Two historic Philadelphia churches offer lessons for an America divided today and in its infancy

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — George Washington. Benjamin Franklin. Betsy Ross. The 2 Founding Fathers and nan seamstress of nan American emblem each erstwhile worshipped connected nan now centuries-old woody pews of Christ Church.

It’s nan tract of assemblage America’s break pinch nan Church of England — and wherever nan U.S. Episcopal Church was born.

Less than a mile south, past Independence Hall, Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church stands connected nan oldest parcel of onshore continuously owned by Black Americans. It’s nan mother religion of nan nation’s first Black denomination.

Two churches, crossed nan centuries. Generations aft their commencement successful this federation first envisioned successful Philadelphia, some churches proceed to service arsenic nan belief location for hundreds successful nan city.

Choir members singing hymns astatine Christ Church successful Philadelphia astatine a work connected Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Mother Bethel AME Church personnel Donna Matthews, halfway standing, claps adjacent to her husband, Keith Matthews, during a work successful Philadelphia connected Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Church members spot nan domiciled of their congregation arsenic crucial, a beacon up of a contentious statesmanlike predetermination successful Pennsylvania — nan astir pivotal of plaything states. They besides definitive concerns astir governmental section that nan Founding Fathers erstwhile feared could tear nan federation apart.

“We’ve grown arsenic a nation, but I deliberation astatine this point, we’re astatine a standstill. We’re terribly divided,” said Christ Church parishioner Jeanette Morris. A registered Republican, she antecedently voted for erstwhile President Donald Trump, but plans to backmost Vice President Kamala Harris connected Nov. 5 because of her support for reproductive rights. Morris is concerned astir wellness issues pursuing nan repeal of Roe v. Wade.

“Nothing is getting done successful Washington because cipher tin work together connected anything,” she said aft a caller service. “I believe each Sunday that we tin get past this all.”

Today’s database of divisive issues is long: from abortion and migration to taxes, ambiance alteration and nan wars abroad. It’s besides the first statesmanlike predetermination since an insurrection astatine nan U.S. Capitol, an enactment of governmental unit steeped successful nan dishonesty that nan 2020 predetermination was stolen.

“I deliberation things person changed: Slavery is abolished. The Civil Rights Act was put successful place. But still, heavy down, nan denizens of nan United States haven’t really travel together,” says Keith Matthews, 61, a Mother Bethel AME parishioner. “There’s still a batch of hatred and misunderstanding amongst nan races.”

The nation’s religion was astatine nan halfway of it all

At its infancy, nan United States of America besides was profoundly divided. And immoderate members of Christ Church — from Washington to nan parish rector — seemed to beryllium astatine nan halfway of it all.

“What we’re going done correct now is surely unprecedented politically. And there’s a immense magnitude of imaginable instability and interest that a batch of group person successful this religion and nan United States,” says Zack Biro, executive head of nan Christ Church Preservation Trust. “And Christ Church is simply a cleanable illustration of benignant of weathering that storm.”

Christ Church congregants singing during a work successful Philadelphia connected Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Congregant Andy Halstead prays during a work astatine Philadelphia’s Christ Church. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Christ Church steeple was financed and built done a lottery spearheaded by Benjamin Franklin. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

The religion was founded successful 1695 by a group of Philadelphia colonists arsenic nan first parish of nan Church of England successful Pennsylvania. Congregants later included slaves and their owners, loyalists and patriots. They listened to sermons favoring and opposing independence.

Anglican clergy loyal to nan British king led play prayers for nan monarch. But connected July 4, 1776, Christ Church’s vestry crossed retired nan king’s sanction from nan Book of Common Prayer — a defiant enactment of imaginable treason. The book is preserved coming successful an underground museum, a testament to nan church’s revolutionary tone connected Independence Day.

“We thin to deliberation that nan early American republic was a clip of awesome unity, but, for illustration today, nan governmental civilization was profoundly polarized,” says John Fea, a professor of American history astatine Messiah University successful Pennsylvania.

During nan 1780s, Fea said via email, statement raged astir really to use revolutionary-era principles specified arsenic liberty aliases state to each Americans. From nan pulpit, nan Rev. Jacob Duché, nan church’s rector, was seen arsenic a mean and led prayers arsenic nan first chaplain of nan Continental Congress. But past he sided pinch nan loyalists.

Madeline Tess Farmer and her aureate retriever dog, Wrigley, subordinate a Blessing of nan Animals ceremonial successful grant of St. Francis astatine Philadelphia’s Christ Church connected Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

A personnel of Christ Church looks astatine portraits connected show astatine nan religion Neighborhood House. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Historical documents are displayed astatine Christ Church. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

When nan British occupied Philadelphia successful 1777, nan rector wrote a letter to Washington urging him to surrender and scope a woody pinch nan British. After nan missive became public, Duché traveled to England. Pennsylvania officials later branded him a traitor and banned his reentry. His successor, nan Rev. William White, became nan first presiding bishop of nan Episcopal Church. He’s praised for keeping nan unity of his congregation during times of turmoil.

Christ Church’s existent elder pastor is nan Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander, nan first female to service arsenic rector successful its much than 300-year history.

“The thought of what do we do successful this governmental situation correct now and really do we woody pinch that is an unthinkable challenge,” she says. “Most of our congregations are not a unified voting bloc. They correspond different group overmuch for illustration astatine nan clip of nan American revolution.”

