A Sabbath community on Riggs Road
Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church sits on a quiet stretch of Riggs Road in Hyattsville, Maryland, just minutes from the District line. From the street, the campus reads like a small village: the main sanctuary anchors the property, the Metropolitan Activity Center rises beside it, and the adjoining George E. Peters Elementary School and Chillum Oaks Adventist Apartments extend the church's footprint into the surrounding neighborhood. The congregation describes its work in plain words - "through prayer, love, and service, we connect our church and community to Christ" - and that rhythm shapes everything from the Sabbath schedule to the mission trips.
Metro, as members call it, is a large, multi-generational Adventist body. Its weekly calendar stretches from Sunday morning prayer through Saturday evening vespers, with separate tracks for children, youth, young adults, men and women. The church belongs to the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church and, regionally, to the Allegheny East Conference, and it shares the denomination's traditional worship sensibility while running a contemporary online presence alongside it.
The pastoral team
Senior Pastor Dr. Dewaine Frazer leads the congregation. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Religion and Theology from Northern Caribbean University, a Master's degree in Pastoral Studies from Oakwood University in 2012, and a Doctorate in Ministry with a focus on church leadership from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. His ministry has carried him across the Caribbean, Canada, the United Kingdom and parts of the eastern seaboard for revivals, leadership seminars and evangelistic campaigns. Before coming to Metro, he helped bring a quarter-million-dollar county wellness center to fruition in Montclair, New Jersey, and secured a Howard County, Maryland, grant for church security improvements in Columbia. He is married to Kristyn Joseph Frazer, a licensed social worker, worship leader and songwriter, and they have a daughter, Soriyah Mae.
Assistant Pastor Anthony Wheeler joined the ministry team after graduating in May 2026 from Oakwood University with a Bachelor of Science in Theology. Raised in Albany, New York, by his Guyanese mother, Anne Marie Schultz, he came of age in Capital City Seventh-day Adventist Church as a Pathfinder, drum corps member, usher, deacon and AV volunteer. He was ordained as an Elder at Mount Pisgah SDA Church in Gurley, Alabama, and is now pursuing a Master of Divinity through Andrews University. His wife, Alle, is a mental health counselor; together they live with their dog, Cooper.
Alongside the pastors, the Pastoral Team includes Dr. Dorene Louis as Elder and Prince Iheme as First Elder. A larger leadership circle - elders, deacons, deaconesses, the church clerk and the treasurer - carries the day-to-day work of shepherding the body. Members of the congregation can reach each group through the church directory: elders@metrosda.org, deacons@metrosda.org, clerk@metrosda.org and treasurer@metrosda.org.
Sabbath worship and the live week
The church observes the seventh-day Sabbath from Friday evening through Saturday evening. On Friday at 7:00 p.m., young adults gather for F.L.O.W. Bible Study, and at 7:30 p.m. two parallel services run side by side: Church Family Vespers for adults and Youth Fellowship for teens ages 13 to 17.
Saturday morning is built around age-layered Sabbath School classes followed by the weekly Live Worship Experience at 11:45 a.m. Adult Sabbath School begins at 9:45 a.m., with online classes at 9:30 a.m. for those joining remotely. At 10:30 a.m. the building fills with young adults, Kidz Connect children, and the Pre-teen class. The 11:45 a.m. service is the main weekly worship gathering, held in person in the sanctuary and livestreamed for those watching at home. Saturday afternoon continues with Metro Men in Prayer at 1:00 p.m., and the day closes with Sabbath Vespers at 6:30 p.m.
Mid-week, the rhythm keeps moving. Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. brings the Adult Bible Study and intergenerational mid-week fellowship, followed by Metro Men in Prayer Lifeline at 8:45 p.m. Sunday morning opens the week with an 8:00 a.m. Power Prayer Session led by the pastors and prayer warrior team, and Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m. the Pre-teen Fellowship reconnects.
Almost every gathering has an online counterpart. The main dial-in line - 260-475-0758 with PIN 761593021 - carries the prayer session, the Wednesday Bible study, Sabbath School and vespers, while age-specific ministries use their own Zoom rooms. Members who cannot attend in person can request a prayer from a prayer team member between 11:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays by calling 1-844-PRAYER-2.
What we believe
Metropolitan's statement of faith rests on the central claim that "Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again." The church teaches that Adam and Eve's sin condemned all of humanity to death, but that God sent His Son to live a perfect life and become the sacrifice for sin. The congregation affirms that God raised Jesus from the grave, demonstrating His power over death, and that believers can be covered by Christ's righteousness and empowered to follow His commandments. The church also looks forward to Christ's second coming, when He will restore the earth and His people to their original state.
As a part of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist organization, Metro shares the denomination's broader doctrinal catalogue. Anyone interested in the full list of beliefs can read it through the Adventist.org site.
Children and youth: from cradle roll to La Cour Royale
Children's Ministry is the church's largest sustained effort outside of worship. The department's motto - "Pass on the faith to the next generation" - drives programming for every age from birth through high school. Kidz Connect reaches children during Sabbath School at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays, with materials aligned to the Adventist GraceLink curriculum for beginners, kindergarten and primary ages.
The Adventurer Club, known at Metro as the Sparklers Club, serves children up to age nine with a curriculum of crafts, nature, outreach and spiritual habits. Pathfinders, the parallel program for older youth, draws on the worldwide Adventist Pathfinder organization and adds camping, survival skills, community service and honors work; the Metro Pathfinder Club is known as the Metro Blazers, and it shares registration, health and image-release documents online. Master Guides extends that training for adult leaders and youth candidates.
