Word in Black by Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware |
(WIB) – A once-traditional church in the heart of Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood is forging a new path, embracing the digital age and welcoming a diverse congregation both online and in-person. South Church Baltimore, led by Pastor Aaron Hanna, is at the forefront of a religious revolution that challenges long-held notions of what it means to gather and worship.
“I was completely shocked,” Hannah admits, recalling her initial resistance to online worship. She said: “I always thought online worship was okay, but of course I thought it would be better in person.
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Hannah grew up under the watchful eye of her father, a pastor, doing whatever was needed, from leading praise and worship to driving the church shuttle bus. However, his rigorous apostolic education instilled in him a firm belief. That is, all worship and ritual belong within the sacred walls of the church building, a sacred space that honors the only true audience.
The coronavirus pandemic forced him to reconsider his views on hybrid worship, and what he discovered was a revelation. “We found that the people were just as committed to the church as the people who came to the building,” he says.
virtual spiritual home
When South Church began livestreaming its services, Hannah saw a surge of new faces, with as many as 200 people attending a single virtual service.
“Never in my life have I seen so many people at once, and not just participate, but continue to participate and donate regularly, just like our direct members. please.”
He has noticed an increase in participation in outdoor activities thanks to live streams.
“We’ve always had a big healthy audience. But this was a brand new set of people you’d never been exposed to,” says Hannah.
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Not only those who came to church for the first time attended, but also those who wanted to give church a second chance.
“These are people who were hurt in the church and decided to give God another chance,” he explains.
He said he became furious when his nephew told him, “I know Uncle Rusty, you have a lot of strippers on your livestream.”
“I didn’t care about their background or their past experiences. I just wanted them to experience God’s love,” says Hannah.
Some newcomers “used profanity to express their joy at what was happening.” But Hannah didn’t care. “This is the crowd Jesus would have followed,” he says. Then he realized that they wanted to be baptized in large numbers.
South Church member Patricia Victorious echoes Hannah’s sentiments.
“For me, South Church is a new way of living and thinking. I feel a mixture of excitement and joy knowing that we are all like-minded people, with our own flaws and insecurities.” Victoria Su says.
“This is not where I met God. There are countless inner battles, hurts, secrets, abandonment issues and not knowing my place in this world and thoughts of why am I here? That’s where God put me after the battle.”
Nurturing environment
Cherry Hill is considered the “red stepchild” of Maryland cities and has been characterized as a crime hub. But the truth is, thanks to the Safe Streets Initiative, we are one of the few cities in the country with no homicides in 2021.
Previous generations considered the city a perfect environment to raise their children and grandchildren. In this atmosphere, Hannah developed relationships with the people she runs a barbershop for over 20 years and now worships with at her Church South.
He founded the church with his late father, the distinguished Bishop Michael David Hanna, who was then president of the World Congress of Pentecostals. Now, non-Christians can safely attend Southern Church regularly.
As Victorius says, Hannah and South Church gave Hannah “the reassurance that Jesus was still with me, that he continued to love me, and that he wanted me to be part of something greater than myself.” He gave it to me,” he said.
Hannah hopes that even hybrid members will share such joy when they accept his invitation to share in worship, a meal, and perhaps a baptism on their next monthly Homecoming Sunday.
