Bishop W. L. Washington and a Mantra of Stewardship
Bishop William L. Washington leads Power House of Deliverance Garden Cathedral with a personal motto that has shaped more than forty-five years of ministry: "Let no word fall to the ground." Friends of the ministry describe him as an innovator, a visionary, a leader and a shepherd, and his message of faith and deliverance is delivered with boldness and power.
Washington gave his life to the Lord on July 31, 1967, at the J. H. Covington Gospel Tent in Marion, South Carolina, where he was baptized that same day by Bishop Abraham Benjamin Simmons. A week later, on August 7, 1967, he joined the Power House of Deliverance Church under the pastorate of Bishop J. H. Covington, his father in the Lord. His ministry took root in May 1968, when he began winning souls through revivals, street meetings, conferences, workshops and tent crusades. From 1973 to 1986 he co-led Youth on the Move for Christ International with Dr. L. Ramona Howard, an interdenominational organization that taught music and the arts, altar work, church administration, evangelism and prison ministry to young people across denominations.
Apostolic Doctrine and Pentecostal Practice
The Garden Cathedral teaches what it calls the Apostolic Doctrine, the teaching Jesus entrusted to His disciples. The congregation confesses one God who is Father, Son and Holy Ghost, all revealed in Jesus Christ. As the church puts it, "Jesus is God in creation, Jesus is the Son of God in redemption, and is the Holy Ghost in this dispensation dwelling in us." Salvation is in Christ alone.
The church holds to holiness and sanctification, and members receive the gift of the Holy Ghost as evidenced by speaking in tongues. Baptism is by full immersion in water in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The congregation also practices the washing of feet and observes the Lord's Supper with unfermented grape juice and unleavened bread. Worship across these services carries the expressive, Spirit-centered character expected of a Pentecostal assembly.
A Family of Churches with Greensboro at the Center
The Garden Cathedral serves as the headquarters of a wider network known as the PHD Family of churches. From Willow Road the work extends across the United States and overseas. Sister congregations include Christ Is All Innercity Ministries in Pittsburgh; Destiny Deliverance Ministries in Morgantown, West Virginia; Established Life Church in Atlanta; Faith Deliverance Tabernacle Church in Dunn, North Carolina; Miracle Deliverance Outreach Ministries in Columbia, South Carolina; Holiness Church of Jesus in Beckley, West Virginia; True Destiny Christian Church in Raleigh; and Power House of Deliverance in Johannesburg, South Africa.
A Mission for Spirit, Body and Structure
The church's stated mission is the winning and keeping of souls in the Kingdom of God while believers await their entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. It commits to building in three dimensions. Spiritually, the Garden Cathedral wants to establish international ministries and offer Christian Education through church schools from day care through university, alongside crisis counseling centers, homes for the aging and abused, transitional housing for those leaving a worldly lifestyle, and ongoing Bible teaching, revivals, fasting, prayer and shut-in services. Physically, it teaches members to care for their bodies as well as their spirits, and dreams of recreational facilities, camps and retreat centers for children and adults. Structurally, it works to maintain church doctrine, spiritual authority, church history and church order. Habakkuk 2:2 frames the vision: "Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it."
Ministries for Every Season of Life
- F.L.O.W. gathers children, teens and young adults under one banner.
- Singles Ministry serves adults without a spouse.
- L.I.F.T. (Love In Family Transition) supports families navigating change.
- L.O.V.E. Marriage Ministry (Living Our Vows Everyday) walks with couples.
- Music and Arts Department directs worship and creative arts.
- Christian Education provides foundational Bible teaching and training.
- Cathedral Scholars supports students pursuing education.
- People Helping People, Caring and Sharing and Power Link build fellowship and mutual support.
- Missionaries, Outreach Ministries and Prison Ministry extend the work into mission fields, the community and correctional facilities.
Outreach, Scholarship and a Sanctuary Available for Rent
Volunteers drive the church's community work. Each month the Garden Cathedral feeds the homeless in the Greensboro community, and those interested in serving the meal can sign up by emailing the church. The team is also looking for help with marketing and graphic design to tell the story of what is happening across the PHD Family.
The cathedral's elegant sanctuary is available for rent through the church office. Weddings, conferences, meetings, events and concerts have all been hosted there, with a published rate of $1,000 for a three-hour block. Bishop Washington also offers two appointment-based services: one-hour consultations at $50, and one-hour marriage counseling sessions at $150, providing engaged and married couples with personal guidance drawn from his decades of pastoral experience. Recordings of recent preaching and music are preserved on the church's YouTube channel, and online giving is available through Tithe.ly.
The motto "Where Life Gets Better" still defines the cathedral, and the work of winning souls, building disciples, and keeping the Word from falling to the ground continues on Willow Road.