March 1, 2018 Dear Friends, With God s unlimited grace and the generosity our members and neighbors, Bethel has achieved another milestone! This year Bethel is celebrating 175 years. Bethel was established in 1843 by a few faithful African American members of the Morristown Presbyterian Church, led by Mrs. Frances Jane Ray. Much has changed since the erection of its first sanctuary in 1849 at 32 Spring Street, but the mission has not. Bethel remains committed to living its mission by enriching the Morristown community through the spiritual, cultural, economic and social development of all people. Bethel has always been more than a church. During its early years, Bethel was a school house for children of color in Morris County. Those who had been enslaved in Morris County and surrounding areas found hope and redemption for an uncertain future as they entered Bethel doors. Veterans of the Civil War who joined Bethel offered their love of country and commitment to service as clergy and lay leaders. During the Great Migration families relocated from the South and the West Indies in hopes of better employment opportunities. Today, Bethel opens its doors to the poor among us, who come to eat at the Table of Hope, Monday through Friday. As Bethel prepares to celebrate 175 years, we invite you to celebrate with us. Several public events as well as fundraising opportunities are being planned. Please take the time to review this information and decide how you will help Bethel celebrate this historic milestone. We look forward to hearing from you and/or seeing you at an anniversary event really soon! Be sure to visit our website (www.bethelmorristown.org) for up-to-date information on Bethel s 175th Anniversary activities. Yours in Community, Pastor Sidney S. Williams, Jr.
Opportunities to Give Bethel depends on the generosity of our members and neighbors to keep our doors open. In 2013, we raised over one million dollars in donations and financial contributions to recover from the damages we suffered from Hurricane Irene in 2011. We are eternally grateful for the many volunteers and donors who continue to make it possible for us to improve the quality of life for so many. Bethel exists to serve you and your loved ones to provide hope, healing and recovery. We have already received support from Morris County Heritage Commission, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, New Jersey Historical Commission and Drew University for this momentous occasion. Commemorative giving is also an important expression of support for Bethel, since it provides us with resources to sustain our sanctuary, our ministries, and the congregation as a whole. We invite you to join us in this tradition of commemoration. There are several opportunities for giving through Bethel s Memorial & Commemorative Gift Program, each with its own special flavor. These precious memorials will be proudly displayed at the entrance of the sanctuary for all to see. When presenting a gift by check, please designate Bethel AME Church as recipient. Indicate the name and address of the donor as well as the name of the individual being honored or memorialized and the address of that person or the family on the appropriate form. The information will help the church provide the proper acknowledgments and express appreciation to each donor who remembers a loved one in this way. Honor a loved one or former member with a paver brick (Either 4 X 8 - $250 or 8 X 8 - $400)
We also have special Anniversary Packages that include a Commerative brick, VIP Concert Seating and Special recognition. Also included is a Brunch Sponsor package. Only two of these are available. Recognition Plaque Leaf Full Page Journal Ad Brick (8 X8 ) 2 Brunch Tickets VIP Concert seating Savings $125+ $ 150.00 $ 400.00 Recognition Plaque Leaf Anniversary Page Journal Ad Brick (4 X 8 ) $ 250.00 Brick (8 X 8 ) Brunch Table of 10 VIP Concert seating Savings $200+ $ 400.00 $ 1,000.00 Recognition Plaque Leaf Anniversary Page Journal Ad 2 Bricks (8 X 8 ) Brunch Table of 10 VIP Concert seating Special Gift of $650 $ 800.00 $ 1,000.00 Only 2 Available Recognition Plaque Leaf Inside Front/Back Cover Journal Ad 2 Bricks (8 X 8 ) Brunch Table of 10 Special Recognition VIP Concert seating $ 250.00 $ 800.00 $ 1,000.00 Special Gift of $2,575 Inside Front/Back Cover Anniversary Page (full) Full Page Half Page Quarter Page Business Card Patron The Deadline for all Packages is June 30th. $ 250.00 $ 150.00 $ 100.00 $ 75.00 $ 50.00 $ 25.00 (color foil page)
Opportunities to Fellowship We have events planned throughout the year and will culminate our celebration in October 2018. April 21, 2018 - Prayer Walk (family-friendly/public event) The Walk will begin at 11:30am. We will celebrate the Founders of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church as well as the African American Soldiers and Sailors of the Civil War who are buried in unmarked graves in Evergreen Cemetery. The walk will begin at the Presbyterian Church of Morristown (on the Green) and culminate at Evergreen Cemetery. Invite your youth group, co-workers, families and neighbors to offer prayers for those who are most in need in our community. This gathering will be an act of faithful support for the reconciliation that we seek in our community to forge relationships that will create a space for future discussions. Saturday, June 9, 2018 - Juneteenth celebration (public/family-friendly event) Celebrate Juneteenth, 1pm 3pm on the Morristown Green, Morristown, NJ (indoors at the Morristown United Methodist Church if rain). Juneteenth commemorates when enslaved African Americans in the South finally gained freedom after the Civil War in 1865. See costumed interpreters from Union Troops and Colored Troops, make an Emancipation Day button, hear stories and songs of freedom from noted performers Kim and Reggie Harris, and learn more about how and why African Americans celebrated this holiday. Discussion on Race and Community, 3pm 4pm, Morristown United Methodist Church, 50 South Park Place, Morristown, NJ. Teachers eligible for Professional Development Credits through the Amistad Commission.
