Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Historic Birmingham church hosting new civil rights visitor center open house on March 28
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St. Paul United Methodist Church is holding its 4th annual celebration of the historic 1963 Palm Sunday March and a tour of the congregation’s new tourist and exhibition center on Saturday, March 28, 10:00AM to 11:30AM.
Located in the heart of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument at 1500 6th Ave N, St. Paul UMC, which is one of Birmingham’s oldest churches, served as the gathering place for the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.
Palm Sunday 1963: From St. Paul’s to City Hall
The upcoming event commemorates the Palm Sunday, April 7,1963 march of more than 1000 demonstrators from the St. Paul’s sanctuary to Birmingham City Hall.
Here is a description of what happened that fateful day from the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church.
“… Rev. Nelson Smith Jr., Rev. A.D. King, and Rev. John Porter, clothed in ministerial robes, led the marchers in a powerful witness for racial equality and human dignity. They encountered a police blockade near Kelly Ingram Park. When they were ordered to stop, the marchers knelt in prayer. That day, 26 marchers were arrested, including the three ministers leading the group.”
North Alabama UMC Bishop Holston preaching
This year’s March 28th event begins with a service of commemoration with North Alabama Bishop L. Jonathan Holston preaching. Tours of the new St. Paul UMC’s Tourist and Exhibition Center will commence after the service.
The new center and the exhibits were made possible by the Jefferson County Commission, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and donors throughout the community.
To learn more about St. Paul UMC’s history and to book a tour at the new center, visit https://stpaulbham.org/tours/
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