Latest news with #AfricanMethodist
CBC
31-03-2025
- General
- CBC
Former Black church site a finalist in competition for renovation funding
Chuck Smith's earliest memories of the Sharon Assembly Church in Yarmouth, N.S., are sitting in the front pew as a boy listening to his grandfather, Rev. Nathan Smith, preach to the congregation. "He was a fire-and-brimstone type of preacher," Smith recalled with a laugh during a recent interview. "He put the fear of God in you. If you weren't good, you knew where you were going. He was a very powerful speaker, very flamboyant, but also a wonderful human being, too." The building on East Street has fallen on hard times since it closed in 2012 due to financial struggles and a declining congregation. But as Smith and a group of volunteers have come together to try to save it, they're hoping for some added help. The former church is one of 12 sites across the country — and the only Nova Scotia location — to reach the finals of the Next Great Save, a competition put on by the National Trust of Canada to help save historic sites. Voting runs until April 17, with the top vote-getter receiving $50,000. The first and second runners-up receive $10,000 and $5,000, respectively. "For me, it's preserving not only a part of Yarmouth's history and the Black history, but it's preserving a part of, you know, Nova Scotia's history that's been there since the 1800s," said Vanessa Fells, who, like Smith, is a member of the volunteer board with deep family ties to the site. Smith estimates they need about $500,000, with a new roof being the most pressing priority. The goal is to install a kitchen, museum and space for gatherings. The board hopes the building could also serve as a warming centre in times of need. Fells said the board is pursuing funding support from all three levels of government, along with provincial and federal heritage status. But winning the competition would give their efforts a much-needed jump-start. Like everyone involved, it's a personal matter for Fells. She has fond memories of attending weddings as a child, vacation Bible schools and knowing the generational connections her family and the broader local Black community have to the site. "It's our church. It's our family church. It has always been a part of who we are." Smith's family owes its ties to Yarmouth to the church. His great-grandfather, Rev. George William Smith, was an African Methodist minister who moved the family from Shelburne, N.S., to Yarmouth when he took on his final assignment at the church. 'This place has my heart' Smith's father was a boy at the time and, along with others, grew up singing in the church before going on to be a part of the noted local gospel music group the Mission-Aires. After the church closed and Smith would take walks past the site, he always hoped it could be preserved. That wish got a real boost when the volunteer board came together and started working last year. Smith is hoping the broader community will pitch in now that the site has reached the finals of the Next Great Save by voting to support the place that is so dear to him. "This place has my heart."
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Historic church opening its doors again in Monroe County
STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A historic church in Stroudsburg is opening its doors once again. Volunteers have been renovating the Stroudsburg Little Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church for nearly two decades. Photojournalist L Baccera gives us a look inside. 'This church was established in 1855. There were two Quakers and a Methodist, who gave land. It started off as a log cabin, which was across the street and eventually, they brought that over onto this side of the street,' Vice President of the Stroudsburg Little Bethel Historical Association Clavertis Miller explained. 'A lot of the male members fought for the North in the Civil War,' Miller continued. 'After their service, those who came back started to build this stone structure that you see now. In 1868, when the troops built it, up until 1972, is when it was in use. It was vacant from 1972 to the 1980s, and at that point, that's when the gentleman, Mr. Hillman and Mr. Washington, came in and started to rehab the building itself,' Miller added. Why is Black History Month the shortest of the year? 'The association was established in 2002 and in 2003, Judge O'Brian gave them ownership of the building. So from that point on, many years of renovation started to take place. Once it became a part of the association, it sort of moved out of being called a church, more of a move into a museum and a lending library. We've had books donated by some members of the community, Kay Lopez, all the books that you see in the cabinets around the floor here,' Miller said. 'A lot has been going on in the last couple of years when establishing to get that to this point that you see now. We've gotten grants from the Rotary to help us in doing certain things here. The Hughes family gave a tremendous amount to establish a restroom in the building here. Now, we are looking for other opportunities to bring things into the building, as far as events. Authors who would like to do book signings, and things of that nature, we are more than happy to accommodate you. We do do a Juneteenth Fish Fry every year in the community so that helps getting money for funds to continue to do the great things that we like to do here,' Miller explained. The group always needs volunteers and donations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Carolyn Cavaness becomes first female pastor of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philly
