Ministries
WHO WE ARE
We believe the Holy Bible is the infallible word of God divinely written by men
Our History
At Empowerment of Grace, our mission is to transform lives through the word of God by faith through grace. Empowerment of Grace started Sunday September 29th in 2013 under the leadership of then Pastor Larita Rice. The ministry met for a few months in the living room of Pastor Larita’s Swansea home.
The ministry was thriving and growing rapidly in leaps and bound and quickly outgrew the space. November of 2013 on Thanksgiving night, the Lord summons Pastor Larita into prayer time. During this time, he began to show her a vision of their next location. The spirit spoke to her and said get up and go to 59th street in East Saint Louis, Illinois. She obeyed. After getting to the area, she began to drive around praying for clarity of the specific place the Lord had in mind. There were only two buildings that was there that might have been a fit. One was a daycare, where she had formally worked at years before and the other was a former school. She rode around the daycare but wasn’t settled in her spirit. She then headed to the school being only a block or so away. When approaching the school, she parked on a lot across the street, still praying for clarity.
The school building was boarded up and appeared abandoned. The Marquee had a website listed on it. She looked up the website and it too looked abandoned. It hadn’t been updated in some years. However, the spirit of the Lord instructed her to ride to the back of the building. Unbeknownst to her, the parking lot in the back was jammed packed. She exited the car and went inside. After entering in, she was greeted by a worker but also noticed that the gym was packed with youth and young adults.The place was bustling. She was told by the worker that the owner wasn’t there, but he shared the time that he would be there and told here to come back then.
She followed instructions. Later she went back and met with the owner, Sylvester Sunshine Lee. She shared the vision on how the Lord had her to get up and drive down there. She shared the vision of the church and how it had outgrown the space at her home. Sunshine listened and then shared that her ministry vision was in alignment with his vision for the center. He later told her when to come back. He gave her keys to the building, alarm codes and keys to the gates to enter. The rest is history.
Empowerment of Grace stayed at the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center for about two years. The ministry outgrew that space and then moved to Belleville, Illinois, The same happened, the ministry outgrew the space and then later transitioned to Saint Louis, Missouri. The building that EOG acquired was abandoned and almost condemned. EOG members and friends worked diligently to restore the property back to life and did so. The area of Baden is where the ministry called home for about two years. Due to unexpected need to move. EOG shifted to North Park church for a brief period of time and later to Bellefontaine UMC church from around summer of 2018 to November of 2019.
The ministry went into a time of deliberation and discernment. The Lord spoke to the leaders, and all came to an agreement that the Lord was saying to go outside of the four walls. It was also a time to dive deeper into learning and rest. During this time, we began discussions with another ministry about a possible merger but that didn’t materialize. The leaders of the church agreed to go on sabbatical. In March of 2020, the world experienced a global pandemic, the COVID shutdown that had its massive effects on public gatherings and church services up until about Summer of 2023 is when the world started trying to open back up to what it once known as normalcy. Empowerment of Grace leaders and members were still on sabbatical. In November 2024 former members and leaders came together and begin to meet for a once a month worship service on the first Sunday of the month. The story is still being written and the journey continues.
2013
At Empowerment of Grace, our mission is to transform lives through the word of God by faith through grace. Empowerment of Grace started Sunday September 29th in 2013 under the leadership of then Pastor Larita Rice. The ministry met for a few months in the living room of Pastor Larita’s Swansea home.
The ministry was thriving and growing rapidly in leaps and bound and quickly outgrew the space.
November of 2013 on Thanksgiving night, the Lord summoned Pastor Larita into prayer time. During this time, he began to show her a vision of their next location. The spirit spoke to her and said get up and go to 59th street in East Saint Louis, Illinois. She obeyed. After getting to the area, she began to drive around praying for clarity of the specific place the Lord had in mind. There were only two buildings that was there that might have been a fit. One was a daycare, where she had formally worked at years before and the other was a former school. She rode around the daycare but wasn’t settled in her spirit. She then headed to the school being only a block or so away. When approaching the school, she parked on a lot across the street, still praying for clarity.
The school building was boarded up and appeared abandoned. The Marquee had a website listed on it. She looked up the website and it too looked abandoned. It hadn’t been updated in some years.
However, the spirit of the Lord instructed her to ride to the back of the building. Unbeknownst to her, the parking lot in the back was jammed packed. She exited the car and went inside. After entering in, she was greeted by a worker but also noticed that the gym was packed with youth and young adults. The place was bustling. She was told by the worker that the owner wasn’t there, but he shared the time that he would be there and told her to come back then.
She followed instructions. Later she went back and met with the owner, Sylvester Sunshine Lee. She shared the vision on how the Lord had her to get up and drive down there. She shared the journey of the church and how it had outgrown the space at her home.
