Historic Bridge Street Celebrates 258 Years of Legendary by Honoring
Members who are 80 Years of Age and Older as Living Legends
Historic Bridge Street African Methodist Episcopal Church, documented as the oldest continuing Black congregation in the Brooklyn-Long Island area, celebrated its 258th Anniversary on Sunday, February 25, 2024, under the pastoral leadership of Reverend David B. Cousin, Sr. and Executive Minister, Reverend Valerie E. Cousin.
Organized in 1766 and incorporated in 1818 this unique congregation traces its missionary origins back to Thomas Webb, a British Captain and convert of John Wesley, the father of Methodism. Prior to its incorporation, the body of believers known as Bridge Street was part of Sands Street Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church (1794) and First Methodist Episcopal Church (1810). In 1818 a delegation was appointed to go to Philadelphia to see Bishop Richard Allen about sending a preacher for the newly incorporated church and to ordain several of the delegates as local preachers. Incorporated as The African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church, Bridge Street is the only church in the AME denomination with an incorporated board of trustees.
This year’s theme was “Honoring Our Legends” and our theme scripture was Psalm 90:10 “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty…” The guest preacher for this august occasion was the Right Reverend Vashti Murphy McKenzie, retired bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, current president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ of USA, and national chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, incorporated. Also present were the Honorable Hakim Jeffries, six-term United States Congressman of New York and House Minority Leader, Councilwoman Stefani Zinnerman of the 56th Assembly District, retired assemblyperson Honorable Annette Robinson, Judge Robin Shears of the Kings County Supreme Court, Gregory Anderson, current president and CEO of Bridge Street Development Corporation (www.bsdcopr.org), and five chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, incorporated.
The celebration of the church’s history is truly a Sankofa moment: a time to look back at the awesome achievements of the past while trusting God for the fulfillment of promises yet to be realized. Our ancestors played a pivotal role in bringing us to this point in our church’s history and they sacrificed so much of their time, talent, and financial resources to ensure the legacy of our church in the borough of Brooklyn. It is for this reason Pastor Cousin was led to pray for God to reveal a manner by which we, as a congregation, might honor our elders for their dedication and commitment to our church and community. The Legends celebration was borne from those prayers.
The inaugural class of Living Legends included sixty-three vibrant men and women who were eighty years of age or older. Members were asked to disclose their age by completing a Living Legend form. Once Legends were identified they were interviewed for their biographical sketch. Questions asked included: when and where they were born, when they joined Bridge Street, their organizational affiliations, what in their opinion are the attributes of a Living Legend, the names of persons in Bridge Street they considered as Legends, their motto, and their favorite scripture. The resulting bios were printed in a 136-page souvenir journal which will serve as a keepsake for years to come. The interviewers (Annette I. Williams, Audrey Vaughan, Karen Brown, and Celeste Douglas) were truly blessed and inspired by the personal stories of our Legends, and the wealth of church history they possessed.
After the sermon, a special ceremony was held where honorees were pinned with a lapel pin that was designed by Reverend Virgil Woods of the Fourth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The lapel pin will serve as a keepsake for generations to come signifying the honorees’ membership at Bridge Street and God’s providential grace in bestowing life beyond fourscore years.
The Legends were seated in a specially designated section of the sanctuary throughout the service. During the pinning ceremony, Rev. Valerie Cousin, and the members of the Interview Committee, read the names of the honorees, along with their place of birth and the year they joined Bridge Street, as they were escorted to the front of the church. Photos of each group of Legends were taken by photographer Alfred Donovan Burgess of Dtwographics. In addition, a retractable banner containing the names of the Legends was displayed in the vestibule of the church. The day culminated with a Dessert Reception and Legends Luncheon. A great time was held by all.
