On the heels of the three-year commemoration of the Emanuel 9 tragedy, Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church today announced five planned events to celebrate the church's historic 200th anniversary.
“We could not help but celebrate this bicentennial of the founding of this church with glory and praise,” Reverend Eric S.C. Manning, pastor of MotherEmanuel A.M.E Church said. “We have persisted in the face of racial hostility, survived the burning of the church to the ground in 1822; its destruction in an earthquake in 1886; and the horrific murders of nine members of the congregation on June 17, 2015.”
As the 200th anniversary approaches, Mother Emanuel continues to open its doors as it has for decades to welcome all individuals to join them in worship and become more unified in the church's service to mankind and each other.
“While we celebrate our history each year in July, we feel particularly compelled this year to condemn terrorist acts against people of color and be the place where others may engage in dialogue about achieving racial reconciliation once and for all,” Rev. Manning said.
The church invites the public to attend the following events:
About Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church
The roots of Mother Emanuel run deep in Charleston and its history is one of perseverance in the face of racial hostility. The church is affectionately called Mother Emanuel because it is the oldest A.M.E. church south of Baltimore.
The congregation first formed in 1791, a coalition of free blacks and slaves. In 1818, the church joined the A.M.E. connection. In 1822, the church was burned to the ground, after plans for a slave revolt were exposed. The congregation rebuilt the church and met there until 1834 — when all-black churches were outlawed by the state legislature. Undeterred, members continued to meet in secret until the end of the Civil War in 1865, when they formally reorganized.
They adopted the name ‘Emanuel,’ meaning “God with us.” At the time, the church was a wooden two-story structure, and was destroyed in an earthquake in 1886. Once again, it was rebuilt. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Mother Emanuel was the location for many of the meetings held by Martin Luther King, Jr. and others. Today, we continue to be a church with a national and international reputation for forgiveness and grace.
With seating for 1,200, MotherEmanuel has the largest seating capacity of any African-American church in Charleston. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
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Press Release