"Trinity 150"
1876 - 2026
Honor the Past Brunch - Sunday March 1st
immediately following the 9:30 service

In 1860, women of Solebury came together to create a Sunday school in the small school-house that is now the Solebury Historical Society. Sixteen years later, in 1876, their efforts brought to fruition the Trinity Chapel, marking the beginning of what is now our beloved Trinity home.  

150 years later, we have a wonderful community to celebrate, rooted in those dreams and desires that started so long ago.

To properly acknowledge our heritage, and to properly thank all those that came before us, Nancy Ruddle, Terri Reynolds, Kevin Clark and Cinda Ball are organizing a year of celebratory and engaging events.

They have organized our celebration around the following principles: "Honor the Past", "Celebrate the Present" and "Envision the Future".

On March 1st, we commence with an “Honor the Past” brunch - a parish-wide gathering to honor and celebrate our history. Roger Stikeleather will be our presenter. 

Three more events are planned as we move through the year: A special Lobserfest, "150 Acts of Kindness", and "Envision the Future".  More details about each will be announced as we get closer.

Questions about anything? Contact the 150 team at trinity150@trinitysolebury.org or speak with  Nancy Haldeman Ruddle, Terri Reynolds, Kevin Clark or Cinda Ball

A message from
Daniel Gutierrez
Bishop, Diocese of Pennsylvania
Saturday, January 31st

A message to our fellow Americans

We, the undersigned bishops of The Episcopal Church, write today out of grief, righteous anger, and steadfast hope.

What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?

In the wake of the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, we join Minnesotans and people across the nation in mourning two precious lives lost to state-sanctioned violence. We grieve with their families, their friends, and everyone harmed by the government’s policies. When fear becomes policy, everyone suffers.

We call on Americans to trust their moral compass - and to question rhetoric that trades in fear rather than the truth. As Episcopalians, our moral compass is rooted firmly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is what we know. Women were shoved to the ground, children torn from their families, and citizens silenced and demeaned for exercising their constitutional rights. These actions sow fear, cast doubt, and wear us down with endless noise.

We cannot presume to speak for everyone or prescribe only one way to respond. For our part, we can only do as Jesus’ teaching shows us.

A Call for Action

This is a moment for action. We call on people of faith to stand by your values and act as your conscience demands.

We urge the immediate suspension of ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minnesota and in any community where enforcement has eroded public trust. Because the rule of law is weakened, not strengthened, when power is exercised without restraint.

We also call for transparent, independent investigations of the people killed—investigations centered on truth, not politics. Justice cannot wait, and accountability is essential to healing.

We call on the elected officials of our nation to remember the values that we share, including the rule of law. Rooted in our Constitution, it ensures that law—not the arbitrary will of individuals—governs us all, protecting individual rights, ensuring fairness, and maintaining stability.

A Shared Commitment

Every act of courage matters. We must keep showing up for one another. We are bound together because we are all made in the image of God. This begins with small, faithful steps.

As bishops in the Episcopal Church, we promise to keep showing up—to pray, to speak, and to stand with every person working to make our communities just, safe, and whole. We are committed to making our communities safer and more compassionate:

• So children can walk to school without fear.
• So families can shop, work, and worship freely.
• So we recognize the dignity of every neighbor—immigrant communities, military families, law enforcement officers, nurses, teachers, and essential workers alike.

You may feel powerless, angry, or heartbroken right now. Know that you’re not alone. Each of us has real power: community power, financial power, political power, and knowledge power. We can show up for our neighbors, support small businesses and food banks, contact elected officials and vote, and learn our rights so we can speak up peacefully without fear.

Choosing Hope

The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?

Our faith gives a clear answer: everyone’s.

Safety built on fear is an illusion. True safety comes when we replace fear with compassion, violence with justice, and unchecked power with accountability. That’s the vision our faith calls us to live out—and the promise our country is meant to uphold.

In the face of fear, we choose hope.

By the grace of God, may this season of grief become a season of renewal. May courage rise from lament, and love take root in every heart.

