Central Chapel AME Church —
Ministering to the extended family

Central Chapel AME Church’s new pastor: Rev. Dr. Betty Holley (center in robe) poses with members of the usher board after their meeting, from left to right: Lynn Ayers, Jimmy Dickerson, Kathy Williams, Teresa Bondurant-Wagner, Lisa Qualls, Gary Lawson, Hailey Qualls, Betty Ford, Richard Young, Nan Harshaw, John Pamplin and Gloria Pamplin.

By Tara Miller

The impression DeBora Duckett had when she first entered Central Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Yellow Springs was a sense of being among family. For Duckett, who comes from Ebenezer AME in Fort Washington, Md., a large church with over 10,000 parishioners, coming to Central Chapel was like coming home.

“I absolutely love these people,” said Duckett, Central Chapel’s new licentiate pastor. “This is my heart. I needed to be here at this time, it feels so good to my heart.”

The image of family is evident in other aspects of the church, from Central’s motto, “God our Father; Christ our Redeemer; Man our Brother,” to the new television outreach program, ministering to those who can’t make it to church, to parishioner Denise Lenon’s recent trip to South Africa where she delivered donated school supplies to Home of Hope School in Cape Town. And like in many families, change can come unexpectedly.

AME’s ministry
After 16 years as pastor of Central Chapel, Rev. Dr. John Freeman has been assigned to United AME in Xenia. Pastor John, as he is affectionately known, will continue as dean of students at Central State and he will continue to reside in Fairborn, according to administrative assistant Ernestine Benning. Freeman’s wife, Brenda Freeman, will continue to serve as associate pastor along with Duckett.

Rev. Dr. Betty W. Holley, formerly of Holy Trinity AME in Wilberforce, has been appointed to replace Freeman at Central Chapel. Pastor Holley, a native of North Carolina, came to Wilberforce in 1997 to earn a master of divinity degree from Payne Theological Seminary and then a doctorate in 2005 from Union Institute and University in Cincinnati.

Family means everything to Rev. Holley, especially when it comes to the church. “Sometimes, the only family that exists for persons a long way from home is the church family,” she said.

Upon arrival at Central Chapel a few weeks ago, Rev. Holley said she again felt the warmth of family from parishioners she met when she arrived in Wilberforce.

“At Central Chapel, you feel a sweet, sweet spirit entering the sanctuary. There is no mistake that the spirit of the Lord lives at Central Chapel and is carried in the hearts of its parishioners,” she said.

During his tenure at Central Chapel, Pastor John expanded Central’s sense of family to include other churches in the community, which he believes have good ideas that AME could learn from, he said. Pastor John believes it is not necessary to put down differing beliefs, even if one of those beliefs is atheism.

“When you cut on others, you cut on yourself,” he said. “There is good in the worst of us, and bad in the best of us.”

He holds an attitude of “may the God of peace and love in you greet the God of peace and love in me.” He also believes the world, not just his church, is his pulpit.

When asked what “pastor” means to him, Freeman said the word derives from ‘shepherd,’ who is responsible for looking after his or her flock. A good shepherd, he said, will leave the 99 and go out into the thistles and the dark to minister to the one who is lost.

Pastor Freeman finds his job to be lowly and lonely at times. Not many people want to be a pastor, an occupation Martin Luther King Jr. called “a mean job,” Freeman said. And while he doesn’t like to exclude or alienate anyone, “sometimes people will ostracize you, thinking they have to act a certain way around you,” he said. The event that precipitated these words was the kind every church leader finds most difficult: giving a eulogy at a young person’s funeral.

Asked what “pastor” means to her, Holley said a pastor is a servant-leader called by God to empower and liberate members of the congregation.

“If you acknowledge God in all your ways, God will direct your every path. Because God has blessed me with the gifts of teaching and preaching, I must use my skills and talents, pursuant to these two gifts, to aid in the liberation and education of others so they may be able to live a life of fulfillment,” she explained. “Until I seek to liberate others, spiritually, economically and academically, I will never experience true freedom and wholeness.”

