Those of us who fill church pews on Sunday morning hear plenty about God the Father and his only son, Jesus, but not so much about the third member of the Trinity.

What a small congregation at Lakewood United Methodist heard on a recent Sunday was Holy Spirit preaching without any of the ifs, ands or buts about who the Holy Spirit is or whether the Spirit is a "he," a "she," or an "it."

The new pastor there is the Rev. Gail Myers, a former Baptist turned United Methodist, who has all her credentials in order. She's a graduate of Duke Divinity School and brings to the pulpit the fire and passion that are characteristic of an old-time "amen" preacher.

A black woman with a flashing, engaging smile, Myers is barely tall enough to see over the pulpit. But she can lay the words on you.

Myers didn't let any of the scholarly arguments about the Holy Spirit sideline her message. She prayed for the Holy Spirit to be present, and then she preached a message that proved this capricious manifestation of God's presence was indeed in their midst.

Her topic was "Limited by Unbelief, Empowered by Faith."

Not a large crowd, because this is a central-city church that dates back to 1909. It's a church that has weathered the last half of the 20th Century, during which urban churches of its ilk have seen membership dwindle as neighborhoods changed and city dwellers opted for suburban living.

Lakewood, with a historically white membership, had to make a decision to either close its doors or begin to branch out into new territory and serve the folks who now live around the church -- blacks, whites and Latinos.

In the early 1990s, the Rev. Ramon Torres III, a student attending Duke Divinity, laid some of the groundwork that would make way for Lakewood to grow into a multi-cultural and diverse congregation. He gathered children in the community and brought them to church.

But the real turnaround came after the Rev. Carolyn W. Lucas became the pastor in 1997. She was the congregation's first black minister, and under her leadership the church birthed a new vision for ministry. It began serious outreach to the community, especially to children. In her two-year ministry, it moved decisively toward becoming a multi-racial, multi-cultural church.

First, there was a community Gospel Choir that included children from age 6 to senior adults. A professionally trained black musician was hired to play the organ, and another young black man directed the choir. New members, both black and white, began to join. A Latino family began worshipping there as the result of a Spanish class, which was taught at the church.

The church also organized a new Sunday school class for young adults and involved the growing number of youth in community programs, finding summer jobs for many of them. A program offering financial assistance and support for single women with children was also begun.

In June 1998, at the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, the bishop invited Lakewood to make a presentation; the church was recognized as a "model church" for that year.

Subsequent pastors -- including the Rev. Dora R. Dorsey and the Rev. James Malloy -- have continued the outreach emphasis at the church.

Worship on Sunday begins at 11 a.m. The service on July 9 was right down the line Methodist in its order of worship, using the traditional Apostles Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the Gloria Patri as a response.

The three lessons from the lectionary, a liturgical calendar of Scripture readings used by many mainline denominations, were printed in a bulletin insert, making it easy for worshippers to follow as the Scriptures were read. The hymns were from the "The Methodist Hymnal."

Since the church pianist was on vacation, Pastor Myers' son, Maurice, played the piano and sang with Jonathan Anderson, a divinity school student.

The church also has an organ and is now looking for a music director, someone who plays the organ and can direct the choir, said church member Marcia Owen.

Kelly Strickland, 94, the oldest member of the congregation, was in his accustomed pew on this Sunday. He was among those who crowded the aisle "passing the peace" -- a part of the service in which worshippers move around offering one another signs of reconciliation and love.

There was only one surprise during this service. After her 25-minute sermon, Pastor Myers gave an altar call where worshippers are invited to come to the altar rail for a few minutes of prayer and meditation. She herself came down and knelt.

Don't choose this church if you're looking for a stiff-upper-lip kind of service and a formal setting for worship. Do choose it if you like friendly, sincere Christians who obviously love each other and who are welcoming to strangers in their midst.

The church is located at 2317 Chapel Hill Road.