1. † The Rt. Rev Gladstone B. Adams, III, X Bishop of Central New York (Retired)
2. † The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut
3. † The Rt. Rev. Diana D. Akiyama, Bishop of Oregon
4. † The Rt. Rev. David A. Alvarez, VI Bishop of Puerto Rico (Retired)
5. † The Rt. Rev. Lucinda Beth Ashby, Bishop of El Camino Real
6. † The Rt. Rev. David C. Bane, IX Bishop of Southern Virginia (Retired)
7. † The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker, Bishop of Nebraska
8. † The Rt. Rev. Cathleen Bascom, Bishop of Kansas
9. † The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop of Indianapolis
10. † The Rt. Rev. Nathan D. Baxter, Bishop of Central Pennsylvania (Retired)
11. † The Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, X Bishop of Newark (Retired)
12. † The Rt. Rev. Barry L. Beisner, Bishop Provisional Missionary Diocese of Navajoland
13. † The Rt. Rev. Patrick W. Bell, Bishop of Eastern Oregon
14. † The Rt. Rev. Scott Anson Benhase, OA, X Bishop of Georgia (Retired)
15. † The Rt. Rev. Mark Allen Bourlakas, Assistant Bishop of Virginia
16. † The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal, IX Bishop of Southern Ohio (Retired)
17. † The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, Assistant Bishop of North Carolina
18. † The Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart, Assisting Bishop of Los Angeles
19. † The Rt. Rev. Kevin S. Brown, Bishop of Delaware
20. † The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown, Bishop of Maine
21. † The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop of San Diego
22. † The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, Bishop Suffragan of Los Angeles (Retired)
23. † The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington
24. † The Rt. Rev. Elías García Cárdenas, Bishop of Colombia
25. † The Rt. Rev. Paula E. Clark, Bishop of Chicago
26. † The Rt. Rev. Angela Maria Cortiñas, Bishop Suffragan of West Texas
27. † The Rt. Rev. Matthew Cowden, Bishop of West Virginia
28. † The Rt. Rev. James E. Curry, Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut (Retired)
29. † The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, XXVII Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (Retired)
30. † The Rt. Rev. Joe Morris Doss, X Bishop of New Jersey (Retired)
31. † The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Assisting Bishop of Massachusetts
32. † The Rt. Rev. DeDe Duncan-Probe, Bishop of Central New York
33. † The Rt. Rev. J. Zache Duracin, Bishop of Haiti (Retired)
34. † The Rt. Rev. Mark D.W. Edington, Bishop in charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
35. † The Rt. Rev. Dan Edwards, XII Bishop of Nevada (Retired)
36. † The Rt. Rev. C. Christopher Epting, VIII Bishop of Iowa (Retired)
37. † The Rt. Rev. Douglas Fisher, Bishop of Western Massachusetts
38. † The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher, Bishop Suffragan of Texas
39. † The Rt. Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Bishop of Hawai’i
40. † The Rt. Rev. James E. Folts, VIII Bishop of West Texas (Retired)
41. † The Rt. Rev. Jonathan H. Folts, Bishop of South Dakota
42. † The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, Assisting Bishop of Long Island
43. † The Rt. Rev. Sally French, Bishop of New Jersey
44. † The Rt. Rev. J. Michael Garrison, X Bishop of Western New York (Retired)
45. † The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, XVI Bishop of Massachusetts (Retired)
46. † The Rt. Rev. Wendell N. Gibbs, Assisting Bishop of Southern Ohio
47. † The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool, Assisting Bishop of Massachusetts
48. † The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia (Retired)
49. † The Rt. Rev. William O. Gregg, VI Bishop of Eastern Oregon (Retired)
50. † The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez, Bishop of Pennsylvania
51. † The Rt. Rev. Douglas Hahn, VII Bishop of Lexington (Retired)
52. † The Rt. Rev. Michael Hanley, X Bishop of Oregon (Retired)
53. † The Rt. Rev. John T.W. Harmon, Bishop of Arkansas
