Adelphi Bible Baptist Church

Rev. James L. Lyons, having been commissioned with the call from God, is actively carrying out his mission as a soldier on the battlefield.  To the best of his ability, Dr. Lyons is being used by the Holy Spirit to minister to the needs of people through the Word of God.  He exemplifies this service by first serving his family, his wife Shirley, daughter Raquel and son Darrick, according to Jesus’ example of unconditional love.

Rev. Lyons’ ministry work officially began in 1992 when he was licensed to preach at Carron Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.  While there, he served in the capacity of Associate Minister, Director of Christian Education, Director of Vacation Bible School, and Organizer of the Senior Ministry.

In 1994, while still ministering at Carron Baptist Church, Rev. Lyons began serving as the Social Services Assistant at the Wellington Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Clinton, Maryland.  With a calling in the healthcare field, Dr. Lyons also began serving as a volunteer in the Spiritual Services Department for Dimensions Healthcare System at Prince George’s Hospital Center.  With the heart of a pastor, Rev. Lyons believes God has placed a calling upon his life to minister to the sick and the elderly.

Rev. Lyons served as Assistant Pastor of Administration and Evening Worship at the Grace Bible Church in Seabrook, Maryland from September 1995 until December 1996.

In December, 1996, Rev. Lyons was officially voted in as the new Pastor of Adelphi Bible Church in Adelphi, Maryland.  He officially accepted the pastorate in January, 1997.  In March of 1997, Rev. Lyons was ordained to the Gospel Ministry at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Lanham, Maryland under the leadership of Pastor Charles E. Cato.  He was formally installed as Pastor of Adelphi Bible Church in April of 1997.  Rev. Lyons is the Senior Chaplain of Renaissance Gardens at Riderwood Village in Silver Spring; and an on call chaplain at The Washington Hospital Center. He is a zealous saint of God and is excited about Kingdom building as he relies on God to use him to plant and water seeds for Christ in the church and surrounding communities!

Rev. Lyons graduated from Washington Bible College in 1994 and received a B.A. Degree in Biblical Studies.  He earned the Master of Divinity Degree in May of 1998 from Howard University School of Divinity, and was presented the prestigious Gerald Durley Award.  Chaplain Lyons successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in November, 2002 at Howard, graduating in December, 2002 with the Doctor of Ministry degree. The title of his doctoral dissertation project was “The Pastor As a Family Educator: Grandparent Education In The African American Church.” Rev. Lyons taught several classes in the Continuing Education Department at Howard University School of Divinity. The classes included: Joy and Suffering in the New Testament, First & Second Peter, and Isaiah, Parts 1 & 2.  Dr. Lyons also taught the Pauline Epistles at The Washington Baptist Seminary. Pastor Lyons served as a panelist at the University of Maryland in College Park; he lectured on Male Caregiving: Best Practices for Professional Providers. Rev. Lyons is on the faculty at The Washington Bible College as an adjunct professor. Chaplain Lyons co-authored a study with Dr. Jeffrey A. Watson and Dr. Suzanne Randolph on "African American Grandmothers as Health Educators in the Family." This study was published in The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, Volume 60, Issue 4 and was later published as a chapter in the book: Diversity Among Custodial Grandparents, co-edited by Dr. Bert Hayslip, Jr. and Dr. Julie Patrick (Springer Books, 2006). Rev. Lyons has completed his fourth and final unit of CPE training at The Washington Hospital Center, and is currently in the process of becoming a Board Certified Chaplain.  

With all of his academic and service credentials, Pastor Lyons wants you to remember most of all that he is a “Serious Servant” of JESUS, THE CHRIST!  His faith and trust in God Almighty through Jesus Christ is epitomized by Isaiah 65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”