About Us

We are proud of our diverse congregation with members from:

§  Nigeria §  Cameroun §  Kenya §  Tanzania §   South Africa §  The West Indies §  USA

Maranatha was born when some Nigerian Adventists gathered at the General Conference, in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1995. They included Elder Timothy Atolagbe, Pastor Israel Olaore and Sister Bose Ade- Osifogun.  Prior to this, there had been informal meetings of several Africans for regular Bible studies at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Fawole. 

At the same time, a group of Nigerians residing mainly in Baltimore, Maryland, started a choir and informal meetings known as the “Baltimore Group.” Later, some Nigerian Adventists gathered in Baltimore to hold a special praise session with the late Pastor James Erondu, who suggested regular fellowships. The attendants promised to study the possibility and to pray about it.

Sometime in 1996, with the help of Pastors Martin Weber and Tim Golf of New Hope Church, and Pastor Dapo Oriola, a ministry was created at New Hope to cater for the peculiar needs of the Africans in the congregation. Thereafter, the Baltimore Washington Metro area groups coalesced and the Maranatha Adventist Fellowship emerged. The New Hope Church was very supportive of the Maranatha Adventist Fellowship.

The Fellowship had its first official worship during the summer of 1996, at The Jesus House—a non-Adventist Nigerian Church in Silver Springs, Maryland. Subsequent meetings were held at the Baltimore First SDA Church in Ellicott City. Since then, we have grown to a church where everyone feels free to worship regardless of his or her nationality.

From 1996 - 2009, the church worshipped at many different locations. Then in the fall of 2009, members mobilized and embarked on a major fundraising campaign.   With $250,000 on hand, the church obtained a loan to acquire a 6.7-acre property in Bowie, Maryland for $700,000.00.  This was a miracle then and God is continuing to perform more miracles at Maranatha Adventist Fellowship.  The church is planning to break ground in the summer of 2012.