 83 Members. Today we thank God for a total of 107 members, more than twice our initial number in ONE YEAR.
GOD has continued to bless us with three faithful and dynamic ministers of the gospel; as well as the support and prayers of three Sons of the Church and their wives as Charter Members. These ministers continue to help and support our Pastor and our Church. Through God’s grace and love we receive many expressions of love and support from non-members and friends – we are blessed!
After much prayer and fasting, the Lord directed Pastor Bates to complete the organization of our church family for the work and glory of GOD. The structure now includes: Board of Deacons, Board of Deaconess, Board of Trustees, Budget Committee, Church Clerk, Church Secretaries, Music Staff, Missionary Ministry, Welcome & Announcement Committee, Church School, New Members Class, Ushers, First Bethel Gospel Choir, Golden Saints/Travel Fellowship and Revival/Hospitality Committee. The Young Adult Fellowship, Nurses Unit, Christian Education, a Historian and the FBBC Media Powerhouse Committees are still being developed. The Church By-Laws were completed and ratified. The church purchased a new set of drums and microphones. The Golden Saints/Travel Fellowship sponsored their first trip to see Moses on March 28, 2014. Our first Fall Revival was held Sunday, September 22 through Wednesday, September 25, 2013. Dr. Marshall F. Prentice, Pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in Baltimore, MD was the evangelist.
Also, the church baptized three young people: Nyha Lavern Shaw, Talayia Maria Sharon Rhode and Zander Aiden Perry. We have mourned the lost of numerous members over the years, and we continue to pray for those families. We have supported bereaved families inside and outside our church family, as we dedicate ourselves to spreading the love of God.
Our congregation presently supports both foreign and local missions. We continue to honor families with Thanksgiving Baskets on any given year in support of families in need. The Lord also blessed us to purchase, wrap and send Christmas Gifts to The Joseph Francis General Hospital Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies for patients unable to go home for Christmas. The growth and stability of our congregation will lead to the continued support of education, foreign and local missions, and many other areas that our Pastor envisions, encourages and the Lord allows us to be a part of.
With Christ and Pastor, our church will make a difference as we spread the love and peace of God throughout the world.
About the Pastor
Biographical Sketch
Of
Dr. Lehman D. Bates
Dr. Lehman D. Bates, a native of Columbus, Ohio, was licensed to the Gospel Ministry and ordained into the Pastoral Ministry through the Union Grove Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, and the Columbus, Ohio Baptists Pastor’s Conference. He currently serves as the spiritually pragmatic Pastor of the First Bethel Baptist Church in Capitol Heights, MD. Previously he pastored First Baptist Church of Marshall Heights, Washington, DC; Victory Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, PA; and Second Baptist Church in Delaware, OH.
Dr. Bates is a dedicated teacher, profound thinker, and motivating humanitarian. As a dedicated Pastor, preacher, teacher, and speaker, he desires to be a positive motivator of individuals and groups, encouraging them to achieve their full potential. He travels and ministers domestically and internationally to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and provide counseling, health care support, medical supplies, and enlightened meaning of the Word to developing countries. His mission travels include the Caribbean, East & West Africa, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, West Indies and Europe, among others. Moreover, he is the Executive Director of “Global Faith Alliance,” which has provided health care support, counseling, and the work of missions in St. Kitts-Nevis and Haiti.
As a family man, Dr. Bates is the grateful and honored father of one son, Pastor Lehman D. Bates II, who is married to the former Gloria Pailen, and one daughter, Lori DeVon Bates Curry, who is married to Melvin Curry and the parents of Dr. Bates’ three delightful and loving granddaughters.
Worship Service Hours
Come Worship with Us!
Sundays:
9am - Church Sunday School in the Polar Room
10am - Sunday Service in the sanctuary
Tuesday Bible Study: noon
First Sunday: Communion and Right Hand of Fellowship
Sermon Bible Verse for 5/3/26
1 Thessalonians 1-10
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
First Timers at First Bethel Baptist Church
First Bethel Baptist Church is an open and welcoming church. From humble beginnings, we have grown into a sizeable congregation. Our typical services include prayer, sermon and community inclusiveness. We are always overjoyed when people want to come to worship with us, so please know there’s always room for more in our ranks. We look forward to meeting you.
