Why Should Delaware Care?
The Mother African Union Church is one of the oldest Black-founded congregations in Delaware and served as a refuge for generations of people. A fire that destroyed the church building on Sunday brought faith leaders, neighbors and elected officials to an event to declare their support for the future of the congregation.
At first, JoAnn Eatmon was certain the video clip showing flames shooting high above her beloved church in Wilmington’s Cool Spring neighborhood had been created by artificial intelligence. The scene seemed too unbelievable to be real.
Then, she noticed the flowers in a set of pots she had placed near the front door of the church just days earlier.
“I saw our flower pots and that let me know it was real,” Eatmon said.
Eatmon was one of several congregants of the Mother African Union Church who gathered Monday outside the charred ruins of the historic sanctuary for a news conference. Many embraced in disbelief as they reflected on the loss of the building, which had served as the physical home of the 200-year-old congregation since the 1960s.
Others — including the church’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker II — emphasized the congregation’s resolve to rebuild.
Whitaker described the fire as one of the “most painful moments” in the church’s history but said the congregation’s future remained bright.
“For more than two centuries, this congregation has survived hardship, injustice, storms and struggle, and by the grace of God we’re still standing,” Whitaker said during the news event, which drew elected officials, neighbors and members from other area congregations.
The commitment to rebuilding emerged as a central theme throughout the event. One speaker proclaimed that the congregation’s “latter state will be better than its formal state.” Another compared the devastating blaze to the 2019 fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was rebuilt in the years later.
New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry, who lives in the city, said he would provide dollars to the church for the rebuild.
“Please count us in in helping this rebuild effort,” Henry said.
Also speaking at the news conference was Wilmington Fire Chief John Looney, who said fire officials were still in the early stages of an investigation to determine the cause of the early-Sunday morning blaze.
Looney said officials were awaiting an assessment from a structural engineer before sending investigators into the ruins. While he spoke, the stone walls of the historic church stood behind him. Most of the remaining structure was destroyed by the fire.
Pressed whether he could quell gossip that had spread about the blaze, Looney noted that he had seen several rumors online, but reiterated that it was too early to release information.
The fire chief did confirm that two firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the blaze.
Also speaking were elected officials who expressed their condolences, including Gov. Matt Meyer, and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
A spiritual home for generations
The speakers Monday also reflected on the historical significance of Mother African Union Church, describing it as a spiritual home for generations of Black people in Delaware.
The church’s former pastor, the Rev. Lawrence M. Livingston, told the story of how the congregation was founded in 1813 by Peter Spencer, a formerly enslaved man who became one of the country’s most influential religious leaders at the time.
Livingston called Spencer a figure whose significance to American history was “right up there with the Founding Fathers.”
“This congregation was the first incorporated African American congregation in the country,” Livingston said.
Spencer initially led about 40 people out of a predominantly white church in 1805, according to the church website’s history page. Then the groups later split from the Methodist Episcopal denomination after “it became clear the congregation of African Americans would not be allowed to select their own preachers or trustee leaders.”
Over the subsequent decades, the congregation spoke out about injustices beyond Delaware, according to newspaper archives. A public notice posted in a 1831 edition of the Delaware Gazette described how Spencer and other members of the church publicly opposed the ongoing colonization of Africa.
“Resolved that this meeting view with deep regret the attempt now making to colonize the free people of color on the western coast of Africa,” the public notice stated.
Shortly after founding the congregation, Spencer also started an annual gathering of members of his methodist denomination. The event, called the August Quarterly, attracted thousands of Black people from across the region for generations.
It continues to this day.
“That has been happening every year since 1814,” Livingston said.
In recent years, the church has continued to be a site for activism. Community advocate and August Quarterly organizer, Alicia Clark, recounted how a decade ago Livingston opened the church to accommodate an investigation she organized into claims of racism in state government.
Her team was able to interview individuals within the safety and comfort of the church building, which allowed them to candidly share their stories, Clark said.
“This was one of the locations where we hosted a town hall, which was really important because it’s based here in the community. It’s a trusted institution,” Clark said.
