Larry Maurice Brownlee, Sr., was born in Washington D.C., and has lived in Glenarden, Maryland all of his childhood life.  He gave his life to Christ while attending the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Maryland.  There he was baptized and attended Saturday Bible Study classes for children, Sunday School, and church worship service every Sunday.  He was a Jr. Usher, a member of the Sunbeam Choir, and the Cousin Singers. Larry  joined Shiloh Baptist Church at the age of 19 when it was a Mission and did not have a name.  The Mission soon became a certified church named Shiloh Baptist Church of Landover, Maryland.

Under the Late Rev. Ralph A. Austin’s pastorate, Larry and three other young men were selected as Junior Deacons.  Although honored to be chosen, Larry felt he was too young for the position and discussed this matter with Pastor Austin.  Pastor Austin said to him that the Church needed to have some young men on the board to train them to be full Deacons.  He said he thought Larry would make a good Deacon and one day follow in his father’s footsteps.  Larry agreed to the appointment and remained a Junior Deacon.  After Pastor Austin passed, Rev. Paul P. Pitchford became the Pastor. He supported the position of Junior Deacons and shortly after being at Shiloh, Pastor Pitchford wanted the Jr. Deacons to be ordained as Deacons.  On January 31, 1972, Larry Brownlee was ordained as a full Deacon for Shiloh Baptist Church.   During his tenure at Shiloh as a Deacon, he has been and continue to be a Sunday School Teacher, Vacation Bible School Instructor, and Choir Director.  He has held the following positions at Shiloh: Youth and Young Adult Director, Bible Study Instructor who led the Reading through the Bible, one of the builders of the old Shiloh Church Building that’s attached to the current church, sat on all interviews for Pastor, and led the voting that brought Rev. Be Louis Colleton on as Pastor. He has baptized in the Pastor’s absence and conducted and held many more church projects.  Deacon Brownlee was elected to be the new Deacon’s Chairman in October 1996, and served as Chairman until September 22, 2019.   

Deacon Brownlee’s favorite Scripture is “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us (ME) from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8: 38-39 KJV). His favorite hymns are “He Touched Me,” and “Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine.” 

On this day, June 2, 2024, we recognize Deacon Larry Brownlee, Sr., as Shiloh’s longest serving Deacon with 52 years  of service. 

Etrenda Carnell Banks was born and raised in Daisy, Georgia.  She became a member of the St. Luke Baptist Church in Daisy at the age of 10.  Etrenda attended elementary, junior high and high school in Daisy and Claxton, Ga. Claxton is known as the Fruit Cake Place.  She enjoyed working with the Youth Ministry while at St. Luke Baptist Church.  Etrenda moved to Maryland and DC after High School and received her undergraduate degree in Food and Nutrition and Institutional Management in 1965 and her master’s degree in Counseling and Psychology with an emphasis on Health from Bowie State College in 1973.  

After a short stay in New York, Etrenda returned to Washington, DC in 1969 to work at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center as a Dietician, which is where she stayed until she retired in1998.  Etrenda married the love of her life, Clarence Ellington Banks in 1965 and from this union one child was born, Daryl Ellington Banks. Etrenda, Clarence, and Daryl joined Shiloh Baptist Church in 1981, and she later became a Deaconess in 1985. 

Deacon Banks has always enjoyed attending Church, National Conventions, and the Women’s Fellowship at Shiloh.  She and Clarence loved shopping, going to the movies, visiting relatives in New York, and just spending time together. 

Deacon Banks was a faithful and active member and Deacon of Shiloh until her husband’s health, then, her health, began to fail.  Deacon Banks now lives in Monrovia, MD with her son, Daryl, daughter-in-law, Dana, and two grandsons, Aiden Ellington and Grayson Thomas. 

Deacon Banks is the longest serving female Deacon with 39 years of faithful service here at Shiloh.   

On this day, June 2, 2024, we recognize Deacon Etrenda Carnell Banks as Shiloh’s longest serving female Deacon with 39 years  of service.