Inner Light Ministries was founded on July 4, 1993, in Washington, D.C., holding its first worship service at First Congregational Church, 10th & G Streets NW, with ten committed founding members. Bishop Kwabena Rainier Cheeks, D.D., served as the founding Pastor—now Pastor Emeritus—and faithfully shepherded the ministry from its inception as Inner Light Unity Fellowship Church until July 2022.
Today, the church is led by The Reverend Dr. Wallace R. Henry III, who continues the legacy of spiritual empowerment, radical welcome, and transformative love established by our founder. Throughout its early history, Inner Light served as a beacon of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement in the Washington, D.C. area, affirming God as Love and upholding the universal command to love God, love oneself, and love one’s neighbor.
In April 2002, Inner Light became an independent ministry committed to the “Radical Inclusiveness” taught by Jesus Christ. We are a Christian ministry grounded in Liberation Theology and Social Justice, dedicated to healing the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—and to freeing all people from systems of dominance, exclusion, and oppression. As a proudly African American community, we strive for the liberation and flourishing of all humanity.
At our inception, Bishop Cheeks declared, “I am a WHOSOEVER,” drawn from John 3:16—reminding us that God’s love and promise of eternal life extend to all who believe. This commitment to the sacred dignity of every person remains at the core of our identity.
In 2017, Inner Light formally entered into affiliation with the United Church of Christ, deepening our connection to a wider faith community that shares our values of justice, inclusivity, and extravagant welcome.
We are a Christ centered, inclusive and diverse community that follow the teachings of Christ. We first love God, ourselves and then our neighbors. We proudly embrace and celebrate our African Heritage in all its positive forms. We liberate ourselves from all forms of oppression and domination and accept each other with no limitations regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation class or age. Through study and prayer, we seek to learn and grow in truth so that we may express our highest form of divinity. By doing these things we create heaven on earth.
The basic message of Inner Light Ministries is that God is a "Loving God". We are created in his/her image and we are loved along with our various sexualities.
Inner Light Ministries is a Participatory Church - an evolving church. As a member of this ministry, you can participate on any level you choose. By doing this you shape the spirit of this church to ensure its liberating quality for all who come to worship here.
Inner Light Ministries holds classes to educate its membership and the community at large on how theology evolves. The same scripture, which is used to support human rights movements today, was once used to support slavery in this country. We at Inner Light believe that we have not only the right but the obligation (1) to bear witness to the presence of the divine in our different life experiences; and (2) to being those life experiences to bear in the excavation and articulation of a theology which liberates us from our emotional, spiritual, and physical bonds which allows us to become the fully creative beings we are intended to be.
Inner Light Ministries is devoted to community service. We are "Children of God" through faith in Jesus Christ. God has given each of us gifts to use. We must believe in the gifts and glorify God by using them. Here at Inner Light we have many ministries, both lay and ordained, including ways we minister to the community and ways we minister to each other through the exercise of pastoral care.
Inner Light Ministries traces its name and spiritual identity back to a revelation received by Bishop Yao K.R. Cheeks. What began in his mind as “Inner Christ” transformed after a dream in which he awakened to a radiant light within himself. This illumination led him to the name Inner Light — a reflection of Jesus’s teaching that the pathway to heaven and divine truth begins by looking inward.
Bishop Cheeks emphasized that the inner journey is where we:
As the ministry evolves in its current iteration, the focus is not only on the inward journey but on “The Light” itself—the divine presence we seek, reflect, and strive to embody.
To talk about our church, we intentionally invoke the spiritual energy connected to Light:
These expressions shape the atmosphere we create and the identity we claim.
Our new card declares, “Lives are changing here.” This is both a statement of faith and a call to action. We are partners in that transformation—God works in and through us and also in and through the lives of those we serve. To guide others, we must remain willing to grow ourselves, knowing one cannot lead where one has not gone.
Creating an environment for God’s possible requires our own spiritual grounding. This is not about perfection, but about intentional development—practices that extend beyond Sunday worship:
The phrase “Lives are changing here” carries an unspoken invitation for every individual to:
Ultimately, this journey is about moving toward The Light — a divine connection in which we often serve as the bridge for others. This role requires awareness, sacrifice, and deep spiritual surrender.
Even our logo reflects this truth: God at the center, fueling divine love and light through seven flames—symbolic of spiritual alignment and energy centers.
Inner Light Ministries is meant to be a home — a place where people can breathe, belong, grow, be fed, be challenged, be safe, and be connected. People are drawn not only by programs, but by the spiritual connection, energy, and presence of God they experience through us. Many come searching for God, even if they cannot yet articulate it.
Our call to ministry is both a commitment to God and to the work of knowing and growing ourselves—our thoughts, wounds, strengths, distractions, passions, and purpose. From a seat of consciousness, we learn to steward both our physical presence and our spiritual energy, allowing God’s Light to shine through us.
Worship Location
1231 Good Hope Rd SE WDC
(Anacostia Arts Center)
Church Office
1245 Pleasant St. SE WDC 20002
Primary Business Address
P.O. Box 15596 WDC 20003
Email: Contactus@Innerlightministries-dc.org2
