To commemorate the 200th anniversary of when the Rev. Jarena Lee answered her call to preach, The Christian Recorder will have a quarterly feature of young adult women pastors in the AME Church penned by our columnist Dr. Shakira Sanchez-Collins.
Daughters of Jarena Lee: The Rev. Tabitha Ssonko
By Rev. Dr. Shakira Sanchez-Collins, Columnist
On the first day that she arrived at her new charge, the Rev. Tabitha Ssonko was met with a remnant membership of 16 people at Monumental AME Church in Steelton, Pennsylvania. Due to much needed but costly repairs in their historical edifice, the church members had found themselves worshiping in a cold auditorium in a nearby apartment building for the past year. What seemed like a hopeless situation became hopeful when they were sent a pastor who was more than prepared for such a mammoth task.
The Rev. Ssonko arrived with a rich educational and professional background in historical buildings. She had studied historical preservation and African American history. Additionally, she had previously worked for the Smithsonian Museum, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and National Park Service (within the historic preservation division). Equipped with immense skills, she focused on three components: addressing the grief within the congregation, performing a church and community needs assessment, and building financial support.
Having lost several members over several years and the use of their church building, the church was in a state of hopelessness and grief. According to the Rev. Ssonko, the remaining members “grieved the loss of their building, and they grieved the loss of their members.” In response, the Rev. Ssonko led the church into grief sessions for six months, helping the congregation to deal with the distress and sorrow of a church that had experienced decline.
Using her skills, she performed a needs assessment for the people, church, and community. The people wanted to get back into their church building. In addition to the members of the church, the Rev. Ssonko soon learned that the surrounding community also felt the loss of the building. Monumental AME Church was once the center of black life in Steelton. Even those who had never been members had attended community events at the church. “The loss was not just something being mourned by the congregation but also something being mourned by the community,” according to Ssonko.
With the motivation of the church members and the local community, Monumental was able to raise money through fundraisers and grants. They also received financial support from the First Episcopal District. Their campaign, “Dreams and Visions,” garnered the support of those near and far. Eventually, membership and tithing increased. “Something that had seemed so impossible was real and tangible,” said Ssonko.
The efforts of both the church and community proved successful when, after having been out of their church for almost five years, the members and community marched into the church on Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019. This success story illustrates how the unique gifts of a pastor lined up with the exact needs of a congregation. Highest commendations to the Rev. Tabitha Ssonko!
