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The Fisherman of Men Church had its humble beginnings in the year 1969 in Washington, DC by the founders, Mr. Clarence Groover, Sr. and Mrs. Nettie Groover.
Bishop Clarence Groover came from humble beginnings on a farm in Georgia, worked to pay his way through college in the segregated south, and served in the US Army for three years during the Vietnam Era while completing graduate-level coursework. He then worked in the information technology field for 47 years. He was a former Mathematician with NASA, and retired as Vice-Provost and Chief Information Officer at Howard University. Bishop Groover was the Pastor and Founder of Fisherman of Men Church in Washington DC for 49 years, and was Diocese Bishop of the Mid-Atlantic Diocese of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith Inc. (COOLJC), which includes 19 churches in the DC/MD/VA area. Bishop Groover also hosted the longest-running weekly radio broadcast on WYCB for 40 years, and was a board member of the W.L. Bonner College.
The Life Story of Bishop Clarence Groover, Sr.
Bishop Clarence Groover, Sr. was born in 1939 to the late James and Mattie Groover. He was the 14th child in a family of 18 children, and was raised on a farm in Stilson, Georgia. His siblings Mary Groover, Jessie Groover, Lonnie Groover, Jack Groover, Janie Maynard, Susie Temple, Tom Groover Silas Groover, and Johnny Groover preceded him in death. On Monday, May 6, 2019, Bishop Groover transitioned from labor to reward, just 20 days shy of his 80th birthday. Bishop Groover was a highly intelligent man who valued and fought for his education while dealing with economic struggles and racial segregation. He worked his way through college at Savannah State University, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with minors in Physics and Biology in 1962. Shortly thereafter, Bishop Groover heard the Word of God preached, was baptized in Jesus’ name and filled with the Holy Ghost according to Acts 2:38. He served in the US Army for three years during the Vietnam Era, where he was trained as a Nike Launcher Controls Repairman. While stationed in Germany, he completed work towards a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Operations Management at the University of Southern California. In 1966 while attending a church service in New Jersey, Bishop Groover heard a sweet voice singing in the choir, a voice belonging to a woman named Nettie. The two began a relationship and married two months later on July 2, 1966. Clarence and Nettie had four children: Sonya Yvette, Judy Nanette, Anita Paulette, and Clarence, Jr. Having a family of his own was one of his greatest joys. Like Nettie, all of his children loved the church and served in any capacity needed. Three of his children (Clarence, Jr., Anita, and Sonya) were called home to be with the Lord. A man of determination and dedication, Bishop Groover met one of his life goals early when he began working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a Mathematician and Assistant Data Processing Engineer for the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory Satellite (OAO-A2), and Lead Software Analyst on the Energetic Particle Explorer series “D” (EPE-D) Satellite. He continued to work as an Information Technology professional for over 45 years in government, private and education sectors, and retired in 2009 as Vice-Provost and Chief Information Officer at Howard University, holding the highest technology office at the University. During his time in the Army, the Lord spoke to Bishop Groover about his ministry. Shortly after his ordination in 1969, he and Mother Groover established the Fisherman of Men Church in their house at 1222 Maryland Ave NE in Washington DC with a handful of members and many neighborhood children. In 1977, the church relocated to a former theater at 3641 Georgia Ave NW, and underwent many renovation projects. In 1978, Bishop Groover began hosting a 30-minute weekly broadcast over WYCB 1340 AM on Sundays at 11:30pm, which continued for 40 years.
Nettie stood side by side with her husband throughout many hardships, including the loss of three of their children. Over a span of seven years, tragedy struck the Groover household with the loss of Clarence Groover, Jr. (2003), Anita Paulette Groover (2008), and Sonya Yvette Groover (2010). Clarence and Nettie continued to support each other through their individual cancer diagnoses, treatments, and recoveries.
The Life Story of Nettie Groover
Nettie Groover was the beloved matriarch & 1st Lady of Fisherman of Men Church in Washington, DC. Born 1938 in South Carolina, she was raised in Florida where she became rooted in character and in Christ. As one of the older siblings in her large family she helped raise her younger siblings, crystalizing her motherly demeanor and clear outlook on life. Florida is also where she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. After her high school and college years she relocated to New Jersey where she met the young newly ordained elder Clarence Groover and experienced blessed love at first sight. After two months of courtship, they were married in 1966 and remained in union for 53 years. Soon after their marriage the newlywed Groovers relocated to Washington, DC, remaining there antemortem. It was here in the nation’s capital where Mother Groover gave birth to her four children: Sonya, Judy, Anita & Clarence Jr. In 1969 the Fisherman of Men Church (FOMC) was founded in the Groover home. Mother Groover served as praise & worship singer, self-taught pianist, Sunday school teacher, choir director and seamstress. Ten years after the birth of her first three children Mother Nettie was diagnosed with cancer, but she was miraculously healed and remained in remission for over 40 years! Praise God! After this her only begotten son Clarence Jr was born. Nettie Groover worked for the Federal government and the DC public school system. In 1978 she along with her beloved husband hosted a weekly 30-minute radio broadcast on WYCB 1340 AM every Sunday night for 40 years! Mother Nettie Groover was known as the “Fragrance Mid- Atlantic Diocese” in the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith Inc (COOLJC). She was a source of guidance and honor to many and served numerous leadership roles in the church organization, her home church FOMC, community, and neighborhood. She continued her ministry virtually conducting services faithfully. She transitioned in 2022.
