Pages

Thursday, September 29, 2011

3rd Stop: Big Bethel AME Church - APC Sacred Spaces Tour

Auburn Avenue is known around the world. It's home to many important churches. Big Bethel is one of them, an imposing granite landmark, pillar of the community for 164 years, home church to many Atlantans. This is where Morris Brown College began in 1881. That's just scratching the surface.



On Saturday afternoon I visited Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church for the Atlanta Preservation Center's first "Sacred Spaces" tour.

If you've visited the M.L. King Historic District, there is no missing it. You can even see it from the highway looking west from the I75-85 connector. The steeple has a lighted cross with "Jesus Saves" on it.
"Big Bethel A. M. E. Church was founded in 1847, and is the oldest predominantly African American congregation in the Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia area....The existing building was rebuilt in 1922, after being destroyed by fire in 1920 and erected with a lighted cross in the steeple with the message, "Jesus Saves." All walls, except the west wall (the wall next to the organ) are original. The stained glass windows in the balcony feature our founders, Bishop Richard Allen, Bishop Henry M. Turner and Bishop Joseph S. Flipper."
P1000486-2011-09-24-APC-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church--South-Facade

It was time to see inside, but I wasn't ready for this. I needed a bigger camera, and a bigger heart.

P1000449-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Gather
We gathered downstairs and toured in small groups.

P1000451-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Stained-Glass
As we climbed the stairs, the windows hinted that we were on our way to something special.

P1000453-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Sanctuary
As indeed we were.

P1000466-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Stained-Glass
The sanctuary was filled with light. I couldn't imagine that we were inside a granite monument.

P1000467-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Organ
We didn't have to imagine how the Möller Organ. We heard it for ourselves.

P1000469-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Stained-Glass
The founders keep an eye on things from the balcony windows.

P1000475-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-South-Stained-Glass
Giant windows flank the chancel.

P1000473-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Stained-Glass

P1000465-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Stained-Glass-detail

P1000460-2011-09-24-Atlanta-Preservation-Center-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church-Ceiling-Detail
I could touch the ceiling beams from the balcony. They are stamped metal. The detail shows through many coats of paint.

P1000477-2011-09-24-APC-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church--Gate-to-Auburn-Ave
This is Auburn Avenue.

P1000489-2011-09-24-APC-Sacred-Spaces-Big-Bethel-AME-Church--Pastor-History-Portraits
They had pictures of nearly all of their pastors back to 1844 reminding us that it's the people not building.

Now I've seen inside.

This is a 1926 recording of the Big Bethel choir. That's about halfway back to the founding.



182 scale 2011-09-30

No comments:

Post a Comment