Over 170 years after its founding, Atlanta's Big Bethel A.M.E. Church spreads message of inclusivity

One of Atlanta's oldest congregations is celebrating Black History Month and its place in history.

Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded 179 years ago.

"Those who were enslaved were worshipping at a place called Union Church. Those who were enslaved remained together after emancipation founded Bethel Church, Bethel Tabernacle, later through the years, renamed Big Bethel," said Dr. Jay Augustine, the church's 37th pastor.

The church has survived the Civil War and the Great Depression, and became known as the City Hall of Sweet Auburn, a historically Black neighborhood, during the civil rights era.

"It was a place for organizing and gathering of yesteryear," Augustine said.

It was during that time, 75 years ago, that Azira Gonzalez Hill met the man who would become her husband.

"We became friends. He asked me one Sunday if he could sit with me at church," said Gonzalez Hill.

Gonzalez Hill moved to Atlanta from Cuba when Harry Truman was president.

"Big Bethel, at that time, was the center of everything, especially when it referred to Black people, and we were quite divided at that point," said Gonzalez Hill.

She walked into Big Bethel AME Church the day after she arrived in Atlanta.

"I always liked church. And so I had just arrived, put my suitcase down, looked around to see what church was around," said Gonzalez Hill.

Gonzalez Hill is now one of the oldest congregants at Big Bethel AME Church at 102 years old.

She's also one of the most famous. The man she met on her first day at church and later married was civil rights activist Jesse Hill. The street on which the church is located was named after him.

"It takes a people. The church is the people," said Gonzalez Hill.

"We want to go forward with a place of inclusion and opportunity for all, so it's important that we cherish those memories and cherish those who brought us this far," Augustine said.

Including people like Gonzalez Hill.

"You always try to find, 'What can I do to make it better?'" she said.

That's the goal of a congregation that's gathered in Atlanta for nearly two centuries.

The church holds worship services every Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can learn more on Big Bethel's website.