A simple mailbox. Sharing Christmas joy at St. John A.M.E. Church in Birmingham

On Friday, Bham Now visited several churches in town, and took pictures of Christmas greenery, altars and nativity scenes.

“Loving kindness” – Preparing for Christmas in Birmingham (a photo essay)

During the visit with Rev. Mashod Evans, the pastor at St. John A.M.E. Church, we came upon this mailbox.

St. Johns A simple mailbox. Sharing Christmas joy at St. John A.M.E. Church in Birmingham
St. John A.M.E Church in Birmingham – Christmas mailbox

I asked Rev. Evans, why there was a mailbox inside the front entrance of the church?

He told me, the tradition at the church was for parishioners to place Christmas cards in the mailbox, then the church collects the letters and places them in each members “post office slot or cubbies” across from the mailbox.

St. John 4 1 A simple mailbox. Sharing Christmas joy at St. John A.M.E. Church in Birmingham
St. John A.M.E. Church’s “postal cubbies”

He said, it saves folks postage, but it was also a special way for the community to connect during Christmas at the church.

What a simple, special way to spread Christmas joy and love.

One of Birmingham’s oldest churches, St. John A.M.E. Church was founded just two years after Birmingham was established. It was one of the leading churches that helped strategize and support the civil rights movement in the city.

 

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Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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