A House of Prayer for All People on Thomas Circle
National City Christian Church stands at 5 Thomas Circle NW in Washington, D.C., where 14th Street meets Massachusetts Avenue, just a few blocks north of the White House. Built in 1930 and designed by the architect of the Jefferson Memorial and the National Archives, the building is the national church of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. Two U.S. Presidents, James Garfield and Lyndon B. Johnson, worshipped in its sanctuary, and stained glass windows inside honor both men.
The congregation calls itself "A House of Prayer for ALL People" and describes itself as open and affirming, intentionally inclusive of every race, gender, age, culture, economic circumstance, sexual orientation, family configuration, and physical or mental condition. Sunday worship is offered at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary and is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. The church also runs a free weekly Friday concert series called Music at Midday, hosts a 30-year-old Wednesday food pantry, and welcomes Disciples and visitors from across the country and around the world to its programs and to its building.
The Sanctuary by John Russell Pope
The sanctuary is the centerpiece of the building. Designed by John Russell Pope and completed in 1930, the interior draws on classic Greek and Roman temple architecture, with towering columns, ornate detailing, and seating for 900 in wood pews. A 1980-81 renovation not only restored the original splendor but produced what is widely considered one of the finest acoustic environments in the nation's capital, ideal for both music and the spoken word.
Two Presidents have personal connections to the space. President Lyndon B. Johnson, a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), worshipped here during his years in Washington; the great operatic soprano Leontyne Price accompanied his state funeral at the church in 1973 on the Skinner organ. Stained glass windows inside the sanctuary are dedicated to Presidents Garfield and Johnson, and the church continues to honor that presidential legacy with an annual birthday celebration for President Johnson at the LBJ Memorial Grove in partnership with the Texas State Society.
The building also serves as a working facility for the wider community. Meeting spaces of various sizes, including a sanctuary, a community room that holds 90 standing or 70 seated, a Howland Center with a 7-foot grand piano, a music suite, conference rooms, and a 500-seat-plus sanctuary used for concerts, weddings, conferences, and gatherings, are available to rent for events that align with the church's mission.
The 7,500-Pipe Möller Organ
The pipe organ is one of the great treasures of the church and one of the largest in the city. The present instrument was built by the M.P. Möller firm of Hagerstown, Maryland, completed in 1985 after a major 1976 rebuild of the original 1930 Ernest M. Skinner organ. It now comprises 141 ranks across nine divisions, with a five-manual console, and totals 7,592 pipes, making it the third-largest pipe organ in Washington, D.C., and the only one in the city with a five-manual console. The American Classic design allows it to sound convincingly "French" or "German" and to play repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary eras with authority.
The organ was most recently expanded in 2003 with a new Solid State Organ Systems computerized operating system, and in 2007-08 the gallery organ received mechanical renovation work and four digitally produced 32-foot stops plus a 64-foot stop. The instrument is tuned monthly and maintained by Lawless & Associates Pipe Organ Company of Greencastle, Pennsylvania.
In the rear balcony sits the Pearl Neugent Nordan Gallery Organ, an independent 16-rank instrument added in 1980-81 with its own two-manual console and silver pipes that crown the visual impact of the sanctuary. Its most famous feature is a custom set of Whitechapel English handbells, the first of its kind in the world, mounted behind ten small doors that open when the Handbell stop is drawn.
The organ was prominently featured during the 2010 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists. The recital series has historically attracted some of the most distinguished concert organists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Virgil Fox, who practiced on the original Skinner organ during his Air Force service at Walter Reed, Marilyn Mason, Albert Russell, Clyde Holloway, Robert Baker, Simon Preston, and many more.
Music at Midday: A Friday Concert Series
Music at Midday is the church's signature outreach to the wider Washington community. The free recital series runs most Fridays from 12:15 to about 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, typically February through June and September through December, with a summer break during July and August. Most recitals are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page, and recordings remain available afterwards at the same locations.
The programming is built around the church's pipe organ, though it also features choirs, vocal soloists, instrumentalists, and ensembles. Organists come from across the United States and from countries including France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, and Ukraine. Recent seasons have included solo organ programs built around themes like J.S. Bach and His Sons, the music of women composers, Black History Month, and Pride Month, as well as guest appearances by the United States Army Chorus and the Gay Men's Chorus of Greater Washington DC.
Each recital is presented as a "recital/demonstration," with hands-on displays of organ pipes, photographs of the inner workings of the instrument, and post-recital opportunities for audience members to see how the organist operates the keyboards, pedal board, and more than 300 controls. The series is designed for anyone, whether familiar with the pipe organ or stepping into a church for the first time.
