Michael Orevba

Michael was twelve years old when he and his family moved to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2002. His mother and his four siblings found Church in Bethesda right away - the first and only church they have attended since coming to this country.

He grew up and lived in the Bethesda community for years, before moving to Washington, D.C., to join the Development Impact Evaluation Team at the World Bank. His work now takes him to West Africa and Southeast Asia, where he designs protocols for data quality checks on survey rounds in Nepal and Libera, works with principal investigators to design thorough plans for analyzing the collected data, and contributes to reports and briefs at the Bank. Michael’s work on agricultural projects seeks to improve the lives of rural farmers.

It’s Michael’s work and love for Church in Bethesda that helped the small congregation keep the blue doors open. At a critical juncture, in 2016, he said, “We can’t close these doors. I’ve been coming to this church with my family since I was 12 years old.”

The small group heard him and went into action. The multi-national, multi-cultural, and multi-denominational church has now tripled in size, with a new pastor, vibrant music, and an even greater mission to serve the community. Michael is a member of the Servant Leadership Group taking an active part in all phases of church life.