Bethel A.M.E. Church (1815) Amityville, NY

BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH (1815) FIRST CHURCH, AMITYVILLE, NEW YORK (c. LAWRENCE E. WALKER FOUNDATION)

In 1814 Daniel Squires and Delancy H. Miller started a bible class that became Bethel Sunday School.  A year later, these men decided that this hamlet of Amityville had a need for a church.  They met at the home of Daniel Squires and organized Bethel A.M.E. Church in 1815.  The Bethel A.M.E. Church became a house of worship for African Americans and Native Americans in Amityville and is the oldest A.M.E. Church on Long Island.  The first Church building was originally an ice house.  Over time, the structure was enlarged and refurbished to the beautiful building seen in mural.

Meetings were held in various homes for fifteen years, all the shile attendance continued to grow.  In 1839 Elias Hunter and his wife deeded the site of the old church to the congregation (they have the original deed in there archives).  Five years later, an old house was given to them, and this became the vestibule when the first church was elected.  The first pastor was Benjamin Bates, grandfather of the late Charles A. Holmes.  He traveled on foot from Jamaica to serve them.  The members later gave him a horse.

In 1850, they had a building erected.  Later, a carriage house was built in the rear.  The building became a lighthouse for the community, the first Black church.  The church joined the New York Conference of the A.M.E. Church, and in 1866 Rev. Alexander Posey, whose wife was buried in Payne Cemetery across from the church, was the first pastor appointed on record.  In 1904 a parcel of land was purchased for $100.00 and the church parsonage was built on Albany Avenue and Smith Street.  Around the turn of the century, the church building was raised to add the lower auditorium.  In 1912 the cornerstone was laid.

The church grew through the years and another addition was added in 1940.  Plans to enlarge again were formulated in 1957 under pastorate of Rev. C.B. Crawford.  There was not ample space available on the present property.  In the meantime, Mrs. Green Coster, a member, had deeded the present site to the community.  It was eventually abandoned and with the intercession of the late Mrs. Fowler Ross, it passed on to the church.

(SOURCE: KATHRYN HOLMES, CHURCH HISTORIAN, BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH)