JULY 2014

The first

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Dear City of Praise Family,

You are invited to join us as we very proudly celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our ministry, our Jericho Legacy and the great work of our founders, Bishop James R. Peebles, Sr. and Apostle Betty P. Peebles. As we continue with the mission of these great visionaries and move forward to the next season that God has prepared for this Branch of Zion, we remember the words of our Lord that were spoken over our ministry.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion (the church) shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2,3)

We carry on the vision, the prophesy, and the next chapter of this mighty legacy upon which we were built, taking this great ministry to higher levels as God gives direction and opens doors. We are the City of Praise Family Ministries, saving families, one soul at a time.

God bless you,

Bishop Joel and Pastor Ylawnda Peebles

LION’S ROAR STAFF

Bishop Joel Peebles & Pastor Ylawnda Peebles, Diane George, Evan George, Kitrina Marie Ross, Paulette Shelton, Raymond Morse and Eddie Paylor

Lion’s Roar

/CityofPraiseChurch

@CityofPraisemd

P1 ..............THE FIRST 50 YEARS...

P3 .... OUR BISHOP AND PASTOR

P6 .....WE ARE WALKING UNDER THE GLORY CLOUD

P8 ....COLLEGE ESSAY CONTEST

P8 .............DONATIONS NEEDED

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By: Bishop Joel Peebles

THE FIRST

50 YEARSof our legacy

It actually all began in 1963, when the Reverend James R. Peebles, Sr. began his Evangelistic Ministry of the Gospel of God. One year later, he organized the Peebles Gospel Chorus, and

under the musical leadership of his wife, Betty P. Peebles, they traveled extensively, spreading the gospel and winning souls to Christ.

In November 1964, God elevated the Peebles higher with the organization of a small Baptist mission founded in the basement of Odd Fellows Hall in Washington, DC. This mission, initially under the leadership of the late Apostle A.H.S. Johnson of Rehoboth Baptist Church, was the birth of the Jericho Baptist Church. Starting with a membership of six, including the Rev. James and Betty Peebles, their sons James Jr. and John, Aunt Lucy Lane and Anne Wesley, new organizations were soon formed within the church enabling it to expand and the membership to grow.

Jericho needed a permanent place of worship, so in 1968, God enabled Pastor Peebles to secure a personal loan of $7,500 from his credit union to purchase land on Douglas Street, N.E., in the Kenilworth section of Washington, D.C. That same year, First Lady Betty Peebles also secured a personal loan from her credit union of $2,000, and they began to build a house-like church seating approximately

thirty people. In March 1969 we moved into our first little church building with a mortgage of $31,000. As a good shepherd, Pastor Peebles began planning programs to meet the financial obligations, while at the same time organized home to home prayer meetings in addition to the regular services. January 1973 marked the final payment of our first church building.

Having gathered as many neighborhood children as she could, Betty Peebles started a children’s choir and named it the “Joys of Jericho”. Many of these children grew to later become officials of Jericho. We continued to grow, and the little church became overcrowded! We stood around the walls, in the small kitchen and even around the outside windows. It was time to begin planning again to raise funds for a larger edifice.

The Lord saw our need and sent us another blessing! Mr. Hardesty, owner of an adjacent lot, GAVE to Jericho Baptist Church two lots to enlarge our facility. Construction began and in October 1977, we marched into our second edifice with a seating capacity of 800, grounds and building valued at $1.3 million. Our second edifice was paid off in 1982.

We continued to grow. As a teaching ministry, we launched our new Jericho Christian Training Center/College, which over the years graduated

Bishop Joel

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over 10,000 students. Many counseling and helps services and ministries came into fruition, including the People of the Word, the Jericho Center of Hope, the Upper Room, Hearing Hands and Taking Washington for Jesus, just to name a few, totaling 64 separate operating ministries.

In 1979, the oldest son, James R. Peebles, Jr was ordained. He would later become elevated to Assistant Pastor. This same year, the church purchased the “Yellow House” across the street and we were blessed to also acquire the adjacent lot for additional parking. In October 1984, after many years serving beside her husband as teacher, administrator and Minister of Music, Betty P. Peebles was ordained as Co-Pastor of the Jericho Baptist Church, and their middle son, John R. Peebles, Sr., was elevated to Minister of Music. What a mighty worship leader he was!

