Edward Graves

I was called to build a church for people who have been told, one way or another, that they don't have a seat at the table. My wife and I founded The First Yukayeke Ministry of Shiloh. "Yukayeke" is the Taino word for village, and "Shiloh" means peace. Our ministry joins Taino tradition with the African American Christian values of family, faith and acceptance. Online ordination let me answer that call right away.

I am originally from Philadelphia. I'm based in Silver Spring, Maryland, in Montgomery County, and our ministry is planting its roots here. We plan to expand to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and serve communities in both states.

I officiate marriages, same-sex marriages, vow renewals and handfastings. I also offer house blessings, premarital counseling, spiritual guidance and general ministry. Our ceremonies are offered for a donation rather than a set fee, so no couple or family is turned away because of cost. Beyond ceremonies, we run a food pantry, youth sports clinics, enrichment programs and adult support groups, and we gather for worship both in person and online. As a head track and field coach and an educator, I've spent my career developing young people. My ordination lets me serve them and their families more fully: in body, mind and spirit, and in peace.

The First Yukayeke Ministry of Shiloh is a Christian ministry with interfaith roots. We draw on the Black Baptist and African Methodist traditions, Puerto Rican and Caribbean Catholic heritage, and the spiritual traditions of the Taino people of the Caribbean. Our seal places the cross alongside the symbols of other world faiths, all joined around one sun, because we believe peace (Shiloh) is found when every person has a place in the village. All faiths, backgrounds and families are welcome here.

Every ceremony I lead is built around the couple, not a template. Our ministry comes from the idea of the yukayeke, the Taino village, where a marriage is not just two people joining. It is two families and two communities coming together. I bring the warmth and faith of the African American church, honor for Indigenous and Caribbean traditions, and real respect for whatever background each couple brings. A traditional Christian wedding, a same-sex marriage, a handfasting or a vow renewal all get the same care and the same dignity. I've spent years as a coach standing in front of families on their biggest days, and I know how to make people feel seen, calm and celebrated. Couples leave knowing their ceremony was theirs, and that the village stands behind them.

I'm based in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I'm originally from, and I serve couples throughout Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. In Maryland, that includes Montgomery County, Baltimore, Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay region, including the Eastern Shore. In Delaware, I serve Wilmington, Dover and the beaches at Rehoboth and Lewes. In Pennsylvania, I cover Philadelphia and its suburbs, Lancaster and Harrisburg. I especially love waterfront ceremonies on the Chesapeake and the Delaware shore, outdoor and garden weddings, and ceremonies that honor Caribbean, Puerto Rican and African American family traditions.

Our ceremonies are offered for a donation rather than a set fee, because no couple should be priced out of a blessed beginning. I'm happy to travel throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. I'll also work with couples to bring in their own cultural or faith traditions, languages, readings and rituals. Premarital counseling is available to any couple who wants to build a strong foundation before the wedding day.