HISTORY OF NEW HOPE A.M.E. CHURCH

In 1869, the guns and the cannons of the Civil War had been silent for four years. Black people were having a difficult time trying to establish themselves as free people because they had no civil rights, no land to call their own, and no formal education. As a result of these severely dehumanizing and painful experiences, Black people sought comfort in religion as a source of strength in an effort to endure their lot. Camp meetings sprang up throughout the South, and people took to the open fields on foot, on horseback, in horse-drawn buggies, and surreys to attend the early camp meetings. There they sang the old hymns, shouted, cried, and enjoyed the powerful sermons and fervent prayers. They fellowshipped with friends, neighbors, and strangers alike. Blacks who resided in the Buckhead area during the latter part of the eighteen hundreds were, for the most part, servants of wealthy landowners in the area. Many of these persons lived on the land of their employers and were isolated from the larger Black community in various parts of Atlanta. They had a need for a special place of worship but had no resources with which to purchase the land.

The late Mr. James “Whispering Smith”, a white resident of the Buckhead community, decided to give two acres of land to be used for a church and school for “Negroes.” The will was dated on May 29, 1872.

James Smith was a man of great insight and courage and was very specific in stating that the land be used for a church and a school. 

As we reflect on the character of James Smith, we cannot help but believe that he was inspired by God to conceive and execute such a kind and magnanimous act. His efforts on behalf of the Black people who lived in Buckhead during his lifetime served to inspire us and blaze a trail to human dignity and self-respect for those privileged to be a part of the Buckhead community and the broader Atlanta community. 

Over the years, the church has continued to flourish with the help of Almighty God. The members are a devoted, loving, and loyal band of people who are faithful in their support of the church. They have accepted the challenge to serve unselfishly and are engaged in various efforts to beautify and strengthen the bonds of fellowship. There is in the Church a feeling of kinship of the heart and unity in serving God. 

The History of New Hope A.M.E. Church is an excerpt from the history written by Rev. Elizabeth C. Few