This 132-year-old church was the first all-brick parish building in the U.S. when it held its first mass in 1912. It is a majestic presence located across from the high school athletic fields on North Carll Avenue and the parish complex includes St. Joseph's Nursery School, which first opened as an elementary school in 1927 to educate students in grades first through fifth. A thrift shop and food pantry are also part of the complex. The pantry is open Monday and Friday from 9:30am to noon, and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30am to 1:30pm.
Bethel World Outreach Ministries International located on Georgia Avenue is part of a global network started in Silver Spring in 1990 to bring together communities with a goal of world evangelism. The ministry was started by Bishop Darlingston G. Johnson and Pastor Chrys Johnson.
There are nearly 200 churches worldwide with over 30,000 members. On Sundays, the Bethel church conducts multiple services in English, French and Spanish.
