517 Court Street, Lynchburg VA

Today was one of those rare days that changes you forever.

My daughter and I visited the 142nd church on this journey, and I can say with certainty that this was not just a visit, it was a holy encounter.

Even now, as I write, I am still almost in tears remembering the love that wrapped itself around us the moment we walked through the doors of Court Street Baptist Church.

From the very first step inside, you can feel the Holy Spirit.

Not in a loud or forced way, but in a steady, reverent presence, like God has been faithfully dwelling here for generations. I couldn’t help but think about the countless prayers that have risen from these walls, the cries, the praises, the whispered hopes, and the answered miracles.

To worship here on the first Sunday of 2026 felt so beautiful.

Court Street Baptist Church, originally known as the African Baptist Church is the mother church of all the city’s Black Baptist congregations. Its roots reach back to 1815, when Black believers worshiped at First Baptist Church before being organized as their own congregation in 1843.

The current building, completed in 1880, was constructed entirely by Black laborers, many of them members, standing as a powerful testimony of faith, perseverance, and dignity in the face of injustice.

Once the tallest structure on Lynchburg’s skyline, this church still rises, spiritually, above everything around it.

And today, it lived.

The choir, adorned in beautiful blue robes, didn’t just sing, they worshiped. Smiling, dancing, lifting their voices with joy that felt contagious and holy. It was one of the most powerful expressions of praise I’ve ever witnessed, and it stirred something deep inside me.

Then Pastor Rev. Dr. Angelo Sullivan stepped forward and invited the church into a month of intentional prayer, morning, noon, and night, three times a day throughout January.

Prayer for consecration, strength, peace, provision, breakthrough, and repentance. That moment alone reminded me that prayer reaches places our feet never can. And how beautiful it is when a church moves together as one body before the throne of God.

Every single person we encountered was not only kind but joyful. Not surface-level joy… real joy!

The kind that comes from knowing who you belong to.

Hugs were freely given.

Smiles were sincere.

And my daughter and I were welcomed not as visitors, but as family.

I could truly see myself here as a church member.

Pastor Angelo preached from Ephesians 2:8–12, with a message titled “Built by Grace.” And I need to say this loudly…he could not have known how desperately I needed that word!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.”

One line from the sermon will stay with me forever,
“God is not tolerating you, He loves you.”

That truth shattered something in me. Really shattered!!!

So many of us walk around as if Heaven is waiting to fire us, as if God is disappointed, watching for the moment we mess up again.

But grace tells a different story.

Grace says we are saved on purpose.

Chosen intentionally.

Loved deeply.

Our lives are not accidents, they are God’s creative expression.

Pastor Angelo reminded us that we are not just saved from something, we are saved for something!

Built by grace to be used by God.

Not because we earned it. Not because we deserved it. But because God decided to love us and He is not changing His mind.

This whole message hit me in the deepest place…

I have spent years asking, How could God love me?

How could God choose me after everything I’ve been through?

And today, God answered again, clearly, tenderly, unmistakably.

And what made this day even more special was watching my daughter receive the message too.

I could see it landing in her heart in a way I will never forget.

As a mother, that meant everything. It felt like God was ministering to both of us, together, healing generations in one moment.

The theme for Court Street Baptist Church this year is “The Year of Different.”

And I can tell you, they are living it already.

Different in sincerity.

Different in love.

Different in joy.

Different in grace.

Wearing what Scripture calls us all to wear, compassion, humility, kindness, patience, love.

I watched Pastor Angelo before and after the service, listening, laughing, praying, holding space for tears and heavy stories. That is shepherding. That is love!

I will carry today with me always.

Thank you, Court Street Baptist Church, for loving my daughter and me so beautifully. Thank you for reminding us that we are not merely accepted, we are cherished. Thank you for showing us Jesus in a way that will forever live in our hearts.

We love you.
We are grateful.
And we will never forget what God did for us here today!

I can’t wait to see where the Holy Spirit leads next, but wherever it is, this moment will walk with me forever.