Our History

Worthy Life Baptist Church traces its spiritual roots to Berkland Baptist Church (BBC), which Pastor Paul Kim and his wife Rebekah founded in 1981 in northern California. They established BBC with the desire to live out God’s Greatest Commandments—to love Him and one another; and to join in His Great Commission—to make disciples of all nations.

In the wake of the unthinkable events of September 11, 2001, God gave BBC the vision to plant a church in our nation’s capital to bring healing through the light and hope of the Gospel. Pastor Peter Lee and his wife Eunice, who both grew up in the DC-Baltimore area, obeyed God’s call to return from the mission field and started BBC–Washington DC on April 21, 2002. BBC–Washington DC was later renamed Worthy Life Baptist Church to reflect the rich spiritual heritage of a “worthy life” following Christ, passed down from BBC. In 2008, we began the Baltimore chapel near Johns Hopkins University. In 2017, we expanded the reach of our DC chapel to serve students and young adults in the greater DC metropolitan area, including Georgetown University and the University of Maryland.

Pastor James Lee and his wife Donna, along with Pastor James Kim and his wife Grace, now serve as the shepherds for Worthy Life, continuing the church’s commitment to raise leaders for the 21st century in the DC-Baltimore area. At Worthy Life, we seek to embody the truths of the Bible and serve as living evidence that God is real and relevant. Together, we strive to be the kind of church described in the New Testament, with Spirit-filled teaching, genuine worship, honest friendships, fervent prayer, and compassionate care for those in need. We invite you to come and see what we’re all about at one of our worship services, Bible studies, or special events!