Building a church community
Central Chapel AME began in 1866 in the Central School House on State Route 370, moving twice before establishing permanent residence at the corner of High and Davis Streets. The church community installed a professional kitchen and most recent added on the Education and Family Life Center, which is available to the community to rent for a modest fee for weddings, memorial services, or meetings. Buried near the base of the church is a time capsule that will be opened by future parishioners in the year 2050.

John and Brenda Freeman came to Central Chapel in 1992. Freeman had been to larger churches, but God had said no, he said, and brought him to Yellow Springs. Brenda, who works as the activities director at Friends Care Community, is associate pastor and a choir member, in addition to being the primary caregiver to her three elderly siblings. The Freemans hold a service at Friend’s Care the second Sunday of every other month, and they are often called upon to help house, clothe or feed stranded visitors. Parishioners are currently collecting food for the Yellow Springs Food Pantry.

The Television Outreach Program, only a few months old, is already receiving positive feedback. Pastor Brenda Freeman said when she arrives at Friend’s Care after a service has aired on channel 5, several of the Friends Care residents comment on how much they enjoyed the sermon and the choir. Local resident Joan Baker looks forward to the program as well, and the pastors feel this ministry will continue to grow in the future.

“We have to grow outside in, we don’t need to grow inside out,” said Brenda Freeman.

AME’s membership
The membership has grown slowly but steadily since the Freeman’s arrived. Currently Central Chapel has 170 members, 90–95 of them active, according to Duckett. In attendance at a recent service were 59 adult members and 11 young members, with 15 guests, for a total of 85.

Many of the youth participate in the service, such as Brother Johnny Pamplin, a sophomore in college, who gave the youth meditation on procrastination at a recent service, offering parishioners several ways to get around the stress of putting off until a future date what could easily be completed today.

Vic McElroy, a 2007 Yellow Springs High School graduate and a freshman at Central State, joined the church three months ago. He said he returns for the environment and the spirit Pastor John brings.

“When I’m in church, I feel like I’m home,” he said.

Catherine Smartt, a member for over 36 years, says it’s the spirit of the church and the fellowship with other parishioners that keeps her coming back.

Another member, Charles Benning, is a third generation life member of the church. His father worked for public affairs in Yellow Springs. He said one of the reasons he stays is Pastor John Freeman.

“We don’t always see eye to eye, but he’s okay,” Benning said.

Benning said he moved out of Yellow Springs but not so far that he couldn’t return every day.

“This is home,” he said.

Benning’s wife, Ernestine, has been a member of the church for over 50 years. Their son Peter accompanies the choir on drums.

Other families have been members for several generations. Phyllis Jackson is a lifetime member who was raised in the church. She raised her two children in the church as well. She loves Pastor John and calls the parishioners family as well as friends.

Kathy Schooler-Williams is a fourth generation parishioner who also grew up in the church and whose son, Tony Schooler, now videotapes the services for broadcast on channel 5. He and his wife, Carolle Moss-Schooler, were married in the church by Pastor John.

Williams’ daughter, Annette Schooler-Zanders, drives in from Dayton with her daughter Amber Louise Zanders, 8, passing several churches closer to home just to attend Central Chapel.

Pastor Brenda Freeman believes Central Chapel has a strong youth involvement because the church has plenty of activities for youth. The church holds a two-day Sunday school retreat during the summer to cultivate fellowship with other youth at TAWAWA, the Third Episcopal District’s Bible Camp, held at Wilberforce University. The youth attend Bible study as well as play basketball, sing, attend social hour and attend vespers.

“It’s a training ground for youth,” Freeman said.

The church also provides training for Duckett, who although licensed, still has five years of intense training before she is assigned a church of her own. During TAWAWA, she will take a class on AIDS/HIV at Payne Seminary.

Central Chapel AME holds Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., morning worship at 11 a.m., and Wednesday Bible study at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited, and church members will welcome all into their family.

“I believe Jesus Christ is the way. That’s what I hold onto,” Pastor John Freeman said.

*The writer is a freelance photographer and reporter for the News.