It was in 1987 that our present Bishop, Joel R. Peebles, Sr., the youngest son and the baby of the family, was first called to preach! He was only in his teens, “but as it is written, Eye hath not seen nor ear heard…the things which God has prepared for them that love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) It was also in this year that we began to build the third church, an expansion of the second edifice. We needed more space.

In 1989 we marched into the third church, valued at $4,500,000 and with a seating capacity of 2000. Also in that year there was another momentous occasion. On September 16, Pastor James R. Peebles, Sr., was elevated to Bishop over the Jericho Ministries. And because of the sound business leadership of our Bishop and Pastor, as well as the faithful tithing of our congregation, the mortgage was paid off in only 3 years!

By 1994, Minister Joel R. Peebles and Minister John Peebles were Elders, and Elder Joel had married the love of his life, the beautiful and spirited Deacon Ylawnda Peebles. By 1995, we had outgrown the third church building, and God led Bishop James and Pastor Betty to a plot of land (82 acres) in Landover, Maryland for which we paid $7.5 million in cash!

Then the ministry faced a major and difficult test. On September 21, 1996, Bishop James Peebles went home to be with the Lord, and four months later our Assistant Pastor James R. Peebles, Jr. (Pastor Jamie) followed his father. This loss was extremely painful, but our faith in God gave us encouragement, and Pastor Betty, Elder Joel and the remaining ministry staff and trustee board were well equipped to continue with operations. We were in the middle of a large

expansion. We were doing a great work and we would not come down. God enabled us to go on. It is during this time that Elder Joel R. Peebles, Sr. was elevated to Assistant Pastor, and he, along with his mother, Pastor Betty Peebles, and his brother, Elder John Peebles, were already integrated into ministry and trustee board operations. By 1997 the fourth expansion was completed with a $36 million church campus in Landover that included a 10,000 seat sanctuary, a 400 seat chapel, an administration building, a college building, a school, buses and vans, and parking for thousands of cars. Also in 1997, Joel R. Peebles was elected to the Jericho Board of Trustees. It was during this time that the Peebles family and we as a congregation suffered a third loss. Elder John R. Peebles, Sr. was suddenly taken home and ushered into the presence of the Lord.

By the year 2000 Pastor Betty Peebles had been elevated to Apostle, and over the following years she and Assistant Pastor Joel continued to run operations smoothly, with more expansions to include 39 additional acres of land, 24 warehouses, 150 offices and a $50 million senior citizen complex. In 2008 Apostle Betty made the decision to “drop the name Jericho”, and the name of the church was changed to the City of Praise.

In 2010, Apostle Betty Poindexter Peebles passed away.

The mantle was now passed to the youngest son, Joel R. Peebles, Sr., who by then had become a dynamic and excellent teacher, leader and businessman, chosen by God for this assignment. Major changes and unique events began to take place in the ministry, and under the anointing and outstanding leadership of Drs. Joel and Ylawnda Peebles, the ministry has expanded beyond the walls of the Landover campus. Joel R. Peebles, Sr. and Ylawnda Peebles were ordained Pastor and Co-Pastor in 2012, and in 2014 Pastor Joel was elevated to Bishop. With thousands of faithful members we are now the City of Praise Family Ministries. We are growing quickly and steadily, with our Bishop and Pastor at the helm doing a mighty work. God is using them to continue the legacy and to take the ministry to new heights, opening many doors with ownership of television stations, nationwide locations, global recognition in the ministry of saving marriages and families, a publishing company and a campaign to bring one million souls to Jesus.

The first 50 years were only the beginning.

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BIOGRAPHYOur Bishop

Bishop Joel Peebles is the son of one of the most loved Christian families in the nation. He is the youngest of three sons born to the late Bishop James Peebles and the late Apostle

Betty Peebles. When Bishop Joel Peebles was in his mother’s womb, Bishop James Peebles, Sr. and Apostle Betty Peebles began planting a church that would grow into one of the largest and most respected Christian Ministries in the United States. Bishop Joel Peebles counts it as one of God’s greatest blessings on his life to have grown up living and learning under the divine anointing of his parents. Bishop Joel Peebles received the call to preach the gospel at a young age, and in the late 1970’s, under the tutelage and encouragement of his father, he joined him on a weekly radio broadcast.

In addition to the great education that he received from his parents, Bishop Joel Peebles’ formal education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism from Bowie State University, a Master of Arts in Counseling from Bowie State University, a Master of Divinity from Wilbur Henry Waters College, and a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Breakthrough Seminary School of Theology.

Bishop Joel Peebles began preaching at the City of Praise over 20 years ago, and has worked to grow and realize the vision established by his parents. Bishop Joel was elected to serve on the church’s Board of Trustees in 1997, and in 2001, he began to serve on the Board of the Center of Hope, a senior living facility. He currently serves as President of the Board of the Center of Hope. In August 2012, Bishop Joel Peebles was consecrated Pastor of the City of Praise Family Ministries, and in January 2014 was elevated to presiding Bishop over this branch of Zion. He and Pastor Ylawnda are the leaders of the Marriage Enrichment Auxiliary for Global United Fellowship and Bishop is on the Leadership Council of Bishops for GUF.

His diligence to exemplify the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ allows him to humbly carry out the legacy of his parents in ministry. It is also the driving force which allows him to build a new legacy for the next generation on how to live the Word of God in our everyday lives.

Bishop Joel is a dedicated, loyal and loving husband of 20 years to “the cream in his coffee”, Pastor Ylawnda. Together they are parents of four outstanding children, Joel Jr., Janay, Jordan and Jeremiah.

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BIOGRAPHYOur Pastor

A woman of worship, wisdom and elegance, Dr. Ylawnda Peebles is our Pastor, the happy wife of 20 years to her best friend, Bishop Joel R. Peebles, Sr., and the loving mother of four.

Pastor Ylawnda is a graduate of Bowie State University from which she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Salutatorian of her class, and in 1996 she received a Master’s Degree in Divinity. In 1999, with a spirit of excellence and a willingness to serve her community, Pastor Ylawnda adopted a female group home for which she provided mentoring, warm winter coats, school supplies and counseling. In 2003 she founded the Heart to Heart Literacy Program. This 501(c)3 not for profit charitable organization was designed to inspire literacy in school aged children. She later established Heartfelt Inc., a community based program designed to improve adult literacy. In 2004 Pastor Ylawnda founded and directed “Blessed by You”, an after-school program which trained students between the ages of 9 and 16 in etiquette, interview skills and career education.

She is an accomplished author, having written and published a children’s book entitled, “God Made Me Just the Way I Am”, which is now in its third print. Her second book, “Mirror, Mirror”, flew off the shelves and is in its second print. It is a guide to helping women become confident in who they are in Christ. Together,

Pastor Ylawnda and Bishop Joel are completing their joint project, “Pom Poms and Vacuum Cleaners”, a book about making your marriage sizzle.

In 2012, she was ordained Co-Pastor of the City of Praise Family Ministries to officially stand beside her husband in ministry, and in February 2014, Pastor Ylawnda was bestowed a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Breakthrough Seminary School of Theology. She also serves in the Women’s Leadership Group for Global United Fellowship.

In their passion to help marriages thrive, this dynamic duo jointly hosts many ministry affairs such as “The Marry Me Again Experience”, “Marriage Events” and “Fireside Chats”. They also host “Touching the Hearts of People”, a telecast aired on the Word Network, and the “Word of the Day”, aired on both Praise 104.1 and 105.1 WAVA. This was birthed from their radio broadcast, “The Relationship Zone”, which once aired on WYCB Spirit 1340. In June 2014 they kicked off their second webcast, “Real Love with Joel &Ylawnda”. This webcast can be viewed globally every Sunday evening. They are both honored to serve with their City of Praise Family, and know that “the best is yet to come”.

