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African Methodist Episcopal Church
Founded: Formally organized in 1816 in Philadelphia Congregants: More than 2 million History: Developed from a congregation of black Americans who withdrew in 1787 from St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia because of racial discrimination First church: Mother Bethel AME Church, in Philadelphia was the first house of worship owned by black people in America First missionary: Sent to Haiti in 1827 Sources: Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions, www.1stdistrict-ame.org |
By KIM MULFORD
Courier-Post Staff
Nineteen-year-old Marcus Wooding spends at least three hours every Sunday worshiping at Bethlehem AME Church on Pearl Street in Burlington City.
Services at the 172-year-old church are long, but they are lively.
Music wrung out of an electric keyboard thrums so deeply, congregants can feel it in their chests. Most of the 80 or so regulars sing, sway and clap to the old hymns and new gospel songs. A praise team of dancers also gets the service moving.
The sermons are marked by fits of music, shouts of "Amen" and even cheers.
"We worship God and we like to do it," said Wooding, a youth choir member.
The African Methodist Episcopal denomination has come a long way since its Philadelphia origins in 1787. That year, black members left St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church to form their own church in the City of Brotherly Love.
"It started because of racism," said the Rev. Ladell Mayers Sr., pastor of Bethlehem AME. "I don't even like saying it. When you start using words like that, it's sort of disturbing."
Today's members observe the event yearly and all can recount its history, its founding pastor, 27-year-old Richard Allen, and its first church, "Mother" Bethel AME on Sixth and Lombard streets in Philadelphia.
Other churches were started in Baltimore, Md., Wilmington, Del., Attlesboro, Pa., and in the South Jersey city of Salem.
In 1816, the churches came together and formed the African Methodist Episcopal Church and elected Allen as its first bishop.
According to a church Web site, Allen kept the Methodist doctrine "with its plain and simple gospel which the unlearned could understand, and its orderly system of rules and regulations which the underdeveloped needed."
Today, the AME Church has about 2 million members in the United States, Canada, South America, West Africa, South Africa and the West Indies.
Locally, Bethlehem AME formed in 1830 when James Still persuaded a small group of his black neighbors to leave churches and start their own.
Although racial discrimination defined the denomination's origins, Bethlehem's members say that's not why they were drawn to the church.
Wooding joined as a youngster seven years ago, when his family was searching for a church near their new Willingboro neighborhood. They liked Bethlehem's small size and family atmosphere. "We have one of the most unique histories," said Wooding. "I just find it real interesting. I'm glad to be a part of something that old."
Though he was raised in the church, Wooding didn't always like it. When he was younger, the long services wore on his patience.
"I couldn't really stand it," he said. "But within the past two years, it's become really the most important thing . . . It's the Lord's day, and I can at least give him three hours."
Howard L. Todd, 74, still lives just blocks away from his birth place in Burlington City. Though his family was originally Baptist, he began attending Bethlehem as a youngster because it was closer to home. Back then, only 20 or 30 people attended regularly "and that was a lot."
"We have a friendly church," Todd said. "Everybody knows everybody. Everybody loves each other. It's just homey . . . The love and togetherness we have there, that's what's keeping me there."
Wanda Love, 38, grew up in the Catholic church, but when she moved to Willingboro, she didn't feel comfortable in the parish's large congregation.
Bethlehem's smaller size was just right for Love's family.
"I go by what kind of feeling I get when I leave church," said Love. "I just feel like the people are down home. It reminds me of down South. I used to love the Southern churches. They were always so friendly and I just got such a warm response there."
She also liked the historical connection of the church.
"When I was in high school, I felt I missed so much black history," she said. When she read about the AME church's origins, "it was was pretty interesting to me. I felt a sense of closeness to it."
Twenty-year-old Tristan Holt of Mount Laurel joined the AME church seven years ago with his mother and grandmother. They liked the service and adopted Bethlehem as their church home.
"I'm a Christian before I'm an AME," said Holt, who is president of the church's Young People's Department.
The youth group includes members ages 13 to 26, and meets regularly for business meetings, extracurricular activities and regional conferences. The young people lead the church's services the second Sunday of each month. Bethlehem's group has about 15 members.
"We're pretty tight," said Holt. "We talk to each other a lot. We encourage each other in Christ, just to grow in Christ, letting each other know we're not alone."
While Bethlehem boasts a vibrant and tight-knit congregation, there is trouble just beyond its back door.
The church's recent battles have been with the developer of a restaurant and outdoor bar, recently approved by the city's planning board.
The developer wants to use the former Water Works building, just yards away from the church. The historic building was built on property the church sold to the city for a dollar in 1870.
The proposed hours are from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., said Mayers, the church's pastor. Congregants worry they will have few places to park. They are also concerned about the noise affecting their activities and several senior citizen complexes nearby.
"The church has something going on almost every night," said Mayers. "I just feel sorry for the people."
Congregants don't like the plan, but the church is appealing.
Most believe God will win, whether the restaurant is built or not.
"We're in the business of saving souls," said Holt. "Alcohol is
definitely a problem in any community. That would definitely be a
hindrance to what we're trying to do."
