Stevie Wonder Was in the House in Alexandria Today!

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Worshippers at one of Alexandria’s most historic churches received a star-studded Sunday surprise: Stevie Wonder was in the house.

The 25-time Grammy winner attended worship at Alfred Street Baptist Church on Sunday, Sept. 6, according to photographs and public social-media posts from the church community.

Alexandria City Councilman John Taylor Chapman, himself an Alfred Street member, shared an account originally posted by Chronicles Remix, a “Friends of ASBC” Facebook page that states it is not officially endorsed by the church. Chapman told The Zebra he was not in church today and did not see Wonder. Asked if he knew why he was in town, Chapman said, “Unfortunately, no.”

“Well, look who walked into church today! None other than the legendary Stevie Wonder!” the page announced. The post said Wonder took his seat and joined the congregation for worship.

A separate public post timestamped Sunday morning also reported Wonder’s presence at Alfred Street. The church published its official Sept. 6 sermon, “In the Beginning,” preached by Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, later Sunday.

Alexandria Reacts to the Surprise

The news quickly drew expressions of amazement and joy from people responding to Chapman’s post.

Commenter Lois Kebe said seeing Wonder reminded her of the beginning of his career as “Little Stevie,” performing with his harmonica and singing “Fingertips.”

“The man is a legend — what a blessing!” she wrote.

From “Little Stevie” to Music Legend

Wonder was only 11 when he signed with Motown’s Tamla label, according to his Recording Academy biography. Known then as Little Stevie Wonder, he scored his first Billboard Hot 100 hit at age 13 with “Fingertips.”

His career would produce landmark albums including “Talking Book,” “Innervisions,” “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” and “Songs in the Key of Life.”

The Recording Academy lists 25 Grammy wins and 75 nominations for Wonder. He won Album of the Year three times and received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley’s Nationally Heard Pulpit

Wonder’s visit placed one of America’s most celebrated musicians in the congregation of one of the country’s most prominent pastors.

Wesley was installed as Alfred Street’s eighth pastor in September 2008. The church’s official biography says the congregation has grown to more than 12,000 members under his leadership, with weekly online viewership exceeding 25,000.

A fourth-generation Baptist preacher and Chicago native, Wesley graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a degree in biomedical and electrical engineering. He later graduated summa cum laude from Boston University School of Theology and earned a Doctor of Ministry in preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Several of his sermons have been archived by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Morehouse College inducted him into its Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers in 2015.

A Church Woven Into Alexandria History

Alfred Street traces its origins to 1803. Black members of the Alexandria Baptist Society formally organized the Colored Baptist Society of Alexandria in 1806, creating what the church identifies as the first Black Baptist church north of Richmond.

The congregation began renting property on South Alfred Street in 1818 and purchased the site in 1842. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources calls Alfred Street Alexandria’s oldest African American congregation and one of the oldest in the Washington area.

The church organized an educational branch by 1820 to teach Black children and adults despite legal restrictions. Its building served as a hospital during the Civil War and has been used continuously for worship since 1855. The property joined the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2003 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Alfred Street’s national reach has long been matched by local service. In April, The Zebra reported that the church contributed $1 million to clear back rent for 318 households facing possible eviction.

The church had not issued a separate announcement about Wonder’s visit by Sunday afternoon, but for the worshippers who saw him walk through the doors, the moment was already unforgettable.