“An empty life only focuses on personal achievement. True happiness is trusting in God, loving your family and making a substantial impact on one’s community.” – Ylawnda Peebles

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God has had his hand on this ministry since its inception, and he continues to remember his promises made to those who have gone

on to heaven before us. One promise is: Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it. (Jeremiah 33:9)

The reality is that we have brought him renown, joy, praise and honor. The world has been impacted by us collectively because all nations on earth that have heard what he does for us can see his promises being fulfilled. Our journey has resulted in people being saved for eternity whom we would never have otherwise reached. The path may not seem logical at times, but God said his ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, David, Moses, the prophets and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all had to endure great trials, but each went on to do great things that resulted in God receiving praise. God said in Isaiah 66:9: “Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God. Corporately

and personally we shall now all see these words fulfilled because God confirms his Word, and signs always follow (Mark 16:20). Expect an acceleration of the promises of God.

We are walking under the Glory Cloud because as a ministry we have stuck together. We realize that together we are better, and we could not do what we are doing without each one of us. We have different functions, but they are equally important because they are functions given to us by God (Psalm 135:6 and I Corinthians 12:18). We are humbled by seeing God keep us together as a family and an active ministry impacting the world regardless of obstacles. We don’t always agree on everything, but we love each other like any family. We forgive each other and don’t hold grudges. We work together as a team. We help each other. We have fun together and make each other laugh. We respect authority and have the utmost reverence for God. Our journey has allowed us to be repositioned and active in ministry. Gifts have manifested that will serve the body of Christ. We realize that we are the church. The blessings of God rest upon us because we are his chosen vessels. We have forgiven anyone who has said, done or even acted incorrectly toward us. More importantly we realize we only have one enemy —it’s never a person but the devil. We realize the devil is not after buildings, money or possessions but only after the souls of men. We realize that together as we walk in love nothing is impossible for us. We realize that we have to save the world. We possess God’s power and his Word, and we have the precious Holy Spirit. The earth is groaning for us to be revealed (Romans 8:19&22). There are no greater people on this planet than the men, women, youth and children at the City of Praise Family Ministries. God is going to do something that if he told us we would not believe it (Habakkuk 1:5). We are walking under the Glory Cloud because we have expanded into the community like never before and are making an eternal impact in the lives of people.

WE ARE WALKING UNDER THE GLORY CLOUD

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Road2College Ministry JULY College Essay Contest

DONATIONS NEEDED!!!

Preparation! Excellent college essays take time to prepare and write. The best ones are developed in the summer when students are free from the demands and distractions of

senior year. To encourage rising high school seniors (the Class of 2015) to begin one of the first steps on their college journey, the Road2College Ministry is sponsoring a College Essay Contest. Each student who submits a college essay will be eligible to have their name entered in a drawing

for a Road2College Basket and other prizes. It’s easy to participate.

1. First, look at the application for the college of your choice and find an essay question.

2. Type your name, email address, the name of the college, the essay question required by the college, and the word limit, if any, at the top of your paper.

3. Type your essay.

4. Send your completed essay to coproadtocollege@gmail.com by Thursday, July 31, 2014.

2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to do “your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Parents encourage your students to PREPARE for success by pushing them to work towards completing this first college admission goal.

The Children’s Church Needs Your Help to Send 1000 bars of soap and washcloths to Ghana!The Children’s Church is winding up its effort to collect 1000 bars of soap to send to the children of Ghana. Please help them to help others by donating new wash cloths and soap. The children will wrap the soap with ribbon and the new washcloths. Your assistance is appreciated. Donations will be accepted on the second, third and fourth Sundays of July.

Save Your Shoes for our September Shoe Drive— Soles for Jesus! Clean out your closet for new and gently used shoes. Shoes to be collected range from child sizes to adult size thirteen. Tennis shoes and flat shoes are acceptable. Please remember this upcoming project as you complete your summer cleaning.

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Bishop Peebles’ Speaking Engagements

(Tues. July 15–Fri. July 18)Global United Fellowship

Bishop Neil Ellis Bishop Joel and Pastor Ylawnda

will speak on marriage — Friday, July 18

The Gathering Benton Convention Centre

301 Fifth Street Winston Salem, NC 27102

Call the church office to inquire about joining Bishop Joel and Pastor Ylawnda

at The Gathering

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