Six months after a stolen car crashed into St. John African Methodist Church for the second time in just half a year, the historic Black congregation in Newark, Delaware, is rebuilding and uncovering powerful pieces of its past.
Construction crews at the 19th-century church in New Castle County are working hard to restore the structure. Founded in 1848, it is the oldest African Methodist church in Newark.
“Since we are a historic church and the structure is from the 1800s, we have to come up to 21st-century code standards,” said Pastor Blaine Hackett.
The impact in January left a gaping hole in the sanctuary. But with the support of the local community, which raised $18,000 toward the $350,000 renovation, the church is rising from the rubble…