New
Hope African
Methodist Episcopal Church
In 1869, the guns and cannons of the Civil War had been
silent for four years.
The Black people who resided in the Buckhead
area during the latter part of the eighteen hundreds were, for
the most part, servants of wealthy landowners in the area.
They had a need for a special place of worship, but hand no
resources with which to purchase the land.
The late Mr.
James "Whispering" Smith, a white resident of
the Buckhead community, decided to give two acres of
land to be used for a church and school for "Negroes." The
will was dated on May 29, 1872.
We cannot help but believe that Mr. Smith was inspired by
God to conceive and execute such a kind and magnanimous act.
Eight days after affixing his signature to his last will and
testament, Mr. James Smith passed away.
The land which James Smith gave to New Hope was the site of
the first New Hope Camp Meeting. Reverend Roland Wishum,
though not a pastor, served as the leader of the founding
group and as caretaker of the church property. The first
pastor, the Reverend Joseph Woods, was affectionately
known as Reverend Joe Woods. Shortly after he was called, the
church decided to become part of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church.
This particular denomination grew out of the efforts of
Richard Allen and many of his followers who had
originally been a part of the Methodist Church. The A.M.E.
Movement gradually gained converts across the Southeast and
established itself in Georgia. New Hope was among the first
Negro congregations in Atlanta to accept African Methodism.
The first services on the New Hope Camp Ground were held in
the open, under shade trees. The members and the pastors
served well and the Church became the center for spiritual
growth and social contact for the Negro people in the area and
the broader Atlanta community.
Annually on the fourth Sunday in August, dinner was
spread and the sermons were preached throughout the day. It is
said that the people of New Hope began to prepare for that day
months in advance by laying aside special hams and designating
certain chickens to be killed and cooked for the occasion. New
Hope truly was the site of one of the most widely known and
well attended camp meetings throughout the South.
New Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church has been sent a
total of forty-one ministers to serve God and to
provide leadership. Most of them ministers were married and
the wives, too, made significant contributions.
Reverend J. F. Moses, during his tenure, was
concerned that the Church had no parsonage for ministers.
Under his leadership, the first parsonage was constructed.
In 1927, the Reverend R.E. Lee led the
congregation in the construction of the basement of the Church
after a fire destroyed the original plank structure. During
construction, Sunday School classes and church services were
held in the New Hope School. The basement later served as a
classroom for teaching pupils when New Hope School burned in
1942.
In 1936, the Reverend W.W. Stephens and his faithful
and dedicated followers completed the Sanctuary of New Hope
A.M.E. Church. Mr. Clark Howell was named Honorary Trustee.
During that period very few members of the Church possessed
the necessary financial resources to qualify for a
construction loan. Mrs. Beatrice Bogan and the late
Mrs. Anna Jones secured a loan, collateralized by personal
property, in order to help get the construction started.
Others in the congregation secured gifts from white friends
and employers to help. Mr. Alex Milt, the contractor,
because he was not a Black man, was able to take out a loan in
his name to cover most of the construction costs.
Over the years, the Church has endured through good times
and bad, and is prevailing with the help of Almighty God. One
of its worst times was the devastating tornado which struck
Atlanta in 1975. The Church sustained heavy damages during the
storm and was partially restored later.
The members are a devoted, loving and loyal band of people
who are faithful in their support of the Church. They have
accepted the challenge to serve unselfishly and are engaged in
various efforts to beautify and strengthen the bonds of
fellowship. There is in the Church a feeling of kinship of the
heart and unity in serving God.
New Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church has survived
for more than one hundred and thirty-five years
because its people have always had a "Vision of a New
Tomorrow." Langston Hughes, the late beloved Black poet of
great renown, once wrote, "Hold on to dreams, for if dreams
die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." Dare to
dream New Hope for it is the dream which inspires a people to
greater service to God and man. HOLD ON NEW HOPE TO THE OLD
HOPE THAT SUSTAINS A NEW VISION FOR A NEW TOMORROW.
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