Mother Bethel AME is vandalized, shattering both windows and peace

Mother Bethel AME Church has a storied history of activism that started with its founding in 1787. The church, at 419 S. Sixth Street in Society Hill, is on one of the oldest parcels of land continuously owned by African Americans. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

Early Monday morning before dawn, it became a victim of vandalism when someone smashed several of its windows, including three of the church’s historic stained-glass windows.

Although police say they are investigating and cannot yet say whether the vandalism is believed to be intentional, that there was no message delivered with the rocks thrown through the windows and no graffiti spread on the building leads the senior pastor, the Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, to think it was a random act.

“It is an evolving story, but what we know today is it appears to be random. There’s no evidence to suggest it was a hate crime. There was no message and nothing was thrown into the church,” Tyler said. “If a person wants to make a political point, there will be some kind of message. Maybe the person had anger issues, but the indicators at this point [are] it was a random act.”

But in a statement released Tuesday, Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, executive director of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), hinted at the believed that there is a connection between the vandalism and Mother Bethel’s activism, including being host for the launch of the multi-faith Pilgrimage for Peace walk last week, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

“Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia has been on the forefront of communal struggles addressing issues such as criminal justice, voting rights, and other communal concerns, including the Ceasefire Now movement,” Tekelioglu wrote.

Tyler not only leads an activist church, he also is the civic engagement strategist of POWER Interfaith, a network of 200 area congregations that advocates for economic and racial justice, and now a cease-fire in Gaza.

A police spokesperson said Tuesday that he could neither confirm nor deny whether the attack was intentional or random.

Other incidents of window-smashing nearby happened in the pre-dawn hours on Monday. The staff of the InterAct Theater on 300 block of South Hicks Street arrived at work and were greeted with the smashed double pane glass on the front door.

“It was a pretty hefty rock thrown through [the] front door to shatter both panes,” theater manager Ann Garner said.

There was no message connected to the rock, and nothing else was thrown into the theater. Garner said the theater is a nonprofit and doesn’t take political positions as an organization, but does tackle controversial social issues in its plays.

On Sunday, it had closed Step Mom, Step Mom, Step Mom — a play that tackles interracial issues. Coming in March is The Last Yiddish Speaker, a play about faith, heritage and identity.

“We moved into here in 2016 and have never had none of this kind of trouble. Hopefully it’s the last,” said Garner, who estimated the damage at $1,500.

There was also a report of a broken window at the Beasley building, home of the Beasley law firm, at 1125 Walnut St., but a police spokesperson couldn’t confirm whether the acts of vandalism were related.

Police estimated the damage to Mother Bethel at $15,000, but Tyler said the shattered stained-glass windows date to the 1890s. He estimated the damage at $30,000 because of the specialized craftsmanship needed to repair historic stained glass.

Tyler said he was wary of submitting an insurance claim for the damage due to a recent influx of insurance companies dropping houses of worship, particularly in coastal areas. He said he doesn’t want to risk another blow to Mother Bethel.

Last month, the church was awarded a $90,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to preserve the historic building and the windows that are now in pieces.

If he has to, Tyler said, he could return to the funder and ask for modifications to the grant to help pay for the unexpected damage. He has already seen an outpouring of support, from his neighbors in Society Hill to local foundations and political leaders, all offering help.

“That’s the legacy of Bishop Richard Allen,” said Tyler, referring to the founder of Mother Bethel.