Origins in the church of god

In the late 1800’s, men and women from most of the major denominations, weary of religious division and prejudice, began searching for Christian unity. They came to several points of commitment:

• Wear the name of Christ, simply claiming to be followers of Christ.

• View the Bible as sole authority and Christ as their only creed.

• Depend on God’s Holy Spirit to unify them with other Christians, regardless of denominational affiliation.

This small group of Christians became known as the Church of God (with general offices in Anderson, IN). Today over 8,000 congregations trace their roots to this “experiment” in Christian unity. 

First Church of God in Rockville, MD

In 1929, a young preacher from Maryland named Harvey Edge held a series of worship services in Rockville, MD. Several people responded to the Good News of the Kingdom and became passionate followers of Jesus Christ. In response to the call of Christ, these new believers started what would eventually be known as First Church of God in Rockville, MD. They exemplified loving their immediate neighborhood so well that the local congregation flourished.

Lakewood Church of God in Clarksburg, MD

In the late 1990s, the church began to outgrow its building and looked for a new location in which to meet. A location in rural Clarksburg, MD was selected. While waiting for the building to be built, the church met at various schools. Eventually, the church was renamed Lakewood Church of God.

Restart as Clarksburg Church

In 2014, as the community in Clarksburg, MD shifted from a rural farm area to a growing suburbia, Lakewood Church of God reached the end of its life cycle. During this time, Lakewood reached out to Fairfax Church, another congregation started by Harvey Edge eighty-five years earlier, to bring fresh life to the church.

The result was a merger with Fairfax Community Church, an amazing and divinely orchestrated connection eighty-five years in the making, which produced an exciting new church committed to engaging the upcounty area in Montgomery County, MD with the Good News of the Kingdom. In 2015, the church was restarted as Clarksburg Church.

The Fairfax Church Collective

Clarksburg and Fairfax Church have continued to partner together to have a Kingdom impact in the DMV area. In 2020, The Movement Church (Colombia, MD) joined the “Fairfax Church Collective”. The three churches embody ministry in a distinct way to serve their unique local context but operate as the same legal entity, sharing an accountability structure and administrative support.

The strategy is simple but compelling: mobilize passionate Christ-followers to love their neighbors by demonstrating and proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven has come. As our everyday places look more like heaven than earth, we will see people raised to life in Christ. We invite you to join us on this journey.