June 2022 Newsletter
Pittsburgh’s Citadel of Hope (Bethel AMEC) Hosts Juneteenth Day
written by Hollen Barmer, edited by Amber Snyder
Read the full article by clicking here. Watch a recording of the event on Bethel's Facebook page.
The Background
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the 214-year-old Citadel of Hope in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, hosted an ecumenical gathering on June 19 with a goal of emphasizing the role people of faith must play in reparations as Bethel works to reclaim land the city stole via eminent domain 65 years ago.
Bethel’s current pastor, Rev. Dr. Snyder said that education has been a significant part of Bethel’s reparations efforts thus far. Since 2021, Bethel has been partnering with predominantly white churches to educate Christians in Pittsburgh through table talks based on the book Reparations by Duke Kwon and Greg Thompson. Members of those partner congregations–Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Sixth Presbyterian, First United Methodist Church, Pittsburgh Friends Meeting, and Sisters of Mercy–were in attendance and helped lead services and sessions throughout the day.
An honest reflection of June 19, 2022 at Bethel AMEC
On Sunday, the people of God gathered to worship, celebrate and reflect. “We joined our voices in song, and my almost two-year-old began his career as a Pastor's Kid leading the congregation in dancing. I was thankful for the ways in which over 100 members of predominantly white congregations chose to go outside of their comfort zone to attend worship at Bethel AMEC at 11:00am, and to build a relationship with the people of Bethel,” said Rev. Erin Jones, pastor of Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community.
A sermon
Bishop Errenous E. McCloud Jr. of the Third District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, preached from the first chapter of Habakkuk. Bishop McCloud drew connections between Habakkuk’s cries of “how long, oh Lord?” from his post at the watchtower and the systemic evils of white supremacy that manifest in gun violence, voter suppression, and control of women’s bodies by the government.
“If you’re a good watcher, sometimes some of the things you see will make you angry. When you’re a good watcher, you will learn that sometimes you are not able to do something about everything you see. Watching will make you angry, and sometimes you may even cry,” Bishop McCloud told the congregation, concluding with a call not only to pray but also to vote.
Annual Old Bethel Site Visit
The annual visit to Old Bethel is an effort to not only reclaim the land but to seek repair for the ways the theft of that land continues to affect Bethel’s neighborhood and people today. With a promise from the Pittsburgh Penguins to fund pre-development efforts for vacant and blighted land around the current location, Bethel and the non-profit civil rights organization Color of Change are now negotiating with the Penguins to agree on a dollar amount for that funding. With the theft of the land, the community lost its center for community services that included reading programs, the Boy Scouts, training programs, and a nurses guild.
Therefore, the afternoon was spent with a bus ride down to the site of Old Bethel, hearing the stories of the Hill and the hopes we have for its future. We prayed together, a diversity of voices and traditions raised in unity, calling for repentance and repair. Then we came back to Bethel on Webster Ave, where we heard from the ELCA and AME Bishops about the importance of ecumenical and cross-racial engagement, and how our faith calls us to the hard work of reparations.
We ended hearing an update from Pastor Snyder. “We were encouraged to stand alongside Bethel as they continue to advocate for themselves, and to help them find seats at the right tables,” said Rev. Jones. We know this is only one step in a long fight, and hope this day gave us enough encouragement and connection for the next few steps together.
Emanuel Nine commemoration event
In commemoration of the Emanuel Nine, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton joined other faith and community leaders in a nationwide Bible study on Friday, June 17. The theme for the livestream event, "What Kind of Soil Are We?," was taken from Mark 4:1-20, the Bible passage the Emanuel Nine were studying on the night they were murdered by a white supremacist (who was raised in an ELCA congregation). The Bible study event served as the kick-off for a yearlong Bible study across the country.
SWPA Synod Assembly 2022
A few highlights of the 2022 Synod Assembly include:
Keynote Address and Q&A from The Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
Actions of the Assembly, which include a memorial calling for "fair, transparent, and uniform" discipline processes mindful of effects on minority and marginalized groups, and a resolution calling for "congregations to consider giving building(s) and land to the descendants of those peoples, races, or nations that first lived on that land and also requests the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to consider doing likewise."