Church to get fix-up


John Ruch


Photo by Middlebrooks Photography
Pastors Rev. Ray Hammond and Rev. Gloria White-Hammond stand at the front door of Bethel AME Church on Walk Hill Street last week during the African Methodist Episcopal Church’s 160th New England Annual Conference.

FOREST HILLS—The Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church will get a major fix-up this week thanks to the Jamaica Plain-based non-profit Rebuilding Together Boston (RTB).

The century-old church building and a school in its complex at 38 Walk Hill St. will be among eight Boston properties that get repairs and rehabs as part of RTB’s National Rebuilding Day on April 30. RTB provides volunteer repair services to non-profits and to homeowners in financial need.

“Our goal is to keep non-profits functioning and delivering their mission,” said RTB President Simone Auster.

She said that rehab applications from non-profits were up this year. The exact scope and budget of the Bethel AME rehab are still to be determined.

Bethel AME Pastor Rev. Ray Hammond could not be reached for comment.

It has been a busy month for Bethel AME. The church just hosted its denomination’s 160th New England Annual Conference, a conclave of 25 regional churches, on April 4-10. The conference activities included passing a “Special Resolution” calling for social justice in education, health care, the economy and energy policy, and for people affected by domestic violence and the disaster in Haiti.

RTB is still accepting volunteers for National Rebuilding Day. For more information, call 617-971-0058 or see RebuildingTogetherBoston.org.

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