Reverend Cornelius R. Wheeler, M. Div
Senior Pastor
Cornelius Rayford Wheeler and his bride (as he calls her), Carla, have been married for thirty-five years. God has blessed their lives with three children: Jason, Courtney and Caryn, who have given them two additional children through marriage, Naja (Jason) and Rahman (Caryn). Pastor Wheeler and Carla are also blessed with three wonderful grandchildren: grandson Jovaun and granddaughter Jordin (Jason and Naja), and grandson Jaxon (Caryn and Rahman).
Reverend
Wheeler was born in Washington, DC, the fourth child born to Catherine J. and
the late Reverend Dr. John R. Wheeler.
He received his education in the DC Public Schools,
Reverend Wheeler was ordained to the Gospel Ministry on August 22, 1989. After the death of his father in 2007, the church overwhelmingly ratified the plan of succession and Reverend Cornelius R. Wheeler was elected as the sixth Pastor of the historic Vermont Avenue Baptist Church. He is currently the Vice President for the Northwest section of the Baptist Convention of DC and Vicinity and serves as the Chair of its Foreign Mission Committee. He has preached and ministered internationally through the Pastoral Excellence Program (PEP) of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention. With PEP, he fulfilled assignments in Guyana, South America, Jamaica and the Republic of South Africa. He is an Assistant Chaplain in the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, PHA and a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Pastor Wheeler is also a faculty member of the Baptist Educational Congress of the Baptist Convention of DC.
Pastor Wheeler’s centering and most cherished Biblical passage is John 4:24, “God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” He interprets “spirit and truth” to mean, in our vernacular, “personality and intellect”. His is a living Gospel that transforms attitudes and decisions to live for and in love with God and community. As important as it is to know the Word, Reverend Wheeler’s thrust highlights the need to live the Word. He has a contagious excitement and enthusiasm for the Kingdom and shares his love with any and all with whom he comes into contact.