Our History
THE DAYSPRING STORY
Through the tender mercy of our God;
whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:78-79
The glowing vision that is Dayspring Community Church was given life through the pastoral passion and prophetic fire of our founder, Dr. L. Charles Bennett. It was after months of fervent prayer, peer consultation, and intimate discussion, Dr. Bennett and his wife, Cynthia, took the leap of faith to lead a small group of enthusiastic Christians on an exciting God-led journey into the unknown. Amid record-breaking snows and frigid temperatures, Dayspring’s first service was held Feb. 11, 1996, at the Greenbelt Marriott. Despite the weather, more than a hundred parishioners showed up for that first service and 68 grateful souls pledged themselves to the establishment of this faithful evangelical church. Dr. Bennett’s sermon was aptly titled, “Great Day in the Morning!
Quickly realizing the need to establish order, Feb. 25, 1996, was named “Discovery Sunday,” a day when we would formally establish polity and a governing structure. Forty Christian brothers and sisters assembled at the Holiday Inn-Calverton (Md.) to attend New Members Training and to adopt New Testament mandates for this Church. Dr. Bennett presented Four Statements, (Statement of Faith, Statement of Purpose, Statement of Lifestyle, Statement of Structure), each based on the teachings in Matthew 22:36-40 & 28:19-20. The statements were adopted and still serve as the guiding principles of the Dayspring congregation. Inherent in them is a revolutionary attempt to institutionalize biblical mission, while minimizing the trappings of human tradition. A board of directors (the Elders Council), comprised of men and women, was established, and the Pastor was named Chair. Charged with the task of administration, the Elders unanimously embraced the Four Statements to guide them in their work. Dayspring joined the District of Columbia Baptist Convention, which gives it affiliation with Progressive National Baptist Convention, American Baptist Churches, and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Dr. Bennett announced his plans to resign from the pastorate during worship service Aug. 29, 2004, effective Oct.31, 2004. With deep conviction, the Elders, along with the support of the congregation, quickly determined that the church had a mission that was greater than one person and that it should — must — continue on. The Elders fasted and prayed and enlisted the aid of Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Haggray, then Executive Director of the DC Baptist Convention, to serve as Interim Pastor and guide them through the transition. Under his caring and compassionate leadership, the church engaged in a healing process and eventually stabilized; afterwards, they embarked on a national pastoral search. In August 2005, the church joyously called the Rev. Cynthia T. (Bennett) Turner to serve as senior pastor.
Tested many times, God has proven His faithfulness through the years, and Dayspring has proven her resilience. Undeterred by the lack of a building, Dayspring has used local hotels, schools, churches, community centers, and offices as our places of worship, training, and fellowship. As stated in one Victory Report: “We are Dayspring; and like the Lily of the Valley, we can grow anywhere!”
Note: We thank God for the Mount Ephraim (Upper Marlboro, MD) and Mount Lebanon Baptist Churches (Washington, DC), whose aid and hospitality at critical times throughout our history have been a miracle of Christian love and co-operation.
