About Us

In 1999, a powerful vision was born through third-generation preacher Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant when he answered the call of God to launch a church for “unchurched” brothers and sisters in the Baltimore City community. He was excited about his initial passion, which focused on “Generation X,” but God had bigger plans.
The movement began in his home with a small bible study and continued to expand and grow exponentially. On Easter Sunday, April 23, 2000, the Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church came into being with Pastor Bryant as its founder. With great excitement, the new church had only 43 members and held its first service in a catering hall in downtown Baltimore called “The Grand.”
Its great call was to “Empower the World through the Word.” The church’s mission was “to empower people spiritually, develop them educationally, expose them culturally, activate them politically, and strengthen them economically.” It became an influential trailblazer in the Body of Christ in the areas of civic and social engagement and became one of the fastest-growing AME churches in the area. As the church searched for new venues to worship God, Empowerment Temple moved from the Grand to Coppin State University to Walbrook Senior High School until it found its current home at 4217 Primrose Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland.
After 18 years of serving the Empowerment Temple, the Lord had another vision for Pastor Bryant to follow, and Empowerment Temple’s search for great new leadership began. Our church, lovingly known as ET, was led by Rev. Dr. Ann Lightner-Fuller and Pastor G.J. Barnes during this transition period. Then, the Lord set his eyes on a young man of God from Oklahoma to undertake and covenant with His spiritual vision for ET at this time in history. In September 2021, Rev. Dr. Robert Richard Allen Turner answered the call to serve and lead our church to the next level.
Under the leadership of Pastor Turner, the Empowerment Temple AME Church remains a vital part of the community through its plethora of ministries that strive to enhance the spiritual and physical needs of both the congregation and the community. The church’s current theme is “Changing Lives, ” its mission is “to serve the world by encouraging, educating, equipping, and empowering the children of God to be all that God has created them to be and do what God has called them to do.”