About Us

River of Life Church (ROLC)

Our Mission

Reaching the Lost

… a passion to share Christ relationally and relevantly

Developing Followers

… equipping believers in the word to do ministry and fulfill their calling

Impacting the World

… inspiring believers to go into the world and produce transformation

Our Vision

It is our vision . . .

By the year 2023, ROLC will be a family of believers inspired, trained and passionate to reach people daily who don’t know Christ resulting in over 365 people yearly making decisions for Christ and experiencing baptisms. To develop 100s of new and existing followers to become strong disciples through Bible Studies, personal, small group, and corporate training in order to place them in ministries to serve. To develop 100s of followers to become effective leaders through leadership training and ministry responsibilities. To consistently touch every street and home within 1 mile of the church. To strategically design and deliver meaningful ministries and partnerships that will impact the Temple Hills community, the National Capital Region, the Country, and the World. To plant 1-2 new churches, start 1-2 multi-sites, design 2-3 Sunday Services, deploy, and support 3-5 missionaries. To design Sunday services that are relevant to meet multi-generations and multi-cultures with relevant messages, the fine arts, and progressive music. To be a church in Temple Hills, MD that exalts Christ in such a manner that it will attract, maintain and cause all to flourish.

The Pastor and History of ROLC

Pastor Charles &
First Lady Cheryl

WHITAKER

In the summer of 2000, the Lord began talking to Evangelist Charles Whitaker about starting a church. For more than 18 years, he had spent much of his time ministering to the lost in the streets of Washington, D.C.

While attending George Washington University, Charles started a bible study and an evangelistic ministry called the Disciples of the Great Commission. This became the development ministry for his evangelistic calling. He and his wife Cheryl worked as partners along with other college students to hold crusades and to do neighborhood evangelism ministry in high crime and drug areas across the city. In 1991, after working at IBM as a manager, Evangelist Charles went on full-time staff at Evangel Church as the Minister of Evangelism and Church Growth. As an Elder on staff under the leadership of Bishop Don Meares, Evangelist Charles was responsible for evangelism, church growth, leadership development and community outreach. In August of 1999, he was sent out by Evangel Church to pursue full-time evangelism ministry and provide church growth consultation to other churches.

Many pastors, leaders and believers were encouraging Evangelist Charles to start a church. As the Lord began to tug on his heart, he opened up his heart and heard the Lord speak to him about starting a church and to build a model of what he had been teaching others. Not knowing what the Lord had said to him, his wife, Cheryl, said that she felt the Lord could use them to start a church and to do what they had been teaching others to do. While traveling to New York, a pastor told his testimony about wanting to evangelize New York and a friend told him that he needed to start a church and then go and tell others how to do. That was a confirmation to Evangelist Charles.

Pastor John Jenkins introduced Pastor Whitaker to Dan Peterson of the Mideast Baptist Conference (Converge MidAtlantic) who explained their church planting organization process. Upon the successful completion of the assessment process, Evangelist Charles and Cheryl started the River of Life Church in Temple Hills, MD on Sunday, January 28, 2001. This church plant started with 23 core people under the coaching and covering of Pastor John Jenkins.

Without a shadow of a doubt, River of Life Church is mandated by the Lord to reach the lost and nurture the believer into a mature walk with Christ.

Pastor Whitaker & First Lady Cheryl have raised their four sons in the church. In the order from the oldest to the youngest, Christopher (far right), Alexander (far left), Nicolas (inside right), and Gabriel (inside left).

Our Partners

Converge MidAtlantic is one of 11 regional expressions of Converge, a dynamic movement of 1250 plus churches across the U.S., with global outreach in 29 nations worldwide.

The First Baptist Church of Glenarden has been appointed by God to serve this community in developing disciples through discipline and duplication.

Feed My Starving Children is dedicated to providing nutritious meals to children worldwide.

We help the poorest of the poor, the children in greatest need, without ulterior motive because we are a “love thy neighbor” ministry.

Pastors in the Temple Hills area united together in sharing resources, serving the community, spreading the Gospel and saving lives