Today, the newest church could have been restored and is this site of the earliest identified African-American cemetery from inside the Berks County
You can depend on women to experience a job on organization of your chapel given that faith held an effective devote the minds. Richard G. Johnson, African-Western historian and you can author, identifies the fresh church “as the a religious center, in addition to a development cardio, a retreat for runaways, a social heart and you can a place to screen your finery”-the points vital that you feminine.
This new age of the 1820s and you can 1830s seen the production of one or two very important church buildings within the Studying from the totally free African Us citizens. The first African Presbyterian Church began into the 1823 in two record compartments located at Arizona and you may Mulberry Roadways. This new congregation established a unique edifice during the 1849 and you may relocated to 715 North Tenth Highway.
A small grouping of men and women kept brand new Presbyterians and you can shaped the new Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Chapel in the 119 North Tenth Street in 1834. Men preached in the pulpits nevertheless ladies was basically responsible for putting benevolent communities and you will mission sectors, exercises kinds on high Sunday Colleges attached to one another congregations, also singing throughout the choir and you may taking a musical musical accompaniment towards the Week-end qualities. The annals of your Arizona Road Presbyterian Chapel include anecdotes regarding Mrs. Taar, Mrs. Cline faithful their particular life so you’re able to spiritual teaching because of the kneeling to the street corners and you will hoping that have wayward boys.
The newest burning issue of the afternoon was thraldom and its abolition or enforcement. Many light church buildings neglected the challenge, however, Reading’s free African People in america monitored the difficulty directly and aided runaways to the Underground Railway whenever you can. (更多…)