Bethel AME Church, the oldest surviving Black place of worship in Carlisle, Pennsylvania has been providing a Jesus-centered theology of liberation and justice on East Pomfret Street since 1820.
Come Worship with Us!
Due to the structural condition of our historic building, we aren’t able to gather reliably and safely in our sanctuary at this time. This doesn’t prevent our pastor, Rev. Jerald W. Crummy, from welcoming you to our vibrant church family.
We strive to meet in person every month, usually for our First Sunday communion service, and the details for those services, which are held in various community settings, can be found on our Facebook page.
Come Study with Us!
Under Pastor Jerald W. Crummy’s leadership, Bethel AME Church in Carlisle has become the home of an innovative Zoom-based Wednesday night Study Group. Everyone is welcome, not only our members.
We study the scriptures, naturally, and we also alternate with key theology texts from what is generally known as The Black Church. Of paramount interest to us is the origin of the AME Church, a denomination that was born out of injustice and rejection, yet which continues playing a decisive role during dramatic moments in US history.
More than 200 Years of History!
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Carlisle began with a small group of Christians holding prayer meetings from house to house in the year 1820. As the number of participants grew and their spiritual strength increased, they were able to purchase a plot of East Pomfret Street in 1826, on which they planned to erect a meeting house.