Meet Pastor Spann

Rev. Peter J. Spann is a gifted preacher and teacher of the Word of God who also embraces a ministry of civic engagement and social justice. Rev. Spann believes that faith should do more than inspire us on Sunday—it should transform how we live, lead, serve, and engage the world every day.

Rev. Spann is the Pastor of the Carron Baptist Church in Washington, DC. The church’s motto is: Where love is shown, and God’s truth is made known! As a visionary pastor and leader, Rev. Spann emphasizes spiritual growth, pastoral care, cultural identity, community outreach and social justice to connect the community and the church while facilitating change in the surrounding neighborhoods. He led the church in a revitalization project that included installing an elevated lift and enhancing both the sanctuary lighting and the media ministry. Additionally, Rev. Spann has led the church in giving away school supplies to children in the community, serving Thanksgiving Day meals to the community, hosting a job training program, and collaborating with community leaders to help curb neighborhood violence.

As a community leader in SW DC, Rev. Spann introduced several initiatives to bring the community together including: The SW Juneteenth Festival, a community festival filled with music, food, and family fun; and The SW MLK Day Community Prayer Breakfast, a time to connect faith and community, with the purpose of building the beloved community.

Rev. Spann is the author of the book: We Gon’ Be Alright: A Message of Hope for Believers in a God of Social Justice. This book, with its infusion of biblical truth, hip-hop and social criticism, is an easy read for believers who are looking to counter the narrative embraced by neo-conservatives that ignores social justice and caring for the poor. This book is a call to action to believers in a God of social justice and a reminder that though it looks like society is temporarily taking a moral downturn, in the end, we will be alright because God promised we will.

Rev. Spann’s civic engagement includes:

• Appointed by Maryland Governor Wes Moore to serve on the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. The commission is committed to discovering, documenting, and promoting Maryland’s African American heritage as well as educating Maryland citizens and visitors about the significance of the African American experience in Maryland.
• Co-Chair Minority Policy Priorities Taskforce, Financial Services Innovation Coalition. The taskforce aims to counteract harmful special interest influences by advocating for policies that reflect the actual needs and priorities of minority communities.
• A former elected member of the Howard County, Maryland Democratic Central Committee where he works to strengthen and sustain the grassroots work of the Party.
• A graduate of Leadership Howard County, a program for senior-level business and community leaders that immerses participants in experiences that address specific aspects of the community.
• A graduate of the Skinner Leadership Institute’s Masters Series for Distinguished Clergy, an intensive training program that equips high-performing clergy leaders with effective advocacy skills, and character strength training to become Promise Driven Leaders in their community. The program equips clergy leaders to move past the symptoms of injustice such as poverty and racism and address the systems that produce these symptoms.
• A proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
• A former faculty instructor at the Washington Baptist Theological Seminary
• Progressive National Baptist Convention, Social Justice Commission

As well, Rev. Spann is currently an adjunct professor at the Trinity Law School, Santa Ana, CA, where he teaches courses ranging from Global Negotiations to Race and the Criminal Justice System. A guiding principle in Rev. Spann’s life is a quote from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

In addition to serving as pastor of the Carron Baptist Church, Rev. Spann works as a Staff Attorney for a Maryland nonprofit organization. There, he provides full scope representation to low-income tenants who are behind on their rent or facing eviction. Rev. Spann views both his legal work and ministry as callings to continue the work of Christ to fight for justice and usher in the beloved community.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rev. Spann is the son of a Pastor, the late Rev. James W. Spann II, and Educator, Dr. Wilma N. Spann. Being the 7th of 8 children, it was impressed upon him at an early age the importance of faith, family, and community.

Rev. Spann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi. He also received his Juris Doctor degree from American University, Washington College of Law and a Master of Divinity from Howard University, School of Divinity, both in Washington, DC.

Rev. Spann is happily married to the lovely and virtuous Shurlonda Spann, and they have two beautiful and creative children, Peter II and Anissa (pronounced AH-NEE-SAH). His favorite scripture is Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

For more information about Rev. Spann, he can be reached on various social media platforms.