54. † The Rt. Rev. Gayle Elizabeth Harris, Assistant Bishop of Virginia
55. † The Rt. Rev. Scott B. Hayashi, XI Bishop of Utah (Retired)
56. † The Rt. Rev. Susan B. Haynes, Bishop of Southern Virginia
57. † The Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, Bishop of New York
58. † The Rt. Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr., Bishop Suffragan of Texas (Retired)
59. † The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., XI Bishop of Ohio (Retired)
60. † The Rt. Rev. Barry R. Howe, VII Bishop of West Missouri (Retired)
61. † The Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes, Bishop of Newark
62. † The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Hunn, Bishop of the Rio Grande
63. † The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Ihloff, XIII Bishop of Maryland (Retired)
64. † The Rt. Rev. James I. Jelinek, VIII Bishop of Minnesota (Retired)
65. † The Rt. Rev. Don E. Johnson, III Bishop of West Tennessee (Retired)
66. † The Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of Missouri
67. † The Rt. Rev. Anne B. Jolly, Bishop of Ohio
68. † The Rt. Rev. Charles I. Jones, VII Bishop of Montana (Retired)
69. † The Rt. Rev. David Colin Jones, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia (Retired)
70. † The Rt. Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, VII Bishop of West Virginia (Retired)
71. † The Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, SOSc, Bishop of Rhode Island
72. † The Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, VIII Bishop of Maine (Retired)
73. † The Rt. Rev. James E. Krotz, IX Bishop of Nebraska (Retired)
74. † The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle, Bishop of Olympia
75. † The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Bishop Provisional of Western New York,
76. † The Rt. Rev. Mark Lattime, Bishop of Alaska,
77. † The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee, XII Bishop of Chicago (Retired)
78. † The Rt. Rev. Edward L. Lee, Jr., Bishop of the Great Lakes (Retired)
79. † The Rt. Rev. Frank S. Logue, Bishop of Georgia
80. † The Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, Bishop of Minnesota
81. † The Rt. Rev. Kym Lucas, Bishop of Colorado
82. † The Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Bishop of Vermont
83. † The Rt. Rev. F. Clayton Matthews, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia (Retired)
84. † The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Mayer, Bishop of Northwest Texas
85. † The Rt. Rev. Dorsey McConnell, VIII Bishop of Pittsburgh (Retired)
86. † The Rt. Rev. Jack McKelvey, VII Bishop of Rochester (Retired)
87. † The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey W. Mello, Bishop of Connecticut
88. † The Rt. Rev. Juan Carlos Quiñonez Mera, Bishop of Central Ecuador
89. † The Rt. Rev. Rodney Michel, Bishop Suffragan of Long Island (Retired)
90. † The Rt. Rev. Betsey Monnot, Bishop of Iowa
91. † The Rt. Rev. Robert O’Neill, X Bishop of Colorado (Retired)
92. † The Rt. Rev. Todd Ousley, Bishop Provisional of Wyoming
93. † The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, Bishop of Western Louisiana
94. † The Rt. Rev. George E. Packard, Bishop Suffragan of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries (Retired)
95. † The Rt. Rev. Bonnie A. Perry, Bishop of Michigan
96. † The Rt. Rev. Kenneth L. Price, Jr., Assisting Bishop of Southern Ohio
97. † The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior, X Bishop of Minnesota (Retired)
98. † The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island
99. † The Rt. Rev. John Rabb, Bishop Suffragan of Maryland (Retired)
100. † The Rt. Rev. Rayford J. Ray, Bishop of Northern Michigan
101. † The Rt. Rev. David G. Read, Bishop of West Texas
102. † The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Reddall, Bishop of Arizona
103. † The Rt. Rev. Poulson Reed, Bishop of Oklahoma
104. † The Rt. Rev. Gretchen Rehberg, Bishop of Spokane
105. † The Rt. Rev. David Rice, Bishop of San Joaquin