The Artistic Director of Music at Midday is the Rev. Dr. J. Michael McMahon, who also serves as Executive Director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, headquartered at the church.
Sunday Worship at 11 a.m.
Sunday morning worship is the heart of congregational life at National City. The 11 a.m. service in the sanctuary features the spoken word and diverse music from the Chancel Choir, the pipe organ, and piano, with Holy Communion celebrated every Sunday at the Lord's Table. Worship is open to all who wish to partake, and the church's posture is that of welcome rather than exclusion: all are welcomed to the table as God has welcomed them. The congregation says the Lord's Prayer together each Sunday.
The order of worship is liturgically rooted, in keeping with the Disciples tradition, and is reflected in the weekly worship guide, which is posted online before each Sunday. Members and visitors are invited to come as they are. The What to Expect page puts it plainly: "Wear what you want! We share in the Lord's Supper every Sunday and say the Lord's Prayer. We smile a lot, even when wearing masks. You will make some friends. Parking is available."
Worship is livestreamed each Sunday on YouTube (Friends of National City Christian Church) and Facebook (National City Christian Church), so those who cannot be present in person can still participate. A Fellowship Hour follows the service at 12:15 p.m. in the Mezzanine (or Large Atrium), and a Children's Educational Hour runs concurrently, so families can attend together.
The Chancel Choir, made up of adults age 18 and above, rehearses each Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. in the Music Suite and provides principal musical leadership for the 11 a.m. service. The choir's repertoire draws on music from all periods suitable for a small chamber vocal ensemble, and the choir gives additional concerts each season for the congregation and the wider District of Columbia community. Auditions are scheduled through the Director of Music.
What to Expect as a Visitor
The church is open to visitors and guests Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to enter through the Courtyard entrance on 14th Street.
Sunday parking is free on the streets around Thomas Circle, with ample parking available on Massachusetts Avenue just off the circle. As visitors enter Thomas Circle heading south on 14th Street, the second exit leads to Massachusetts Avenue, and street parking is permitted until 2 p.m. on Sundays. Limited parking is also available in the church's parking garage off of N Street, reached by heading north on 15th Street, turning right on N Street, and then turning right into the alley just after 1420 N Street. A commercial parking option is available on Sunday mornings at the Washington Plaza Hotel at 10 Thomas Circle NW.
Public transportation is convenient. Metro buses 52, 53, and 54 stop right at the church on 14th Street. The closest Metrorail station is McPherson Square on the Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines, a three-block walk north on 14th Street. The Red Line at Dupont Circle is a five-block walk southeast down Massachusetts Avenue, and the Red Line at Farragut North is a four-block walk east on L Street and then northeast on Vermont Avenue.
Tours of the sanctuary can be scheduled through the senior minister's office. Visitors are invited to step into the sanctuary for prayer, to see the building's stained glass and organ, or simply to enjoy the architecture, which the congregation welcomes visitors to experience without intimidation.
An Open and Affirming Welcome
National City Christian Church is, in its own words, "a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world," embracing five core practices of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): unity and inclusion at the Lord's Table, believer baptism by immersion, a commitment to Christian unity, critical and thoughtful engagement with scripture, and answering God's call for justice.
The Disciples' identity statement sits at the heart of the church's public face: "We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord's Table as God has welcomed us." The church's deeper faith statement, unanimously accepted by the Congregational Board in January 2025, makes the breadth of that welcome explicit: it confesses Jesus as the Christ, calls the church to become a sanctuary of refuge for all who seek it, to feed those without, and to support love and its commitments fully, including same-sex, interfaith, and interracial marriages.
The congregation is explicitly open and affirming of LGBTQ people in the full life and leadership of the church. A LGBTQ Community social and service group meets within the congregation, and a Topical LGBTQ Ecumenical Bible Study gathers on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Music Suite for honest conversation about scripture, current issues in the church and society, and the inclusive love of Jesus. Weddings at National City are open to all couples regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and the church joyfully hosts LGBTQIA+ weddings, interfaith partnerships, and vow renewals.
Young Adult Disciples in Action (YADA)
Young Adult Disciples in Action, known as YADA, is the church's ministry for adults in their twenties and thirties. The name comes from the Hebrew word "yada," meaning "to know," used in the Bible to describe an intimate, personal relationship with God. The group welcomes young professionals, students, marrieds, and singles, and describes its style as informal, its topics as relevant, and its discussions as sincere.
