CROWN HEIGHTS — “THE AUDACITY OF FAITH,” A SIX-PART DOCUMENTARY on the history of Berean Baptist Church, has debuted as part of the congregation’s 175th anniversary. Jahleel Hills, a sixth-generation congregant and 27-year-old filmmaker, produced “The Audacity of Faith: Freedom From Freedom To” to trace the church’s legacy from its involvement in the Underground Railroad to its current outreach ministry that includes housing and senior services, reports the Religion News Service.
The documentary features archival photographs and animated images chronicling the vision of Berean Baptist Church, established in 1850, and its founders’ vision of creating “a spiritual and communal home intended for both free Black Americans and white abolitionists determined to create a sanctuary of dignity in a hostile world,” according to RNS.
While Hills describes his documentary as “a part of this history,” church elders also envision the documentary as a means of engaging younger generations and reversing a membership decline. Subsequent episodes will roll out monthly on church platforms and at cultural centers.
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