Our Heritage: Church of the Saviour
Mary & Gordon Cosby
In Washington D.C in 1947, Rev. Gordon Cosby and his wife Mary founded The Church of the Saviour. Along with seven others, they committed themselves to creating a new kind of church that would live into Jesus Christ’s life and teachings in ways deeper and more intentional than those they had experienced in other churches.
From the beginning, those who felt called to this new community shared a common understanding that church membership meant a total commitment of one’s life to Christ. They sought practices for deepening its members’ commitment to a more informed and faithful Christian discipleship. The church called all its members to be ministers through selfless giving of their time, energy and resources.
In a time of explicit separateness between races, economic classes, and church denominations, the members dreamed of a church that would devote itself to the radically inclusive and reconciling way of Jesus. In one of its largest steps toward that vision, The Church of the Saviour began searching for a public space that could support the creation of honest relationships across differences.
Gordon and Mary believed that a coffee house could be this kind of space. The church found a promising location on Columbia Road NW in the lively and diverse Adams-Morgan area of the District. In 1960, The Potter’s House was opened-- believed to be the first coffee house in the city, and one of the very first Christian coffee houses in the country.
Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, and riots broke out not far away, The Potter’s House kept its doors open. It became a place of refuge and hope, where church members and neighborhood residents could continue to build bridges of love and trust across barriers of distrust and fear. Around The Potter’s House’s tables, people began to strategize toward the development of ministries that would respond in a range of specific ways to the needs of a hurting neighborhood and a hurting city.
In the next years, more than a dozen non-profit ministry organizations were organized by a congregation of about 120 members and their friends. In the process, the church transformed the lives of many of the residents of the Adams-Morgan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. Many of these ministries have developed into strong independent nonprofit organizations that continue to transform lives—and the face of the community itself.
From the beginning, those who felt called to this new community shared a common understanding that church membership meant a total commitment of one’s life to Christ. They sought practices for deepening its members’ commitment to a more informed and faithful Christian discipleship. The church called all its members to be ministers through selfless giving of their time, energy and resources.
In a time of explicit separateness between races, economic classes, and church denominations, the members dreamed of a church that would devote itself to the radically inclusive and reconciling way of Jesus. In one of its largest steps toward that vision, The Church of the Saviour began searching for a public space that could support the creation of honest relationships across differences.
Gordon and Mary believed that a coffee house could be this kind of space. The church found a promising location on Columbia Road NW in the lively and diverse Adams-Morgan area of the District. In 1960, The Potter’s House was opened-- believed to be the first coffee house in the city, and one of the very first Christian coffee houses in the country.
Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, and riots broke out not far away, The Potter’s House kept its doors open. It became a place of refuge and hope, where church members and neighborhood residents could continue to build bridges of love and trust across barriers of distrust and fear. Around The Potter’s House’s tables, people began to strategize toward the development of ministries that would respond in a range of specific ways to the needs of a hurting neighborhood and a hurting city.
In the next years, more than a dozen non-profit ministry organizations were organized by a congregation of about 120 members and their friends. In the process, the church transformed the lives of many of the residents of the Adams-Morgan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. Many of these ministries have developed into strong independent nonprofit organizations that continue to transform lives—and the face of the community itself.
THE NEW LANDS and LAZARUS HOUSE CHURCH
By the mid-1970s, The Church of the Saviour had grown to 120 core (covenant) members, with significantly more people participating in the Church’s worship, classes, and public discussions.
But that very level of success led Gordon Cosby to discern that the church’s size had undermined its ability to live into the deeper community and discipleship that had been its very foundation. Thus, in 1976, the Church of the Saviour entered a period of discernment that became known as “The New Lands”.
At the end of that process, the original church had divided into six individual congregations, each with its own call to a specific area of mission, and with its own leadership. But the basic understandings and practices of the Church of the Saviour were still at the core of each of those six (now eight) churches.