Sunshine listened and then shared that her ministry vision was in alignment with his vision for the center. He later told her when to come back. He gave her keys to the building, alarm codes and keys to enter the gates. The rest became history.
2013-2014
Empowerment of Grace stayed at the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center for about a year and a half.
2014
Empowerment of Grace- Nyamataro, Kenya
2015
Empowerment of Grace-Uganda
2014-2016
The ministry outgrew the space at the Sunshine Cultural Arts building and later moved to Belleville, Illinois, The same happened, the ministry outgrew the space and then later transitioned to Saint Louis, Missouri.
2016-2018
The building that EOG acquired on North Broadway in Baden, Missouri was abandoned and almost condemned. EOG members and friends worked diligently to restore the property back to life. Though EOG thought this was where we be for years. Due to an unexpected need to move. The ministry shifted to North Park church for a brief nesting period.
2018 -2019
Bellefontaine UMC church from around summer of 2018 to November of 2019.
The ministry went into a time of deliberation and discernment. The Lord spoke to the leaders, and all came to an agreement that the Lord was saying to go outside of the four walls. It was also a time to dive deeper into learning and rest.
During this time, we began discussions with another ministry about a possible merger but that didn’t materialize. The leaders of the church agreed to go on sabbatical.
2020
In March of 2020, the world experienced a global pandemic, the COVID shutdown that had its massive effects on public gatherings and church services up until about Summer of 2023. This is when the world started attempting to open back up to what it once known as normalcy. Empowerment of Grace leaders and members were still on sabbatical for congregational gatherings. However, non traditional gatherings though social justice ministry was happening.
2021
Empowerment of Grace missions- Punjab, India
2024
In November 2024 former members and leaders came together and begin to meet for a once-a-month worship service on the first Sunday of the month. We affectionately called this period our soft relaunch.
2026
Empowerment of Grace- Public Relaunch on Resurrection Sunday.
The story is still being written and the journey continues.
What We Believe
EOG Leadership Team
Missional, Spirit-Led. Dedicated.
This is your Team section. It's a great place to introduce your team and talk about what makes it special, such as your culture or work philosophy. Don't be afraid to illustrate personality and character to help users connect with your team.
Apostle Larita Rice-Barnes
Overseer
Apostle Larita Rice-Barnes is a distinguished leader and devoted minister, committed to empowering individuals through faith and service. Her impactful contributions to the community reflect her dedication to spreading a message of hope and love.owned for her insightful teachings, Apostle Larita possesses a unique ability to with diverse audiences. Through her ministry, she actively uplifts and transforms lives, promoting a spirit of unity and personal growth.
Larita is married to Juard and together they have four children and six grandchildren
Pastor Juard M. Barnes
Growth and Expansion and Discipleship
Pastor Juard M. Barnes is a committed minister with a strong focus on promoting spiritual development and community involvement. With extensive experience in pastoral leadership, he inspires individuals through insightful teachings and compassionate outreach initiatives. His mission is to empower others to purposeful lives rooted in faith, while fostering meaningful connections within their communities Through his ministry, Juard strives to cultivate an inclusive environment where individuals can explore their spirituality and receive support. Juard is married to Larita and together they have four children and six grandchildren.
Elder Carolyn Rice-Smith
Spiritual Care Pastor
Carolyn Rice-Smith is a devoted preacher with a heartfelt commitment to her and faith. With years of experience in pastoral care and outreach, she inspires others through her compassionate leadership and powerful messages. Carolyn believes in the importance of service and encourages others to live out their faith through acts of love and kindness. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with family, and engaging in community service.
She is also an Ordained Elder at Empowerment of Grace Church. Carolyn has been married to Ned Smith for 23 years who is a carpenter by trade. Together they have four children and seven grandchildren.
Prophet Suzy Douglas
Christian Education and Wellness Pastor
Suzy Douglas teaches Bible Studies and Health/Wellness classes. Suzy is considered by many to be a “Guidance Influencer for the Generations” and a “Mother of Many Houses.” She believes “Learning is Never Ending,” for example, she learned to ride a motorcycle at the age of 61 after failing the riding test several times. She has worked as counselor for neglected/abused children, taught second and third grade students at a Christian School, started 2 church based Christian Daycare centers and opened an In-home Christian school.
Suzy received a B.S. in Crim. Just. /Sociology from Texas Woman’s Univ., Denton, Texas and a M.A. Educ. from National Louis Univ. located in Wheeling IL. She is also an Ordained Elder at Empowerment of Grace Church. Suzy has been married to Col. Samuel R. Douglas, USAF Ret. for 38yrs who is from Huntsville, Texas and they have two daughters, Ashton and Kersten.