YADA gathers on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. for "D-Space," a time of fellowship, worship, study, and prayer in the Community Center inside the church. The fall study series rotates through books of the Bible; recent studies have worked through the book of Amos. Members also take part in community service opportunities such as serving with N-Street Village, Habitat for Humanity, the Help the Homeless Walkathon, the Capital Area Food Bank, and Angel Tree. Social outings, from potlucks to Washington Nationals games, knit the group together beyond the church's walls.
YADA also makes room for those who want to remain members of their home church. The church maintains an associate membership category for those whose primary membership is elsewhere, and YADA welcomes people who want to connect to National City while maintaining a home congregation in another city or state.
The Wednesday Food Pantry
For more than thirty years, National City has operated a food pantry that opens its doors every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The pantry distributes over 100 bags of food each week, and on average serves around 250 individuals a week, supplementing the diets of individuals and families in the neighborhood who do not have enough to eat.
For those who have cooking facilities, the pantry distributes balanced bags of canned meats, beans, vegetables, fruit, starches such as rice and spaghetti, and staples including toilet paper. For those without cooking facilities, the pantry gives bags of easy-to-use snacks and toiletry items. Co-funding is provided by the Capital Area Food Bank.
Each December, the food pantry's outreach expands into the Great Day of Giving, an annual event that opens the doors of the church to provide new clothing, hygiene items, Christmas cards, and food to neighbors with love and dignity. In December 2025, the event served an estimated 200 individuals, with volunteers distributing scarves and other hand-made gifts alongside food and warm clothes.
The pantry is supported by a network of volunteers, including partnerships with Martha's Table, which operates a mobile soup kitchen in the neighborhood, and contributions are welcomed year-round. Volunteers sort food, pack bags, and offer hospitality to neighbors who come for assistance.
Refugee and Immigration Ministries
Refugee and Immigration Ministries, a ministry of Disciples Home Missions, has a home at National City Christian Church and operates in partnership with the Christian Church Capital Area and the Disciples Center for Public Witness. The ministry equips Disciples to respond to the call to welcome the stranger through refugee resettlement, ministry with immigrants, and advocacy, and provides resources, legal consultations, and connections to hands-on mission work.
The work takes shape in part through major national events. In April 2025, the church hosted the "Sensitive Locations, Sacred Spaces Interfaith Prayer Vigil" in collaboration with ecumenical and interfaith partners, drawing an estimated 600 people in the sanctuary and over 1,500 online for an interfaith prayer service on the eve of the first hearing of the historic lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security's rescission of the sensitive locations memo. In June 2026, the church hosted worship with the Latino Christian National Network for a bilingual Service of Lament and Hope, gathering Latino immigrant church leaders from across the country to speak a prophetic word to the nation on the threshold of its 250th anniversary.
Wider Witness and Public Engagement
As the national church of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), National City plays a unique role in the public life of the denomination and the country. The Senior Minister and President, Rev. Stephanie Kendell, served as First Vice-Moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from 2019 to 2023, and the church regularly hosts denominational gatherings, including representatives of the General Board and the General Assembly.
The church participates actively in the wider justice work of the denomination. In 2025, the church partnered with AllianceQ of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ's Office of Gender and Sexuality to host a welcoming presence along the World Pride parade route, hosted the National Trans Visibility March Empowerment Day and Service, and joined the Poor People's Campaign for a Moral Monday rally. Members also marched with Repairers of the Breach during Holy Week on issues of racial and economic justice.
The Building hosts a growing ecosystem of ministry partners. WeCareDMV Day Services, Inc., an organization serving adults with disabilities in the Washington area for 75 years, moved its offices into the building in August 2025 and operates out of the second floor conference room. The Kathleen Swihart Office of Denominational Collaboration, opened in 2025, provides shared office space for leaders and partners of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Other tenant ministries and partner organizations share the building as well, making the structure a working hub for Disciples presence in the nation's capital.
Membership, Bible Study, and Christian Formation
Visitors interested in making National City their church home are invited to step forward at the invitation offered during each Sunday service. The church offers both full membership and associate membership for those who want to maintain membership at another congregation while connecting with National City, an option particularly suited to those for whom Washington is a temporary stop in life.
Bible studies, Sunday school classes, and small groups are offered throughout the year. The Chancel Choir rehearses each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. and welcomes new singers. Sunday School meets at 10:00 a.m. in the Large Atrium and on Zoom, and the Children's Educational Hour runs concurrently with the Fellowship Hour at 12:15 p.m. The Rev. Stephanie Kendell is also happy to meet over coffee with anyone exploring membership; she can be reached at the church office.