PASTOR'S CORNER
Lehman D. Bates
CHANGE YOUR FACE
Every personality has a face. SMILE! How do you see yourself? What’s your real self- esteem quotient on a scale of 0 (low) – 10 (solid)? Hopefully the face of your personality is not marred, twisted, inferior, ugly, or caustic.
The feelings and pictures you have about yourself form your self–image. How you view yourself consists of both emotional feelings and mental pictures, this is your selfconcept. What you see and feel about yourself will determine your relationship with other people and with God. The Scripture statement is significant here as it brings the heart and mind together: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)
A sound and secure self–esteem is viable without arrogance or selfishness. A healthy, Godly self–image is essential to virtuous growth in character, personality and disposition. In his book, “The Sensation of Being Somebody,” Dr. Maurice Wagner discusses three (3) basic components essential to a healthy self–image:
A sense of belongingness, of being loved: you are loved; accepted; enjoyed; cared for.
A sense of worth and value: you count; you have something to offer.
A sense of being competent: you can do this task; you can cope with that situation; you are able to meet life.
You are somebody. You belong to God and He Loves you so much. You count. He gave Himself for you through Christ and you have something to offer. Never underestimate your capability. You are fit for the task. As you believe in God, BELIEVE in yourself. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Change your face! SMILE.
DR. LEHMAN D. BATES, PASTOR
Church calendar news
5/5 - 5/7/26: Baptist Educational Congress
5/21/26 -Payments due for Martha's Vineyard
August (upcoming): Trip to California - tentative
prayer for healing corner
Please pray for and send cards of encouragement to all our sick, shut-in, and/or bereaved members and friends.
Online Resources
Scripture Study Archives
(coming soon)
Organizational Profile
Dr LEHMAN D. BATES, PASTOR & ORGANIZER
FIRST BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
2025 OFFICERS, MINISTERS, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, ORGANIZATION LEADERS
BOARD OF DEACONS:
Michael Artis – Chairman
Khaliff Kassim – Vice Chairman
Kelvin Cooke
Herbert Corbin
Boyd Covington, Jr,
John Curenton
Murphy Hackett
Eddie Johnson
Marvin Nash
George Turner
BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Eddie Johnson – Chairman
Mikal Ba’th
Boyd Covington, Jr
John Curenton
Terry Joyner
Kim Outlaw
George Turner
Rhonda Weaver
ASSISTANT TO PASTOR:
Phillip M. Coram, Retired Associate Pastor
Lewis Fortune, Minister (ill)
Gregory Gavin, Minister
Robert D. Morgan, Minister
Vaughn D. Perry, Minister
BOARD OF DEACONESS:
Rosetta Artis - Chairlady
Cassandra Cooke - Secretary
Gloria Anderson
Alphonise Artis
Regina L. Brown
Rhodenia Coram
Sibbie Corbin
Petrina Covington
Linda A. Curenton
Frances Felder
Linda Morgan
Antoinette Vallier
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF:
Faye Highsmith - Church Clerk & Finance/ Budget
Regina L. Brown – Church Secretary
Cassandra Cooke – Church Administrative Aide
Vonzy Davis – Church Bulletin Coordinator
2025 - ORGANIZATION LEADERS
MISSIONARY MINISTRY – Joan Carver, Coordinator
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION – Pastor Bates, Coordinator
CHURCH SCHOOL – Linda Curenton, Secretary
TEACHERS – Michael Artis & Deborah Thomas
FIRST BETHEL GOSPEL CHOIR – Billie Champ-Lopes, Minister of Music
GREETERS of VISTORS – Synthia Howell, Coordinator
USHER BOARDS – Rebecca Outlaw and Linda Curenton, Coordinators
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENT – Terry Joyner, Coordinator
HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE – Alphonise Artis, Coordinator
REVIVAL COMMITTEE – Michael Artis, Chairman
SISTER’S KEEPERS – Gloria Anderson, Chairlady
TRAVEL & FELLOWSHIP – Antoinette Vallier, Coordinator
FBBC MEDIA & SOUND – Musicians, Coordinators
WEBSITE POWERHOUSE –Lawrence Weaver - Coordinator
Contact Us
Current mailing address:
First Bethel Baptist Church
9201 Edgeworth Drive #4734 Capitol Heights, MD 207
Current Worship Adress:
Bells United Methodist Church
6016 Allentown Road, Camp Springs, MD 20746
OFFICE: (301) 499 - 7115