Church History
In August 2008 - after much prayer, consultation, and research, a church of Zion would be the star of a new spiritual horizon. Under the leadership and support of Reverend Dr. James Graham, Jr. - Senior Pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Manassas, Virginia, Reverend Dr. James Sutton proceeded to establish Christian Life Church in Manassas, Virginia. The Articles of Incorporation were created and approved by the Church’s Board of Directors and submitted to the State of Virginia on August 17, 2008. Christian Life Ministries is a 501(c)3 organization.
On November 1, 2008, Rev. Sutton entered into a lease agreement for our first church building located at 7845 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, Virginia. The first official assembly was a prayer meeting held to bless the new church facility and was held in the unadorned sanctuary. The first official church event was a bible study held on November 18, 2008, in the conference room of the new church. Joining Rev. Sutton in officiating the new beginning was his wife, Reverend Dr. Glenda Sutton, and their children. A small group of friends joined the church and served in enhancing the growth, development, and organization of the CLC’s ministry.
Pastor Sutton had a Divine conviction that the church would become a “Kingdom Focused Ministry” and would encompass a diverse and multicultural setting for all persons. In less than twelve hours after he shared this desire, it was brought into fruition when a call was received from Pastor and First Lady Juan and Erica Hernandez agreeing to partake in a meeting and prayer, leading to the incorporation of the Hispanic Congregation of Life Church - Iglesia Vida. Pastor Chan Shin Park and his wife Jung Park and family also became part of the ministry with CLC on December 20, 2008, uniting a Korean Church with CLC under the same roof.
While getting the building ready there were many miracles as God provided for every need. The congregation spend the next six months preparing the sanctuary for service and working together - donating their skills and labor. New carpet was installed. Chairs were purchased. The entire facility was painted. The pulpit, stage and altar areas were built. The mechanical, administrative, and conference room areas were upgraded. The completed work enabled Iglesia Vida to host their first Christmas program and celebration.
Following completion and dedication of the sanctuary, Rev. Dr. Sutton was officially installed as Senior Pastor on May 15, 2009, by Rev. Dr. Graham. Thus, CLC was established as the first church seed of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.
Pastor Sutton’s vision for Christian Life Church was: “To Transform Lives that Empower People to Fulfill Their Life’s Purpose Through Jesus Christ.” The purpose of the ministry was to meet the spiritual and practical needs of God’s people; to direct them towards Jesus Christ, and to teach and equip the Saints for ministry through the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit as directed in Mathews 18: 19-20 and Ephesians and 4:11-16. The Motto of the church is: “Love People into a Relationship with Jesus Christ.”
The Man-Up Ministry was the first ministry of CLC. It was formed in January 2009, four months after the church opened under the leadership of Rev. Stevie Burke. Man-Up has been used to transform the lives of men by touching and changing their hearts through the Word of God.
The church recognized a need to support women in our community; therefore, with the guidance of Rev. Dr. Glenda Sutton, Women on Watch (WOW) was formed in August 2014 and was led by Sis. Rochelle Barnes. Better understanding the needs of the women within the community, Women on Watch was revamped and called Women…Better Together in October 2020 and is under leadership of Rev. Sharon Robinson.
In the summer of 2011, Pastor Sutton shared that God had shown him that it was time to have deacons at Christian Life Church. Following consultation with the Elder and ministerial staff, Pastor nominated five men and five women he believed were qualified to serve in that capacity as described in 1st Timothy 3. On June 3, 2012, CLC ordained its first Deacons.
In April 2016, CLC dedicated a new wing of the church primarily for use by the Youth Ministry. The new wing was named after the senior Elder, Marione (Deno) Lawrence. The wing was named “Deno Hall”. Elder Deno serves as the senior advisor to the Pastor, staff and congregation. Since the fall of 2008, Elder Deno has served as the Facility Manager of CLC.
In December 2020, Reverend Dr. James Sutton retired and, on December 26th, officially installed Reverend Stevie Burke as Senior Pastor and Juan Peterson-Burke as First Lady
of Christian Life Church.