106. † The Rt. Rev. Austin K. Rios, Bishop of California
107. † The Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, Bishop Suffragan of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries for the Episcopal Church
108. † The Rt. Rev. Bavi (Nedi) Rivera, VII Bishop of Eastern Oregon (Retired)
109. † The Rt. Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf, Bishop of West Tennessee
110. † The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, IX Bishop of New Hampshire (Retired)
111.† The Rt. Rev. Samuel S. Rodman, Bishop Diocesan of North Carolina
112. † The Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam, Bishop Suffragan of New York (Retired)
113. † The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Bishop Suffragan of Texas
114. † The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan, Bishop Diocesan of the Susquehanna
115. † The Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe, IX Bishop of Iowa (Retired)
116. † The Rt. Rev. Carrie Schofield-Broadbent, Bishop of Maryland
117. † The Rt. Rev. Gordon P. Scruton, VIII Bishop of Western Massachusetts, (Retired)
118. † The Rt. Rev. Brian Seage, Assisting Bishop of Texas
119. † The Rt. Rev. James J. Shand, X Bishop of Easton (Retired)
120. † The Rt. Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, Bishop of Rochester
121. † The Rt. Rev. Allen Shin, Bishop Suffragan of New York
122. † The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk, XV Bishop of New York (Retired)
123. † The Most Rev. Melissa M. Skelton, Bishop Provisional of Olympia (Retired)
124. † The Rt. Rev. Rob Skirving, Bishop of East Carolina
125. † The Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan, XI Bishop of Alabama (Retired)
126. † The Rt. Rev. William E. Smalley, VIII Bishop of Kansas (Retired)
127. † The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith, XIV Bishop of Connecticut (Retired)
128. † The Rt. Rev. George Wayne Smith, X Bishop of Missouri (Retired)
129. † The Rt. Rev. Douglas E. Sparks, Bishop of Northern Indiana
130. † The Rt. Rev. Phyllis Spiegel, Bishop of Utah
131. † The Rt. Rev. Marty Stebbins, Bishop Diocesan of Montana
132. † The Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson, Bishop Diocesan of Virginia
133. † The Rt. Rev. William H. Stokes, XII Bishop of New Jersey (Retired)
134. † The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, XII Bishop of Dallas (Retired)
135. † The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, Assisting Bishop of Washington
136. † The Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor, VI Bishop of Western North Carolina (Retired)
137. † The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, Bishop of Los Angeles
138. † The Rt. Rev. Jos Tharakan, Bishop of Idaho
139. † The Rt. Rev. Brian Thom, Bishop of North Dakota
140. † The Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson, Jr., XI Bishop of Louisiana (Retired)
141. † The Rt. Rev. John S. Thornton, XI Bishop of Idaho (Retired)
142. † The Rt. Rev. Martin G.Townsend, IX Bishop of Easton, MD (Retired)
143. † The Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair, Bishop of Northern California
144. † The Rt. Rev. Michael L. Vono, IX Bishop of the Rio Grande (Retired)
145. † The Rt. Rev. Pierre W. Whalon, IX Bishop in charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (Retired)
146. † The Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White, Bishop of Southern Ohio
147. † The Rt. Rev. Keith B. Whitmore, V Bishop of Eau Claire (Retired)
148. † The Rt. Rev. Julia E. Whitworth, Bishop Diocesan of Massachusetts
149. † The Rt. Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr., Bishop Suffragan of Ohio (Retired)
150. † The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson, Bishop of Albany
151. † The Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, Bishop of South Carolina
152. † The Rt. Rev. Wayne P. Wright, X Bishop of Delaware (Retired)
153. † The Rt. Rev. Rob Wright, Bishop of Atlanta
154. † The Rt. Rev. George D. Young, III, III Bishop of East Tennessee (Retired)