October 3, 2018 - December 31, 2018 Ties that Bind Exhibit Opening Reception, 7pm Explore the history of the ties positive and negative - linking African Americans and other races in Morris County and New Jersey through stories, objects, and documents. Learn more about how Blacks and Whites in the 1700s and 1800s lived, worked, worshipped, and went to school together in Morris County and other places in New Jersey, and consider how these historical interactions impact the present day. F.M. Kirby Gallery at Morristown & Morris Township Library, 1 Miller Road, Morristown, NJ 07960 (public/ family-friendly event) Open during library open hours, check schedule at www.jfpl.org (public) October 12, 2018 - The AME Church in New Jersey: Reconsidering its Role and Legacy 5pm 6pm, Marking the 175th anniversary of the founding of Bethel AME Church in Morristown, NJ, Dr. Dennis C. Dickerson, who is the James M. Lawson, Jr. Professor of History at Vanderbilt University and former Historiographer of the AME Church, will deliver a lecture on the history of the AME Church in New Jersey. Dr. Betty Livingston Adams, recent post-doctoral fellow at Rutgers University and author of Black Women s Christian Activism: Seeking Social Justice in a Northern Suburb, will respond, placing the Bethel AME congregation into the larger context of AME history. Chapel at Seminary Hall, Drew University, Madison, NJ (public/adults) FREE October 12, 2018-175th Anniversary Concert featuring the Low Country Voices 6pm 7:30pm, Lowcountry Voices is a 501(c)(3) performing arts organization dedicated to performing standard choral repertoire to highest standards with special emphasis on African-American music, including Black gospel, jazz, and spirituals. The Lowcountry Voices focus on these genres as they were nurtured and performed in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Sandra Barnhardt, Assistant Director and Events Manager, is the daughter of one of Bethel s former Pastors, Rev. Sam Singleton (1956-1968). Concert Hall, Drew University, Madison, NJ (public/family-friendly) Free admission, but a ticket is required - RSVP at www.bethelmorristown.org by September 30, 2018
October 14th, 2018-175 th Anniversary Brunch 1pm to 4pm, Join us at the Hanover Manor for Brunch on Sunday, October 14 th. It will be a great gathering of elected officials, community leaders, former and current church members, staff, ministers and friends of Bethel. 16 Eagle Rock Avenue, East Hanover, NJ 07936. Tickets $100. Tickets may be purchased online at www.bethelmorristown.org/175th-anniversary or you may call the church at 973-267-8912.
175th Anniversary Committee Charles D. Craig, Co-Chair Patricia G. Johnson, Co-Chair Vincent Agnew Sanderal Brown Glenda Furman Russell Sellars Gwen Taylor Claudette Williams Rev. Sidney Williams Brunch Committee Gwen Taylor, Co-Chair Sanderal Brown, Co-Chair Brenda Beauford Deborah Furman Janet Winston Journal Committee Rev. Beth Cotten, Chair Regina Ashford Aida Bush Deborah Furman Glenda Furman Patricia Marshall Finance Committee Claudette Williams, Chair Charles D. Craig Patricia G. Johnson Rev. Sidney Williams