Bishop Frank M. Reid III has made more than a lasting impression during his 28 years at Bethel AME Church, judging by the illustrious send-off he received from the congregation following his last sermon there on August 28.
Bishiop Frank Reid’s Last Service as Pastor of Baltimore’s Bethel AME Church.
Reid took over the reigns from legendary pastor John Richard Bryant, and now he is moving on to a new church in a new role. As he prepares for the transition Reid reflected on his legacy at Bethel, the growth of Baltimore, and his immediate future.
In July, Reid was elected as the new Bishop for the African Methodist Episcopal Church in nearby Washington D.C. On Aug. 28, Reid addressed the West Baltimore congregation that he called home for nearly three decades for the last time, an experience he described as “painful.”
“I mean painful in the sense of a woman who is experiencing labor pains, having giving birth to a child,” he said. “For 28 years Bethel and I gave birth to a new way of worship, a new way of doing church.”
Reid noted the household names that have visited Bethel during his time, from author Terry McMillan to Nation of Islam leader The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Despite the big names that have graced Bethel with their presence, Reid said he is more proud of the growth of some of his members.
Bishiop Frank Reid’s Last Service as Pastor of Baltimore’s Bethel AME Church.
“After 28 years, when I looked out the congregation and saw former drug dealers and users, former prostitutes who now own their own homes and are positive productive citizens, it really hit me,” he said. They came to support and say goodbye, it was a necessary ending so that Bethel could go on to its next stage and I could go on to my next stage of greater works.”
Although a new leader for the Bethel congregation has not been named, Reid said he is confident in the foundation that he has laid.
“People said nobody could follow John Bryant, and 28 years later they are saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s going to be difficult to follow Frank Reid,’” he said. “Whoever the new person is, they will do an excellent job and they will take Bethel higher than I took it.”
The Baltimore that Reid first addressed from the Bethel pulpit in 1988 is a far cry from the city that exists today, in both positive and negative ways. Despite the negative publicity brought to the city following the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015 and the subsequent uprising that ensued, Reid said he looks at the city through a positive lens and remains optimistic.
Bishiop Frank Reid’s Last Service as Pastor of Baltimore’s Bethel AME Church.
“It would be easy to talk about what’s wrong with Baltimore, when one looks at and really goes on” said Reid. “Walk through the neighborhoods, drive through the neighborhoods, when one sees Renaissance High and how even if in the midst of at least three students being killed last year, they had a wonderful graduating class.”
Reid praised the many citizens who are making strides to make the city better, including author Wes Moore and athletic brand Under Armour.
“Wes Moore will be on Oprah because he is a symbol of what is right in Baltimore, look at Under Armour” said Reid. “Baltimore is a blessed city, Baltimore’s best days are in front of us.”
In his new role, Reid said he plans various humanitarian acts, but said a key goal is a “voter registration pact.” Reid has long stressed the importance of the Black vote, and he feels an alliance among Black churches could make a difference.
“Votes are the gasoline of politics, but money is the engine,” said Reid.