Next in a series on new Trinity members
Welcome Armin Bondoc

Armin Bondoc was born and grew up in the Philippines with his identical twin brother, Ariel. In Manila, the twins formed a small group and sang at mass in their local parish church.

Armin earned a degree in architecture from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Before moving to Dublin, Bucks County to be closer to his niece in Doylestown, Armin and his partner, Bennett, resided in Arlington, VA. Armin worked as an architect in D.C. and the surrounding area for years. Ariel, the twin brother, now makes his home in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and directs a church choir there.

After relocating to Bucks County in 2022, Armin began singing in the choir of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. He also successfully auditioned for the Bucks County Choral Society (BCCS) as a tenor where he met a number of our Trinity choir members and BCCS accompanist, Tim Harrell. On a Sunday when the Mt. Carmel choir wasn't singing, he attended Trinity and liked what he saw and heard. Learning that Mt. Carmel was transitioning to paid cantors, Armin chose to return to Trinity, joined the choir over a year ago and officially joined the church this fall.

Armin enjoys reading, movies and playing New York Times and Washington Post games. He self-describes as an easy-going guy but admits his current pet peeve is the current Administration in Washington, D.C.
Any member of our church choir will readily tell you how we enjoy having Armin in our midst.

Christopher Whitney
Newcomer's Committee

Special Outreach Effort
A Woman's Place Valentine Gift Boxes
This Sunday, February 8th

Valentine's Day is coming and for most, it's a joyous time to celebrate the love we have for those closest to us. But for those living under a threat of domestic violence, Valentine's Day can be a difficult time. 

Fortunately, in Doylestown we have "A Woman's Place," an organization that provides the many potential needs of domestic violence victims.

And on February 8th, we will be assembling Valentine gift boxes that wil be delivered to "A Woman's Place". 

But prior to that we need your help: please purchase and donate small items of love and care, like specialty soaps, perfume and Valentine items of cheer, that we can assemble into the gift poxes. Each box will also contain a hand made flower by New Hope Artist Michael Johnson and a cookbook along with the items of love and care that you donate. Then our Church School classes will assemble the boxes on February 8th.

Note: Shannon Ross from "A Woman's Place" will speak at the Adult Forum on Sunday February 15.

Questions? Please contact Christine Angulo 

Mindfulness Meditation at Trinity Solebury 2026
Offered by Dr. Jeffrey Harrison

You may not realize what a generous gift it is to have Jeffrey Harrison offer this series of classes. Similar classes would cost between $300 and $650. Many thanks for the continued dedication of Jeffrey to offer this important resource to us at no cost.

Nine Sessions Starting Monday, February 2nd
from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

As has been our tradition since 2004, we will be offering Mindfulness Meditation training at Trinity. The sessions take place in our chapel, and are for ALL who are interested in developing a contemplative practice, whether you are Trinity member or not.

The program will run for 9 sessions, every Monday from February 2nd - March 23rd, plus Saturday March 21st. Missing any session is highly discouraged since new material will be presented sequentially each week. However, on Saturday March 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., there will be a silent retreat session that will be imperative to attend.

If you have an interest in Mindfulness Meditation or questions about the practice, please contact Jeffrey Harrison at 908-303-7265 (text preferred) or by email at drjeffreyharrison@comcast.net. Jeffrey has many years of his own personal meditation practice and many years of training individuals in his practice as a psychologist and within church communities.

Books for the program:

Workbook, edited by Jeffrey Harrison, Ph.D. (provided by Jeffrey)

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.

Practice the Pause: Jesus's Contemplative Practice, New Brain Science, and What It Means to Be Human, by Caroline Oakes

I’m pleased that there has been continued interest in the Mindfulness Meditation program at Trinity since we first began teaching Mindfulness at Trinity in 2004. This program is modeled on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center (UMMC) because this is an excellent model for teaching meditation. However, this series of groups is designed to be used as a spiritual practice, not a psychological or medical treatment. 

Jeffery Harrison
Dr. Counseling Psychology

Church School 2025-2026

Trinity Church School meets every Sunday morning during the 9:30 a.m. service.

Parents are invited to register children and youth by filling out a Registration form available online below, and in McArthur Hall and the Narthex. Please speak with a Church School teacher or reach out to Ashley Christie, Jenn Summers or Nancy Harrison with any questions.

Remember that children begin the worship service in the sanctuary with their families and leave with their teachers after Rob's children's homily.

Childcare will be provided in the Nursery following the Children's Sermon and until the children re-enter the sanctuary at The Peace. 

Trinity's team of teachers is led by Vestry Liaison Jenn Summers, assisted by Ashley Christie and Nancy Harrison. Christine Angulo cares for infants and toddlers in the nursery. Ann Koberna leads the PreK-5th grade, assisted on a rotating basis by Fred Koberna, Melodee Fox, Dotti Brown, Carol Church, Ashley Christie, and Jenn Summers. 6th-12th grade teachers are Nancy Harrison, Bill Jaglowski, and Walter Dixon.

We look forward to welcoming your children.

Ashley Christie, Jenn Summers and Nancy Harrison
The Church School Coordinating Team

Church School registration formClick Here

February 2026
African American History is American History
Black History Month

February is designated at Black History Month, and that was very intentional – and formulated by the father of Black history, pioneering Black historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson.

Dr. Woodson,is credited for establishing the first “Negro History Week” in 1926, which eventually blossomed into the Black History Month we celebrate today.

