How Philadelphia Congregations Draw Visitors through Sharing Their Heritage
Bust of The Rev. Richard Allen at Mother Bethel AME Church. Brian Kutner
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How Philadelphia Congregations Draw Visitors through Sharing Their Heritage
By Annette John-Hall
W
alking down Philadelphia’ s busy South 6th Street and into the Richard Allen Museum of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, you immediately experience a shift from hectic to holy.
On display in the basement museum is The Rev. Allen’ s personal Bible from 1803. There’ s also the original pulpit from which Allen preached the gospel that helped grow the church from 20 members in 1794 to 1,272 in 1813. Then there’ s the holy of holies that stops you in your tracks: the tomb that holds the remains of Allen, the founder and first bishop of the AME Church; his wife, Sarah; and Morris Brown, the second bishop of the church.
Like the Liberty Bell and Independence Mall, Mother Bethel“ is a symbol of freedom,” says The Rev. Carolyn Cavaness, the church’ s 53rd pastor.“ This story is just as important as our white contemporaries’ stories. Just like they tell the story of Benjamin Franklin and all of those [ founding fathers ]. We need to tell the story of our founding father.”
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