Several smaller programs fill out the youth division. Agape's Neighborhood is a filmed children's series featuring three friends - Isa, Faith and Jayce - who work through Bible lessons in 1 Corinthians 13. Cavaliers is the church basketball program, open to members ages six and up, with sign-ups through basketball@metrosda.org. ManUp targets young men ages 10 to 16 with character, leadership and mentorship built around seven core values, from spirituality to excellence. Sister-to-Sister is a mentoring circle for teenage girls. La Cour Royale prepares high school seniors for college and adult life through academic, social, spiritual and character development, and includes a Scholarship track. F.L.O.W. gathers young adults for Friday evening Bible study, and Youth Fellowship, for ages 13 to 17, runs every Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
Vacation Bible School is a summer staple. The 2022 run, like the ones before and since, brought crafts, games and lessons to children on weekday evenings, and registration is usually announced several weeks in advance.
Family life and adult ministries
The Family Life umbrella gathers ministries for adults at every stage. The 50+ Club serves seniors and works closely with Chillum Oaks Adventist Apartments, the 48-unit, wheelchair-accessible senior community on the campus built in 1997. The Bereavement Ministry walks alongside families at the loss of a loved one. Men's Ministries supports men's discipleship, men's health seminars (in past seasons featuring Zoom talks with specialists such as Dr. Quinton Cancel) and a weekly prayer lifeline on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Women's Ministries organizes gatherings and seasonal programs such as the annual Black History Month celebration. Singles and Social Ministry rounds out the offerings for adults.
Worship Arts covers the people who make weekly services run: Communication, Hospitality, Metro Media Ministry, Music, Prayer Warriors and Ushers. Together they produce the weekly Moments at Metro announcements video, lead congregational singing and welcome first-time guests. Discipleship ministries - Health, Sabbath School and Stewardship - anchor the educational life of the church.
Community service and mission
Personal Ministries at Metro pushes members outside the walls. The Personal Service Challenge, launched in 2023, calls members to commit to weekly or monthly service and to share their testimonies. Community Services coordinates food distribution, the monthly food drive (held on Wednesdays in the sanctuary) and ongoing partnerships with neighborhood organizations. Health Ministry runs screening events in partnership with outside medical providers, including a summer health fair with hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, mental health, weight, nutritional and dental screenings. Prison Ministries and Beyond the Walls extend the same hands-on approach to incarcerated members and to outreach beyond the local area.
The church also takes the gospel on the road. The 2026 Mission Trip is heading to Jamaica from July 29 to August 12, focusing on Portland and Kingston. The team will provide medical, surgical and dental services, support construction at local schools, homes and churches, lead nightly evangelistic meetings, and run cooking and exercise classes for the community. Past trips have included a similar multi-disciplinary approach in other countries.
The campus
The church's facilities match the size of its program. The main sanctuary hosts the 11:45 a.m. Live Worship Experience. The Metropolitan Activity Center (the MAC) is the social and programmatic hub: it holds the banquet hall used for weddings, funerals, baby dedications, anniversaries and church-wide events; it includes a gymnasium that doubles as a fellowship and screening space; and it can be reserved through the event request form on the church's site. George E. Peters Elementary School is a K-8 Adventist school sharing the campus, and Chillum Oaks Adventist Apartments provides independent-living housing for seniors, with a leasing office open weekdays and air-conditioned, wheelchair-accessible units.
Weddings, funerals and baby dedications can all be arranged through the church secretary. Baby dedications are held on the first Saturday of each month, with members and non-members alike welcome; pastors meet with the family beforehand for a short conversation.
The Nehemiah Project
The most visible recent chapter in the church's story is the Nehemiah Project, a full renovation of the building that culminated in a grand reopening on April 27, 2024. The celebration included a ribbon cutting, the regular Sabbath School and worship schedule, lunch on the grounds, and an evening concert with the Oakwood University Aeolians. The Nehemiah Project remains a fundraising priority: members can make tax-deductible donations through Adventist Giving, with project budgets, architectural drawings and contractor criteria published on the church's site.
Giving and getting involved
Metro offers four ways to give. The preferred route is Adventist Giving, the North American Division's online platform, which allows members to designate tithe, combined budget and special projects. Members can also give through Zelle at MetroZelle@metrosda.org, mail checks to the Treasury Department at the church address, or place tithe envelopes in the pews during the 11:45 a.m. service. Charitable contribution receipts are typically issued at the end of January and are emailed unless a member requests a pickup.
Visitors and members who want to plug in can fill out a connect card, request a Bible study, sign up to serve in a ministry, or reserve meeting space through the online forms. Prayer requests and baptism requests go through their own dedicated forms on the church center, and a separate signup page invites neighbors to volunteer for screeners, security teams and other supporting roles. The church publishes a weekly email newsletter on Fridays and maintains an active calendar so newcomers can see what is coming up.
Where to find more
The Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church is open to the community throughout the week. The church office is reachable at 1-301-853-2224 during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and by email at secretary@metrosda.org. The address - 6307 Riggs Road, Hyattsville, Maryland 20783 - is the hub for Sabbath worship, weekday prayer, mission work and the many smaller gatherings that make up life at Metro.