A Friendly Spirit on North Main
Bethel A.M.E. Church has stood on North Main Street in the Village of Freeport since 1974, but its story in the community runs back much further. Founded in 1902 with Rev. DeShields as its first pastor, Bethel is the sixth oldest organized religious institution in Freeport and one of the historic African Methodist Episcopal congregations that anchor Long Island's South Shore. Its slogan, "The Church with the Friendly Spirit, we will meet you where you are," is rooted in the church's theme scripture from Hebrews 13:2 and shapes everything from the welcome song heard at the start of worship to the way the pastor greets newcomers at the door.
The address is 420 North Main Street, Freeport, NY 11520. The phone is 516-379-1513. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM, with Saturday by appointment.
From Henry Street to 420 North Main
Bethel's first building went up in 1910 on Henry Street near Sunrise Highway during the pastorate of Rev. William Edwards. By 1924 the church and its parsonage had to move, and the men of the community rolled the buildings by hand along Sunrise Highway to Helen Avenue, a piece of local lore passed down through families like the Colters and the Chambers. A building fund begun under Rev. Harold F. Berry and continued under Rev. Beresford Barrow made the next journey possible.
The move to the current North Main Street home was completed in 1974 under Rev. S. Frank Emmanuel, who was appointed in 1968. The relocation was so well remembered that the late Trustee Sis. Rosa Corse could be heard saying, "We have moved from Old Jerusalem to New Jericho." Folding chairs filled the sanctuary and vestibule on Sundays as the new home filled with worshippers. Rev. Emmanuel also organized Bethel's Senior Citizen Center, the Cathedral and Chancel Choirs, and the Acolytes, while Mrs. Margaret Emmanuel directed the Children's Choir.
Later pastors each left their mark. Rev. Joseph Robinson, who arrived in 1978, paid off the existing mortgage, added pews to the rear of the sanctuary, started the church's first Boy Scout Troop, and was recognized by the State Legislature for Bethel's community service. Rev. Simon P. Bouie, assigned in 1986, computerized the church, installed a chair lift for older adults and members with disabilities, and added houses and a van to the property.
Rev. Dr. Harry J. White II, appointed in 1994, lowered church debts and added ministries such as the Bethel Bible Institute, the Burning Bush Ministry, the Annex at 100 North Main Street, the Women's Ministry, the Healing Ministry, the Evangelist Department, the Liturgical Dancers, the JAM (Jesus and Me) youth program, the Bradford Boardman Library, and the Radio Ministry. The two brick structures on the front lawn, sculpted hands reaching upward with the inscription "My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth" from Psalm 121:2, were created during his tenure.
Sunday in Freeport at Bethel
Sunday mornings begin with Sunday Church School at 8:00 AM, followed by The Worship Experience at 9:30 AM, held in person at the church and shared on Facebook. The service carries the full sacramental life of the AME tradition. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month at 9:30 AM, and Holy Baptism on the third and fourth Sundays. The Love Feast, a long-standing tradition in the African Methodist Episcopal Church marked by shared meal and fellowship, takes place on the last Sunday of each month at 9:00 AM.
The pastor, Rev. Stephen Michael Lewis, was appointed in June 2011 and is assisted by First Lady Charlene Palmore-Lewis. Under his administration, Bethel installed solar panels, automated church financial processes, added a professional payroll system, placed TV monitors in the sanctuary, and built an LED church sign. The parsonage received a new roof, stove, refrigerator, washer, and dryer, and the Rev. Dr. Harry J. White, II Spiritual and Cultural Center was re-roofed as well. His "Team Bethel" mantra encourages every member and ministry to work together, and his presence on the Freeport Main Street Task Force and the Freeport Human Relations Commission has extended Bethel's reach into village life.
Midweek Worship and Bible Study
Bible Study gathers at 7:00 PM on Wednesdays. A Mid Day Worship Service is held Wednesdays at 11:30 AM, with lunch served after the service. During July and August the schedule shifts, with the Mid Day Worship moving to Thursdays at 11:30 AM, again followed by lunch. These midweek services keep the congregation connected through the workweek and provide a quieter space for prayer and teaching alongside the livelier Sunday gathering.
Music, Dance, and the Arts
Music is woven through Bethel's week. Band Rehearsal meets Thursdays at 5:00 PM, and Choir Rehearsal follows at 6:30 PM. The Liturgical Arts Outreach Ministry, known as LAMBS, brings dance and movement into worship under Sabrina Grant. The Christopher James Grant Outreach Choir and the S. Frank Emmanuel Tabernacle Choir carry the gospel tradition forward, while the Bethel Youth Choir introduces younger voices to the same heritage. The Media Ministry, led by Beverly Jouissance, supports the technical side of worship and online presence. Director of Music Chris Grant oversees the program and was commissioned by Pastor Lewis to write the Welcome Song that opens each service.
Children, Youth, and the Dream Academy
Children are part of Bethel's life from Sunday morning onward. Sunday Church School gathers at 8:00 AM and the Brainbridge After School Program meets Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 6:30 PM, giving students a structured space for the hours between school and home.
Older youth gather through the Team Bethel Dream Academy on Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The Dream Academy brings together the Young People's Division, Ushers, Liturgical Arts, and Joshua's Generation under one umbrella, allowing young people to try different forms of service and leadership. Gerald and Wilma Tootle lead the Teen's Ministry, and the Christian Education Scholarship Fund Committee, chaired by Jill Williams, helps members of the youth community pursue further education. Sean Michael Lewis, son of Pastor and First Lady Lewis, previously led the 1st Episcopal District Young People's and Children's Division of the AME Church.