The Brief Carolyn Cavaness has become the first female pastor of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Center City. FOX 29's Greg Payne heard from the pastor as she closes in on 100 days with the congregation. PHILADELPHIA - Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Center City is making history with its first female pastor. FOX 29's Greg Payne visited the church to hear more about its history. What we know Mother Bethel Church sits on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by African Americans. Prior to Mother Bethel, Pastor Carolyn Cavaness preached at AME's in Sharon Hill and Ardmore. Pastor Cavaness is closing in on 100 days with the congregation and is already making an impact. What they're saying "During this Black History Month I have had young people, even in our congregation or our community that say, 'Reverend you are our black history hero'," said Cavaness. Pastor Cavaness says she's even spoken with Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia's first female mayor, about this historic moment. "Every Sunday there's nerves going into it, to be able to stand in the gap before God's people and then it's even more to stand on the sacred ground. There's moments where I get choked up and then have to say, 'okay Carolyn you gotta get it together', because people are in need of a word from God," said Pastor Cavaness. The Source The information in this story is from Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Black church vandalized by Proud Boys hopes to use to attention to support social justice
WASHINGTON − A historic Black church in Washington, D.C., whose Black Lives Matter sign was vandalized by members of the Proud Boys, plans to launch a project Monday to further support its social justice work and those of national groups. 'It will be a place for people to think about what we do next, how we move forward,' William Lamar, pastor of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview. 'We will be considering questions like what do we all do next? How do we go forward and how can we be victorious in the space in which we find ourselves, politically and spiritually and emotionally?'' The project, which will be posted on the church website, will provide a space for discussions about social justice concerns and ways to address them, Lamar said. The move comes on the heels of a ruling Monday by a Washington D.C. judge that barred the Proud Boys from selling merchandise using its name or symbols without permission from the church. The ruling allows the church to seize money that the group makes through 'any sale, transfer, disposition, or license of the Proud Boys Trademark.' 'We own the trademark to a violent white supremacist organization and we intend to take that evil and use it for good,'' Lamar said. The church sought action after the Proud Boys failed to pay on a $2.8 million judgment. Enrique Tarrio, one of the Proud Boys' leaders charged with vandalizing the sign in December 2020 following a rally supporting President Donald Trump, told USA TODAY Wednesday he doesn't plan to sell any Proud Boys merchandise online or in a store. 'We don't care because let somebody else have it,'' he said. 'If they try to enforce it, excuse my language, but we'll wipe our a-- with it.'' Details:Proud Boys' Enrique Tarrio tells all: Wants accusers to 'feel the heat', weighs sheriff run Tarrio, who describes his heritage as afro-Cuban and has said his organization is not a white supremacist group, said he plans to appeal the court decision. He said he will make other shirts that won't be for sale. 'We turn lemons into lemonade,'' said Tarrio, who was among nearly 1,600 people Trump pardoned last month for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. 'So I'll be making personal shirts that call us the African Methodist boys, since they want to take our trademark.'' ''As soon as I get my printer up and running, I will be making some shirts, and I'm sure that you're going to see the guys wearing them all over the place,'' said Tarrio, who said he's Baptist. Lamar didn't respond to Tarrio's comments. Metropolitan hopes to capitalize on the attention and support the work not only of the church, but others trying to address issues including environmental justice, health disparities and food insecurity, Lamar said. 'Our strategy is to deepen the work that already exist,'' said Lamar. More:Civil rights activists call for action as King holiday and inauguration fall on same day The church has since replaced the Black Lives Matter sign that was vandalized. Another which Lamar called ''bigger and blacker'' is outside the historic red brick church. The church located in downtown Washington is one of the oldest Black churches in the city. It has a long history with the Civil Rights Movement and recently hosted a rally on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. Speakers at the rally sponsored by the National Action Network urged people to fight to protect civil rights under the Trump administration. Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Will Carless