With that, a culture was created in which some covenant members in existing churches might discern a shared sense of call to a new place of mission within the city. Those who were called to exploring a new sense of call in common would meet over a period of discernment, and in God’s good time, would develop a written statement of its mission and structures. Then the nascent church would sound a call, inviting others to join in this new endeavor to be a faithful part of the Body of Christ.
This is the process by which Lazarus House Church, destined to later become Bread of Life Church, came into being in 1991. It was called into being by three covenant members of a sister congregation, all of whom already had connections to Lazarus House, a church-founded ministry offering transitional residential support for those recovering from substance addictions.
The three were called to create a church that would be understanding of and welcoming to those who were struggling with recovery. Their goal was to combine the welcoming spirit and tested wisdom of the Alcoholics Anonymous model with the depth of spiritual resources and compassion of faithful Christ-centered communities.
Of these three intrepid church-formers, one (Mike Little) has remained faithfully in leadership with the Church for the past 30 years. Another (Killian Noe) has been a pioneer in the creation of holistic addiction recovery communities—first with the Recovery Café in Seattle, Washington, and now as the founder of the national Recovery Café Network.
The church has remained committed to working with holistic addiction recovery in D.C., most significantly with its involvement in the founding of Recovery Café D.C., which serves the Anacostia community in southeast D.C. Founded in 2018, “R.C.D.C” is in partnership with the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation in developing a property in downtown Anacostia that will provide RCDC 8000 square feet of space for its healing programs.
But that very level of success led Gordon Cosby to discern that the church’s size had undermined its ability to live into the deeper community and discipleship that had been its very foundation. Thus, in 1976, the Church of the Saviour entered a period of discernment that became known as “The New Lands”.
At the end of that process, the original church had divided into six individual congregations, each with its own call to a specific area of mission, and with its own leadership. But the basic understandings and practices of the Church of the Saviour were still at the core of each of those six (now eight) churches.
With that, a culture was created in which some covenant members in existing churches might discern a shared sense of call to a new place of mission within the city. Those who were called to exploring a new sense of call in common would meet over a period of discernment, and in God’s good time, would develop a written statement of its mission and structures. Then the nascent church would sound a call, inviting others to join in this new endeavor to be a faithful part of the Body of Christ.
This is the process by which Lazarus House Church, destined to later become Bread of Life Church, came into being in 1991. It was called into being by three covenant members of a sister congregation, all of whom already had connections to Lazarus House, a church-founded ministry offering transitional residential support for those recovering from substance addictions.
The three were called to create a church that would be understanding of and welcoming to those who were struggling with recovery. Their goal was to combine the welcoming spirit and tested wisdom of the Alcoholics Anonymous model with the depth of spiritual resources and compassion of faithful Christ-centered communities.
Of these three intrepid church-formers, one (Mike Little) has remained faithfully in leadership with the Church for the past 30 years. Another (Killian Noe) has been a pioneer in the creation of holistic addiction recovery communities—first with the Recovery Café in Seattle, Washington, and now as the founder of the national Recovery Café Network.
The church has remained committed to working with holistic addiction recovery in D.C., most significantly with its involvement in the founding of Recovery Café D.C., which serves the Anacostia community in southeast D.C. Founded in 2018, “R.C.D.C” is in partnership with the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation in developing a property in downtown Anacostia that will provide RCDC 8000 square feet of space for its healing programs.
BREAD OF LIFE CHURCH
In 2011, the church changed its name to Bread of Life Church, in recognition that the community’s sense of call had shifted to addressing economic injustice and expanding economic opportunities for low-income individuals and families. With this new focus, the church became instrumental in the start-up of Life Asset, whose call has been to making affordable financial services and education available to local low-income individuals and families. Now an independent non-profit organization, Life Asset has been extraordinarily successful through providing microloans and training to low-income entrepreneurs who are underserved by traditional banks and lenders.
The church’s mission groups are now following God’s call in two new areas of engagement: support for those returning from prison, and for families needing support in becoming first-time homeowners.
The church’s mission groups are now following God’s call in two new areas of engagement: support for those returning from prison, and for families needing support in becoming first-time homeowners.
Read more about our History
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Listen to Gordon Cosby's Sermons
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