LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Bethel
AME Church of Copiague, New York, on October 31, 2015

WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and
WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and this Nation to pay
tribute to those institutions and individuals who have contributed to
the ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body takes pleasure in commemorat-
ing the 200th Anniversary of Bethel AME Church of Copiague, New York, to
be celebrated at a Gala event on Saturday, October 31, 2015, at the
Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York; and
WHEREAS, The earliest known black church founded in Long Island, the
Bethel AME Church has provided spiritual fulfillment and outreach to the
Amityville community for the past two centuries; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1815, the Bethel AME Church was founded in
Amityville, New York, by Daniel Squires and Delaney H. Miller, both of
whom had also started a Sunday school the previous year; over the next
20 years, both the school and the church met in the homes of residents
in the Amityville community; and
WHEREAS, In 1839, Elias and Fanny Hunter offered land on Albany Avenue
to the congregation, and a building previously used as an icehouse was
donated and moved to the site; after being refurbished, this small
building served as the Bethel AME Church's first church edifice, and
included an auditorium, stained glass windows, and a steeple by 1843;
and
WHEREAS, Benjamin Bates served as the first pastor for the Bethel AME
Church, traveling from Jamaica, Queens, each Sunday on foot to preach to
the congregation; and
WHEREAS, As its membership continued to expand, the Bethel AME Church
moved in the 1960s, to a larger building in Copiague, New York, where it
has continued to serve its community up to the present day; and
WHEREAS, Under the illustrious leadership of Senior Pastor Reverend
Keith Hayward, Bethel AME Church now stands on the threshold of tomor-
row, prepared to meet the challenges of the coming decades while retain-
ing that spiritual resolve which characterizes its past; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of
enduring religious institutions and to bring such institutions to the
attention of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Bethel AME Church of Copiague,
New York, fully confident that this commemoration reflects the belief in
those values which enhance the dignity and purpose of life; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Reverend Keith Hayward, Senior Pastor, Bethel AME Church,
Copiague, New York.