Gospel
AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH IN BUCKHEAD, ATLANTA TO CELEBRATE 150TH ANNIVERSARY ON APRIL 28

One of the oldest black churches in the nation, New Hope AME Church will honor their legacy with a celebration including music, performances and special guests
A national treasure based here in Atlanta turns 150 years old this month. New Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the oldest African American churches in the country, will celebrate its 150th anniversary during a special Sunday service on April 28 at 11:00 a.m. in their sanctuary located at 3012 Arden Rd NW, Atlanta GA 30305. The all-white attire celebration will include a number of special guests, performances and a keynote sermon from Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Presiding Prelate of the 6th Episcopal District of the AME Church. Nestled in the heart of Buckhead, New Hope is led by Pastor David F. Richards III and First Lady Linda Richards. The origins of the church date back to 1869 when recently emancipated African Americans began gathering to worship at “camp meetings” at the New Hope Camp Ground. The congregation continued meeting there until 1872, when they were given land by a white Buckhead farmer named James H. Smith, who willed three acres of his property for a church and school for “colored persons.” The church members subsequently built a tabernacle on the property which stood until 1965. The property’s original church building was built sometime prior to 1900. The congregation continued to work as farm laborers and servants for white families in the area and lived in small neighborhoods in the vicinity. In 1927, the original church building on the property burned down. The current building’s basement was built the following year, while the new sanctuary was not completed until 1936. Across the street from the church is a 1.86-acre historic New Hope Cemetery containing dozens of graves. In 2009, New Hope AME Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with the cemetery located across the road. “We are so excited to commemorate 150 years of history, fellowship and community at New Hope at our upcoming anniversary event,” says Pastor Richards. “We are a small church with a big heart and we represent the little-known legacy of African Americans in Buckhead. We invite everyone to come out and celebrate with us on April 28 and experience the warm spirit that has kept this church together for almost two centuries!” For more information on New Hope AME Church, visit newhopeamechurch.org.
Gospel
BET NETWORKS ANNOUNCES AUDITION PROCESS FOR UPCOMING SEASON 10 RETURN OF HIT SERIES “SUNDAY BEST”

KIRK FRANKLIN RETURNS AS HOST & MENTOR, ALONG WITH JUDGES ERICA CAMPBELL, JONATHAN MCREYNOLDS AND KELLY PRICE

(NEW YORK, NY) – February 7, 2020 – Returning to BET Network’s for season 10 is America’s most inspirational singing competition, “Sunday Best.” The well-established gospel show welcomes back Grammy Award®-winning music legend Kirk Franklin as host. Returning for the second consecutive year as judges are gospel songstress and host of “Get Up Mornings,” Erica Campbell, and Grammy-Award® nominated artists Kelly Price and Jonathan McReynolds. Season 10 open call auditions will be held Saturday, February 15th in Atlanta, GA at The House of Hope (4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur, GA 30034; registration 6am-11am). Atlanta auditions will be filmed for television. Aspiring contestants should be age 18+ and should prepare to sing a song from the list below: |
1. Amazing Grace 2. Blessed Assurance 3. Have Thine Own Way, Lord 4. His Eye is On The Sparrow 5. I Need Thee Every Hour 6. I Surrender All 7. It Is Well With My Soul 8. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee 9. Love Lifted Me10. Mary, Don’t You Weep 11. Nothing But the Blood of Jesus 12. O Come, All Ye Faithful (O Come Let Us Adore Him) 13. Oh, How I Love Jesus 14. Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior 15. Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus 16. What A Friend We Have In Jesus |
Aspiring contestants from around the country are encouraged to submit their audition online and get additional audition information at BET.com/SundayBest. The final day for online submissions is February 10, 2020, at 5:00 pm EST. Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment (BET Awards, The New Edition Story), and Dionne Harmon (The Bobby Brown Story, Hip Hop Squares) serve as executive producers of season ten of Sunday Best along with executive producer and showrunner Jeannae Rouzan-Clay (Dear Mama, Black Girls Rock!), and Torrence Glenn (Celebration Of Gospel, Trumpet Awards) is co-executive producer. For updates and more information about “Sunday Best”, please visit BET.com/SundayBest. Join the conversation on social media by logging on to our social media platforms using the hashtag: #BETSundayBest. |