All who were blessed to come under the influence of the captivating life of Dr. Weptanomah Washington Carter  sensed that she was someone with special grace.  The aura of her presence and the charm of her demeanor were uniquely reflected in her personality as a child of God, a pastor’s wife, a first lady in her congregation, a mother to her daughter and son, and a grandmother to her granddaughter and grandsons. 

 

This woman of God was a daughter of ministry, born into the home of Dr. And Mrs. T. Robert Washington, February 15, 1937 in Ossining New York. Growing up, Weptanomah often stated that she would never marry a minister.  However, as she was completing her studies at Millersville State Teachers College she met and fell in love with Harold A. Carter, a recent graduate of Crozier Theological Seminary.  And so, on October 17, 1959 Weptanomah did what she said she would never do,  she married a minister.  During that same year her husband was called to pastor Court Street Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, where they served as pastor and first lady until 1964. 

 

 In 1964, Weptanomah’s husband was called to pastor the New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore, MD.  The year 2005 marked the fortieth year of service of Dr. Harold and Weptanomah Carter as pastor and first lady.  During her forty years serving as first lady Weptanomah lived her life with a clear vision of who she was in Christ.  Weptanomah was not one to be manipulated by public images.  She was determined in her strong and abiding support as a full partner in the ministry-vision of her husband/pastor. 

 

The pioneering ministerial influence of Weptanomah’s father and mother was a blueprint on her life.  Her mother, Jacqueline Francis, was one of the founding members of the Baptist Ministers Wives and Widows Union of Philadelphia.  She was also the first president of the Pennsylvania Association of Ministers Wives.  Jacqueline Francis also had a deep love for her church, where she served for nearly fifty years alongside her husband Pastor T. Robert Washington.  Weptanomah’s father loved preachers and all things related to preaching.  He was a professor at Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia.  Dr. Washington also served as president of Hampton’s Minister’s Conference, and is still remembered for his conference sermon ‘Sputnick, Stars and Salvation.’

 

Weptanomah began her involvement in New Shiloh playing for the Allen Gospel Chorus.  She also founded and organized the Progressive Shiloh Workers, a ministry that has provided thousands of dollars to assist college bound students.  For many years Weptanomah’s voice was heard sharing the opening and closing statements during the weekly radio broadcast ministries of New Shiloh’s ‘Bread of Life’ and ‘The New Shiloh Worship Hour.’  This was an early demonstration of  team Christian witness of husbands and wives clearly evidenced in numerous ministries today.  In 2000 the Carter Children’s Center was organized by Weptanomah as a weekly after-school program for the children in the community of the church.  The children received tutorial assistance, a hot meal, and a bible lesson.