Dr. Woodson, a historian, educator, and journalist, was alarmed by the racism that plagued the writing of American and African American history and sought to do something to change the landscape. Woodson sought to bring Black history outside the ivory tower and engaged Black leaders across disciplines to increase interest and understanding of Black history.

Why celebrate Black History Month in February? Dr. Woodson chose February as it coincided with the birthdays of abolitionist and civil rights icon Frederick Douglass (who and President Abraham Lincoln. In the 1920s, those two figures’ birthdays were celebrated widely by the Black community because of their actions in the fight against slavery. 

Since that first Negro History Week, the celebration of the African American History expanded. In 1970, students and faculty at Kent State University in Ohio advocated for an entire month. Throughout the early 1970s, the celebration spread, prompting national recognition by President Gerald Ford in 1976.

To learn more about Woodson’s life and past celebrations of Black History Month please click here

6 Special Black History Month Events Where You Can Participate

The Bucks Deanery

• February 1st, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Pat Mervine, Author of Slavery, "Friends and Freedom in Bucks County", speaks at Trinity Buckingham
  
  “The history of African Americans in Bucks County dates back to the 1630s, and is full of stories of courage, resilience, compassion, and determination. When the new African American Museum of Bucks County opens in 2026, you will learn about many people, places, and events in Bucks that will amaze you.”
  
  Our guest speaker will be author/historian Pat Mervine, who will tell us about the African American Museum of Bucks County which is soon to open in Middletown.
  
  Based on the research that Pat and Joe Coleman did for their book “Slavery, Friends, and Freedom in Bucks County”, Pat will tell us stories of Underground Railroad in Bucks County, and the fascinating story of how the Society of Friends (Quakers) changed from being enslavers to actively opposing slavery, even becoming leaders in the abolition movement. What did it take to cause such a mind shift? What implications does this have for us in the twenty-first century?
  
  Pease bring some finger foods to share!

The African American Museum of Bucks County https://aamuseumbucks.org

The African American Museum of Bucks County honors the rich legacy of the African American experience, inspiring pride in our heritage, and sharing untold stories about the diverse journey of our people and our shared ancestry. Our programs and exhibits explore the history and heritage of the diverse cultures of Bucks County and beyond  

• February 4th, 8:00 p.m. - Frederick Douglas Returns to the Newtown Theater
• February 10th & 24th - Underground Railroad Tours - see website for details

Diocese of Pennsylvania

• February 14th, 10:00 a.m. - Absalom Jones Rememberance service at Church of the Good Samaritan, Paoli
  
  More information at https://diopa.org/event/2025-absalom-jones-celebration and see poster below

St Thomas African Episopal Church

• February 15th, 4 p.m. - Absalom Jones Mardi Gras Jazz service with former Presiding Bishpp Michael Curry -
  
  See the poster below, and a short video here: https://www.aecst.org/AECST_Video/feb142021.htm

St. Andrews, Yardley

• Mondays in February, 7:00 p.m. - St Andrew's Yardley Racial Justice Healing Service & Discussion - Join virtual event at standrews-yardley/worship-online

Absalom Jones 

The Black Church has always been an integral part of the African American experience – for Christians and non-Christians alike. Its traditions, customs, organization, politics, speech patterns, and music have transcended all aspects of religious and secular Black culture in the United States. While not always recognized by the mainstream, the Black Church and its culture have permeated wider American culture. When we discuss the story of the Black Church, it typically has one of two threads. The first discusses speaks to how Baptist and Methodist ministers preached against slavery, encouraging enslaved people to take up faith as a path to freedom.

The second thread usually analyzes the life of The Reverend Richard Allen – a Methodist layman who went on to found and lead the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church right here in Philadelphia. In this week’s Black History article, we will begin with that second thread – but analyze a less discussed aspect of the story. Reverend Allen, while a trailblazer in his own right, had a partner in empowerment, The Reverend Absalom Jones.

On February 13, members of the Episcopal Church across the nation will celebrate the Feast Day of the Reverend Absalom Jones, the first Black man ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church and the founder of the historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas (AECST), the oldest Black Episcopal congregation in the nation. Jones was a trailblazer and a notable Philadelphian who developed a distinct racial community within a religious community that still prospers today.