Christ Church elder pastor, nan Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander, leads a Blessing of nan Animals ceremonial successful grant of St. Francis. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Children look astatine nan penny-covered gravestone of Benjamin Franklin astatine nan Christ Church Burial Ground. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

“We had group who were loyalists and group who supported independence, and nan clergy astatine nan clip had to find a measurement to support nan congregation together.”

Congregants stay proud of Christ Church’s important domiciled successful America’s freedom. But they besides grapple pinch contradictions. Some religion members traded slaves and are buried successful nan religion gait adjacent signers of nan Declaration of Independence. Franklin’s tomb is successful nan adjacent Christ Church funeral ground.

“While we’re very proud of our history, these group were not perfect. Sometimes we thin to deliberation of them that way, but they weren’t,” says Harvey Bartle, a congregant for much than 30 years. “What they were doing is trying to beforehand democracy. … At slightest they precocious nan shot beyond nan divine correct of kings, truthful that nan society, rich | and poor, knowledgeable and uneducated, could beforehand nan system.”

Portrait of nan Rev. Absalom Jones. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

One religion member, Absalom Jones, attended services while enslaved to a man serving successful nan religion leadership. Jones bought his state and yet became ordained arsenic nan first Black leader of nan Episcopal Church. He besides went connected to co-create nan Free African Society of Philadelphia, which Fea says “sought to use nan authorities secured from nan American Revolution to nan 2,000 aliases truthful free Black men and women surviving successful nan metropolis astatine nan time.”

Methodism was nan fastest increasing denomination successful America successful nan 1790s. But immoderate Methodist Episcopal Churches still segregated Black worshippers during services to nan upstairs galleries. This prompted free Black Americans to commencement their ain congregation.

Mother Bethel AME fought for state from nan start

The African Methodist Episcopal Church has been progressive successful nan struggle for state and equality from its roots.

Its founder, nan Rev. Richard Allen, was calved into slavery successful Philadelphia successful 1760 earlier buying his state successful Delaware earlier he was 20. He returned to nan metropolis successful nan 1780s and became a minister.

Congregants believe astatine Mother Bethel AME Church successful Philadelphia during a work connected Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Portraits of Mother Bethel AME Church laminitis nan Rev. Richard Allen and his wife, Sarah, are displayed successful nan church’s museum. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Mother Bethel AME Church member, Wanda Davis, points to nan tomb of nan church’s founder. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

After achromatic leaders astatine a Methodist religion segregated Allen, Jones and different Black worshippers to nan upstairs galleries for a dream service, nan group near nan religion and formed what would yet go Mother Bethel AME. The religion became a spot of refuge for Black group fleeing slavery on nan Underground Railroad and later a awesome gathering constituent for nan Civil Rights Movement.

By creating Mother Bethel, Allen “carved retired a abstraction wherever Black group could defy ... astatine a clip wherever during slavery successful nan Deep South, Black group could not moreover congregate without nan beingness of a achromatic man successful betwixt them,” says Bethel AME’s pastor, nan Rev. Mark Tyler.

Today, nan AME Church has much than 2.5 cardinal members and thousands of congregations successful dozens of nations worldwide.

“Certainly, we’ve made progress,” says Tyler, citing Kamala Harris’ run to go nan country’s first Black female president. But he besides believes that overmuch much needs to beryllium done to span America’s group inequality and he worries astir nan imaginable of different Trump presidency. The AME Church, he says, has not “outlived its usefulness.”

Mother Bethel AME Church elder pastor, nan Rev. Mark Tyler, leads a work successful Philadelphia, connected Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Members of nan Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Omega Mu Omega chapter, believe during a service. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

People look astatine a banner connected a location successful support of Kamala Harris crossed from Mother Bethel AME. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

“The truth that we person a personification who openly embraces achromatic supremacists, who has been president erstwhile and perchance could beryllium president again successful nan 21st century, is each nan grounds that you request to cognize that we still request places for Black group to travel together and shape for illustration nan Black Church,” he says.

During a caller Sunday service, Tyler encouraged his congregation to vote. Some members later reflected connected America’s beginnings and its advancement and shortcomings.

“Two things tin beryllium said astatine nan aforesaid time: They were superb successful nan improvement of this nation. But they still carried slavery ideas, women were not allowed to vote, and that needed to beryllium changed,” parishioner Donna Matthews said astir nan Founding Fathers.

“Who are ‘We nan people’? I deliberation group request to inquire themselves that,” said Matthews, 63, who attended nan work pinch her husband, Keith, and their young grandson, Ezekiel. “It’s everyone. And it’s nan principle of why this religion was started.”

At nan extremity of nan service, parishioner Tayza Hill, 25, led groups connected a circuit of nan church’s museum. It preserves an original woody pulpit utilized by nan Rev. Allen and Black leaders including abolitionist Frederick Douglass and civilian authorities pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois erstwhile they addressed nan congregation.

Mother Bethel AME Church member, Wanda Davis, points to a bust of nan church’s founder, nan Rev. Richard Allen. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Sunlight shines done nan colorful stained-glass windows astatine Philadelphia’s Mother Bethel AME connected Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Hill says she has been proceeding nan aforesaid mobility successful power shows arsenic nan predetermination approaches: “Is nan sun rising, aliases is nan sun mounting connected democracy?” She remains hopeful and believes nan continuity of her religion is vital.

“Seeing that there’s still a building that has nan history and is continuously being told is important because it’s refusing to beryllium erased from history,” Hill says. “As a federation and arsenic a church, it’s really up to america to take sides nan authorities and nan respectability of those who are withheld nan afloat opportunity of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.”

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