About Us
Meet the Reddons!
Hello everyone, my name is Rev. Morris Reddon, Jr. and I am the proud Pastor of New Saint John AME Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
On behalf of the officers, the First Lady, and myself we welcome you to our website.
First Lady Reddon and I have been here for a little over 3 years. We have been tremendously blessed to be here. The good people of New Saint John have welcomed us with open arms and with so much love.
My goal is to pastor, reach, and teach God’s Word. To make disciples as our Lord Jesus has instructed us to do. It is not enough to grow numerically, but spiritually as well!
I am so looking forward to experiencing all that God has for the member of NSJ and myself as we grow together and build God’s Kingdom in this part of His vineyard.
In Him we live, move and have our being!
Rev. Morris Reddon, Jr., and First Lady Gloria Reddon
The history of new saint john Ame church
The New Saint John AME Church’s history spans well over a century ago. With its humble beginnings in 1882 at the St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was but a log cabin built on donated land from the Flemmings family that owned the area that is now known as Davis Corner. During the decades since its formation, St. John AME was a sister church to the Saint Mark AME Church and shared the same pastor. In 1950 however, St. John had its own pastor. Thus, no longer being a supplemental church to Saint Mark. Once it reached that capability the AME Conference was notified and from made independent as its own station. Proving that the church could stand on its own.
Two decades later in May of 1974 Reverend Emmanuel Hezekiah Terrell Jr. was assigned to build a new edifice in its place by Bishop Henry Murph to renew and reignite the church to something newer and long withstanding. It would be in the following year that the land upon which St. John AME was built was purchased. Plans for the building of a new church were submitted in 1977 only for the construction permits to be denied for three years straight. Reverend Terrell would not give up. He tried for a fourth time in 1980, and the permit was finally accepted. The construction of what would become the New Saint John AME Church was completed in 1982 with the cornerstone in 1983.
In the years after New Saint John would develop and expand further in additional construction with the Multi-Purpose Building in 1992. Which would later be named after the late Reverend and the Atrium in 2004. The church held numerous community events such as Women’s Day. The church would serve as a house of worship and in part a house with its doors opened for members young and old, their family and friends, and the community at large.
New Saint John AME Church from that point became much larger than just a church or the Multi-Purpose building. Its richness in history, the closeness of its members, and keeping the faith in the Lord most high would help this church that was once a small log cabin persevere and endure through time to be something even greater than what it once was. Yet never forgetting its humble beginnings and with love for the Lord and love for the community always having its doors open for anyone and everyone to join a family.
