February 20, 2024
Michael S. Wirtz/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT
A vandal smashed several stained glass windows at Mother Bethel AME Church, police say. The historic church is located on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by Black people in the U.S.
A vandal shattered four windows at the historic Mother Bethel AME Church in Society Hill, police say.
Police found the front-door window smashed, along with three stained glass windows, when they arrived to the church at 419 S. Sixth St. at 9:31 a.m. Monday. No arrests have been made, and no description of the suspect is available at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
A cleaning crew first alerted church officials to the damage on Monday morning. Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, the church's pastor, does not believe racism or religious intolerance was a factor in the vandalism.
"I've been on the receiving end of that before," he said. "And generally there's some kind of messaging to enforce the fact that that's what people are trying to say. Same with some kind of religious violence. There's nothing to suggest that, or even anything political. Seems like we were in the wrong place at the wrong time as far as this particular person was concerned."
Tyler believes repairs to the windows will cost nearly $20,000. The church is now seeking to upgrade its security system, which could add another $12,000 in fees.
Mother Bethel AME Church sits on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by Black people in the U.S. It is the mother church of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination, which was formed in 1816 by the pioneering Philadelphia preacher Richard Allen. The current structure was built in 1890, and was designated a historic landmark in 1974.
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia is now fundraising to help cover the repairs, an effort Tyler says was "unexpected and unsolicited." The windows will be boarded while the church and its supporters work to amass the money.
Mother Bethel AME Church recently served as the launchpad for a week-long interfaith march from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. Protestors, who departed the church on Feb. 14, are calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. They are expected to arrive at the White House on Wednesday.
This story has been updated with comments and information from Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler.
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