Meet The Pastor
Edgar S. Bankhead, chaplain, spiritual counselor, father, husband and Pastor of the First Agape AME Zion congregation at Gibson Grove Church has a special calling on his life to connect people with their Lord through prayer for salvation, healing, restoration and experiencing the Love of God. This he does with joy and blessing.
About the Pastor & First Lady
Pastor Bankhead served as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy for 20 years preparing sailors for the possibility of their physical life’s end. During his tenure in the Navy, he served aboard the USS William H Standley was assigned to duty stations in North Carolina, California, Road Island, Illinois, and overseas in Japan, and Italy. His return from Europe found him at the National Naval Medical Center (Walter Reed military Hospital) and the Pentagon where he retired as a Commander.
Pastor Bankhead continues his calling, serving as a Chaplain for the Veterans Hospital in Washington DC and as the pastor of First Agape at Gibson Grove Church where its members and the surrounding community have benefited from his prayerful spirit. After the Gibson Grove AME Zion Church was closed due to low membership, Bishop Williams of The AME Zion Conference appointed Pastor Bankhead to bring his congregation to the Gibson Grove Building for its continued use and restoration.
Judi Bankhead worked with Montgomery County Schools in the Potomac and Bethesda areas for 20 years prior to retiring in 2019. She is a licensed social worker, teacher, guidance counselor, genetic counselor, health care consultant, and mother of three adult sons. Not only does she support her husband in prayer but also serves as coordinator for Christian Prayer Breakfast (Breakfast with the Master) Bible Study Teacher and is a former president of Women’s Aglow.