Anna Drayton Senior Lunch Program
The Anna S. Drayton Senior Lunch Program is one of Bethel's most visible commitments to the wider Freeport community. Held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in partnership with the Nassau County Department of Aging, the program offers a congregate meal and a regular gathering place for older adults in the village. Operations Manager and Director of Senior Program Bettina Heard oversees the daily operation, and the program grew out of the Senior Citizen Center organized by Rev. Emmanuel in the 1970s and the re-established Senior Program that followed under Rev. Dr. Harry J. White II.
Beliefs and AME Identity
Bethel lives inside the wider African Methodist Episcopal Church. The denomination's motto, "God Our Father, Christ Our Redeemer, the Holy Spirit Our Comforter, Humankind Our Family," captures the conviction that grounds every service and ministry here. The AME Church is Methodist in doctrine and order of worship, and Bethel holds to the Apostles' Creed and the Twenty-Five Articles of Religion alongside the rest of the Connection.
The AME story begins in 1787, when Richard Allen and other African American worshippers left St. George's Methodist Church in Philadelphia after being pulled from their knees during prayer. They founded a new congregation that worshipped in a blacksmith shop with Allen preaching from an anvil, a doctrine of self-help that taught reliance on God and their own gifts to shape their church and community. Allen later became Bishop Richard Allen. Bethel's congregation carries that legacy forward in Freeport, with Rev. Lewis serving as Chief Marshal of both the Council of Bishops and the General Board of the AME Church, and as Chief Marshal of the 1st Episcopal District and the New York Annual Conference.
The Steward Boards and Ministry Leaders
A wide circle of lay leaders carries the work of Bethel forward each week. The Steward Board is led by Anita G. Scott as Secretary, with Minnie G. Herring as Church Clerk, Bettina Heard as Holy Communion Steward, and members including Joseph Simmons, Louis Newton, Yvonne M. Bolling-Kennedy, Melissa Garvin, Christine Fagin, Shelia Groover, Michelle Angel, Stacey Jackson, Tara Pearce, Omar Rogers, Terry Samuel, Marcia Rogers, Karen Robinson, and Emeriti Eddie King and Lee Baldwin. The four Stewardess Boards are led by Shirley Ricks, Marian Venair, Bertha Garvin, and Marjorie Ulmer. The Trustee Board is led by Co-Chairs Pro-Tem Stanley M. Wilkinson and Margaret Mason.
Commissions carry specialized work: Stewardship and Finance under Co-Vice Chairs Shelia Groover and Stacey Jackson; Missions and Welfare chaired by Melissa Garvin, with the Touch of Jesus Ministry led by Jill Williams, Have Pot's Will Cook under Bettina Heard and Margaret Mason, and the Kate Haskins Women's Missionary Society under Dorothy Godley; Membership and Evangelism under Minnie G. Herring, including the Class Leaders and Usher Board led by Edwin Kennedy; Christian Education with Director Zada Terry and the Lay Organization led by Velma Rhodes-Ward; Public Relations under Elzena Caldwell; Health under Michelle Angel; and Christian Social Action under Anita Scott.
The Women's Ministry is led by Rev. Arlise Carson, the Rose Watson First Lady's Aide by Kerry Jones, and the Men's Ministry, Sons of Allen, by Evangelist Louis Newton. The Amelia D. Terry Junior Usher Board is led by Jane Tuitt, the Aaron and Hur Pastor's Aides by Thomas Fields, the Floral Club by Bettina Heard, and the Harry J. White II Spiritual and Cultural Committee by Christine Fagin. The Ministerial Staff also includes Evangelists Marjorie Ulmer, Stephen Crutchfield, Louis Newton, Charles Robbins, and Jamesie Robbins, while Church Historian Leslie Colter-Jackson keeps the congregation's memory.
Wider Connection and Freeport Life
Bethel sits inside the 1st Episcopal District and the New York Annual Conference of the AME Church. Bethel hosted the 196th Session of the New York Annual Conference in April 2018, the first time the conference met on Long Island in Nassau and Suffolk counties since Freeport in 1953. Rev. Lewis has preached the Annual Sermon at the 193rd Session of the New York Annual Conference, served as a delegate to the 2013 General Conference, and in 2018 delivered the invocation at the inauguration of the Nassau County Executive. He serves on the Nassau County Commission on Aging and is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
First Lady Charlene Palmore-Lewis, a graduate of Millersville University and the University of Pennsylvania, is the founder and CEO of Philadelphia Historic African American Tours, LLC, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She and Pastor Lewis, both Philadelphia natives, met at Millersville and have built a ministry together in Freeport since 2011. Their son Sean Michael is a 2020 graduate of Morgan State University and is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Boston University School of Theology.
Joining In
Visitors are invited to come as they are. Sunday worship begins at 9:30 AM, preceded by Sunday Church School at 8:00 AM. Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, and the doors open for the senior lunch program Tuesday through Thursday at 10:00 AM. Giving is available online, and worship is shared on the church's Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person. Anyone interested in joining a ministry, learning more about baptism or communion, or connecting with the church office can reach Bethel at 516-379-1513 or bamec420@gmail.com.