At the heart of the church's life is the conviction that the gifts, skills, and talents of many people, working together in prayer and service, create a powerful witness. Stewardship at National City is grounded in regular prayer, generous giving of time and financial resources, and the willingness to be formed as disciples together.
Weddings and Facility Rentals
Weddings at National City are a central part of the church's public ministry. As an open and affirming congregation, the church welcomes LGBTQIA+ couples, interfaith partnerships, and any couple seeking a beautiful and meaningful space in which to celebrate their wedding or renew their vows. Ceremonies may be single-language or bilingual, large or small.
Couples are married in the sanctuary, surrounded by the historic stained glass, towering columns, and one of the largest pipe organs in the city. On-site dressing rooms are available for the wedding party and family, and the professional sound system can livestream the ceremony for those who cannot attend in person. Optional offerings include an officiant from the clergy team, live music from the acclaimed organist on the church's third-largest pipe organ in D.C., and use of adjacent space for a reception or cocktail hour.
The church welcomes inquiries about meeting space and event rentals from outside groups whose work aligns with the church's mission. Available spaces include the Sanctuary, the Community Room, the Howland Center, the Music Suite, two Atrium rooms, and conference rooms on the second and third floors. Wi-Fi is available in all meeting rooms. Outside caterers are permitted, and the church has an in-house caterer available as well. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on the property, and renters provide their own linens, food service utensils, and equipment.
The Foundation and Stewardship
The National City Christian Church Foundation exists to ensure "a foundation that sustains, and a faith that grows." It was created by the International Convention of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), now called the General Assembly, in 1926, "to hold in trust, preserve, and maintain for all Disciples the physical facilities of National City Christian Church." The decision traced back to Alexander Campbell's 1851 call for the denomination to "have the largest meeting house in Washington City and there…stand up in the presence of kings and Earth's nobility and proclaim the unknown Gospel."
The Foundation is led by a working board of 26 trustees and supports the building's preservation, capital improvements, and ministry partners. Recent stewardship efforts include the Lift Every Voice campaign to update the sanctuary's sound system, the renovation of the Sheila Denise Brown-Cooper Courtyard at the main entrance of the Beasley Building, and the placement of a Steinway grand piano in the Howland Center. Planned giving opportunities include charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, retirement account beneficiary designations, and life insurance gifts, and the Foundation partners with the Christian Church Foundation for advice and counsel on estate giving.
Leadership
The ministerial team is led by the Rev. Stephanie Kendell, Senior Minister and President, the first woman to hold these positions in National City's near 100-year history. An accomplished pastor, preacher, activist, and author, Rev. Stephanie is committed to anti-racist, intergenerational, and interfaith ministry and to lifting the voices of those historically and systemically marginalized. She is the author of "Are You Still Watching: Using Pop Culture to Tune in, Find God, and Get Renewed for Another Season" and co-host of the Two on One Project podcast from 2020 to 2023.
The Rev. Victoria "Tori" Wick serves as Executive Minister, ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and most recently administrator of St. Mark's Lutheran in Baltimore. A graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis and the University of Chicago Divinity School, Tori brings experience at the intersection of gender and sexuality-based justice work, chaplaincy, and pastoral care.
Kevin J. Biggins, Jr. is the Director of Music, Choirs, and Organ. A lifelong member of National City since 2001, Kevin trained under Lawrence Schreiber and Dr. Edward A. Moore and studied at the Westminster Choir College. The Rev. Dr. J. Michael McMahon serves as Artistic Director of Music at Midday and Executive Director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, which has offices at National City. The Rev. Cara Gilger serves as Director of Communications.
The church is served by a Building Superintendent, Assistant Building Superintendent, and Building Maintenance Technician on the facilities team, and by a Church Concierge in the front office, all of whom keep the doors open and the building running for a congregation and a community that has called Thomas Circle home for nearly a century.
Joining the Life of the Church
National City Christian Church sees itself as both a congregation and a national resource for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Visitors can attend Sunday worship in person or online, drop in on a Friday Music at Midday concert, bring a non-perishable food donation to the Wednesday pantry, or step forward at the Sunday invitation to join the church. Those interested in learning more are invited to contact the church office at connect@nationalcitycc.org or 202-232-0323, or to fill out the contact form at nationalcitycc.org to be connected with a pastor or with the ministry of their interest.
The building's doors are open, the organ is tuned, and the table is set. All are welcome.