Bishop Edward and Dr. Thelma Ramsey, Sr

The Agape Christian Center (ACC) was established in 1980, but was not birthed until March 1995 when Pastor and Mrs. Edward Ramsey were told to “Go Home and Try it Again.”  After hearing this word from the Lord at a Conference, they came home and began having church in the basement of their home.  They started with eighteen members, thirteen of which were family with an additional twenty children.  This immediate growth prompted the need for more space, so the congregation was moved from the basement to the living room.  This began the prophetic seeding for Kingdom work coined by the phrase, “For the people had a mind to work”, found in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah.  After the spiritual food was imparted by Pastor, it was customary for Mother Ramsey to prepare a fellowship dinner for the congregation.

The Agape Christian Center operated and functioned in Pastor Ramsey’s home for approximately one year.  As the congregation grew, God provided Agape with a more spacious location at 3304 Greenmount Avenue- the Old Boulevard Theater.  The Pastor and Mother Ramsey’s heart for hurting people and family restoration attracted many abused women, which spawned for ACC’s first outreach ministry, Women of Agape-a ministry of support for women.  Also, many men were drawn to the Pastor’s lion heart for strength and mentoring and this resulted in Agape’s second outreach ministry, Mighty Men of Valor Men’s Fellowship.

In the spirit of the vision, “Restoration of the Family”, Agape operated its first Reading and Math Fun Camp in 1998.  This summer program addressed the needs of our children and families from the community who wanted to see increased proficiency in their children’s reading and math subjects.  This effort was instrumental in increasing most of the participants’ scores on the standardized tests and overall performance.  This initiative, and others, was signatures that validated and substantiated our vision.  The Pastor’s heart for the lost and hurting in the community was the inspiration for the vision and mission of Restoring Families in Jesus Christ.