The Reverend Absalom Jones was born into slavery in 1746 in Sussex County, Delaware. In 1762, Jones’s slaveholder, the merchant Benjamin Wynkoop, moved his household, which included those whom he held in bondage, to Philadelphia to take advantage of the city’s booming trade. Before the move, Wynkoop divided Jones’s family – selling his mother and six siblings but retaining Absalom as his personal slave. Ironically, Wynkoop sent Jones to school – providing the young Absalom with reading and writing skills withheld from most Black people of the era.

By 1784, Jones purchased his freedom and began work as a merchant in the city. Jones, like many free and enslaved Black people in Philadelphia was a devout Methodist and participated in the worship at St. George’s Methodist Church. His commitment was so strong that the congregation licensed both him and Richard Allen to preach to Black Methodists in the church.

While the leaders of St. George’s felt comfortable allowing Jones and Allen to preach to an all-Black audience during a segregated service, they insisted that his preaching “not interfere with white services;” such that Jones and Allen would preach to the Black faithful every Sunday at five o’clock in the morning. Jones and Allen, proud and successful Black men, along with their fellow Black churchgoers quickly became frustrated with their fellow white congregants and the segregation they faced at their church.

The frustration climaxed in 1787 when Jones and Allen, moved by the service, walked down from the segregated balcony to receive Communion with the white parishioners. While on their knees to receive the Sacrament, the white minister ordered them to move and after they refused, threatened to have them moved. Rebuffed but not deterred, Jones and Allen arose from the communion rail and walked out of the service with the rest of the Black congregants at St. George’s, never to return.

In response, Jones and Allen founded the Free African Society – an organization that provided a civic and social haven for Black people in Philadelphia. Among the Society’s activities included religious instruction, so much so that they were also known as “the African Church.” By 1792, the members of the Society split over religious matters. Allen, a devout Methodist led a faction that would establish the A.M.E. Church and its first congregation, Mother Bethel. Absalom Jones led another faction to found the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. In 1795, Jones was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church and called to the priesthood in 1802, the first Black man in the United States to serve in the position.

Despite his trailblazing, the early years of Jones’s ministry was marked by discrimination from the Diocese and the greater Church. St. Thomas Church was refused representation at the Diocesan Convention and did not receive full membership in the Diocese until 1863. Despite the discrimination St. Thomas faced, it would grow to become one of Philadelphia’s most prominent congregations and serve as a spiritual home for generations of Black leaders such as Charlotte Forten and Octavius Catto.

Jones, along with Richard Allen was an integral force in combatting the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 that struck Philadelphia even as white doctors and medical professionals fled the city. Jones, Allen, and the Black members of St. Thomas and Mother Bethel were called to action to help their fellow citizens, even those who discriminated against them. Jones’s community-mindedness continued following his ordination. He established a school for Philadelphia's Black children and advocated to Congress for the abolition of the slave trade and for gradual abolition in 1800. Additionally, Jones was a Prince Hall Mason, serving as the First Worshipful Master of Philadelphia and later the First Grand Master of the First African Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Jones died on February 13, 1818 in Philadelphia and is currently buried at Philadelphia’s Eden Cemetery. In 1996, the AECST dedicated a chapel in memory of their first rector and interred his ashes within its altar. In the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the Episcopal Church established a day of remembrance and a lesser feast to be held each year on February 13, the anniversary of his death, to remember Jones’s life and legacy.   

This year, you too can celebrate the feast and the legacy of Absalom Jones virtually this weekend with the Diocese of Pennsylvania and the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas.

Celebrating Blessed Absalom Jones – Virtual – Saturday, February 14, 2024 – 10:30 a.m.

On Saturday, February 14 the Diocese of Pennsylvania is hosting a celebratory service at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Paoli, PA, 10:30 a.m. You can register by visiting the Diocesan website clicking here. The service will be officiated by the Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez. The preacher will be the Rev. Dr. Kenyatta R. Gilbert, Dean of Howard University’s Divinity School.  A new icon of The Blessed Absalom Jones will also be commissioned.   

On Sunday, February 15 at 4pm, A Service of Celebration of the Life and Ministry of the Rev. Absalom Jones will take place at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas – 6361 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151.  The guest preacher will be the Former Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Michael Curry.  

Provided by Episcopal Community Services, edited by ECS Chaplain The Rev. Kyle Evans