Bethel AME in downtown Indianapolis fights to keep legacy alive
INDIANAPOLIS STAR
By Olivia Lewis
INDIANA---A historic African-American church in Downtown Indianapolis was once the center of the black community, but due to financial burdens, a shrinking congregation and a deteriorating building, its future is uncertain. Before IUPUI expanded on the Westside, before the Canal Street Apartments and before the Canal Walk, there was a thriving African-American community in the heart of Downtown Indianapolis. “All of a sudden there’s this big building (the apartment complex) that’s blocking the front door of our church,” said Olivia McGee-Lockhart, the historian of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. [link]
By Olivia Lewis
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| Like many churches nationwide, Bethel AME, located at 414 W. Vermont St. in Indianapolis, suffers from a deteriorating building, has an aging and condensed congregation, and is amid a financial crisis. |
