Pastor Amaziah C. Harper was born in Youngstown, Ohio and raised in Marion, Maryland, on the eastern shore.  After graduating from high school in 1963, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1964, where he achieved the rank of Sergeant E-5 and was honorably discharged in 1967.

 

Upon moving to Washington, D.C., he met and married his lovely wife, the former Verbena Lewis of South Boston, Virginia.  After visiting various churches in the DC area, he was inspired to join the East Friendship Baptist Church in 1970, where he served on the Deacon Board; a member of the Senior Choir; instructor of Sunday School and Bible Study Classes; he also served as Church Treasurer.  He received his license to preach in 1975 and was ordained into the Gospel Ministry in 1977 at East Friendship Baptist Church.

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In November 1980, Reverend Harper received the call to be the second Pastor of Mentrotone Baptist Church that has now been in existence for eighty one years.  He began this Pastoral journey in January of 1981 and was installed as Pastor on August 9, 1981.  Under his pastorate, he has been blessed by Almighty God to lead the congregation into more in-depth bible study with classes for both adults and youth, and the Youth Department was reorganized.  Reverend Harper lead the Church in erecting a combination Church Fellowship Hall and Education Annex, the renovation of the Church Sanctuary, and the operation of a Nursery during Sunday Worship Service.

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He obtained his initial theological education at the Washington Baptist Theological Seminary.  In May 1993, he received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology Degrees from the Richmond Virginia Seminary.  He received his Master’s of Divinity Degree in May 1995.  Pastor Harper has served on the Executive Board of the Baptist Convention of Washington, DC and Vicinity and on the Advisory Board to the Directors for Stoddard Baptist Home.  He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Washington Baptist Theological Seminary, a member of the Missionary Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Washington, DC and Vicinity, and the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Pastor Harper received his Honorary Doctor of Theology Degree in 2018 and his Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree in January 2019.

His favorite scriptures are taken from Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, and the first epistle of John 4:4 – “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”  Above all, Pastor Harper is a child of the King, and loves preaching the Word of God.

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Pastor Harper was recently honored at the 17th Annual Prayer Breakfast held on March 23, 2019 at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland. After receiving overwhelming nominations by his church family and friends, he was one of 20 Pastors honored at the Prayer Breakfast. The event was hosted by Praise 104.1 FM radio and the keynote speaker was Grammy Award winning gospel artist and Pastor Smokie Norful.

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Pastor Harper and First Lady Verbena Harper recently celebrated 54 years of marriage and 43 years as Pastor and First Lady of Mentrotone. To God be the Glory !