"The West Indies Sugar Factory, also known as the Bethlehem Sugar Factory, built a little village next to the factory that the cane cutters, railroad and factory workers lived. The workers at the factory had to go a distance to either the town of Christiansted or Frederiksted to worship. In those days, in their Sunday best, they either walked or rode in a donkey cart into town.
The workers very much wanted a church near the factory. Even though there was great resistance to any Methodist movement in the Danish West Indies prior to 1917 (The only official denominations authorized to practice at the time were Anglican, Moravian, Roman Catholic and Lutheran), it is believed that a Rev. Thomas Agaard, a Methodist missionay, began holding worship services in the rear of his dry good store in the Bethlehem Village . The first Beulah AME Zion Church (Hurricane Hugo detroyed the original church) was built between 1925 and 1926. The cornerstone located in the front of the belfry of the original church building had the marking “AMEZ 1926”. The land upon which the Beulah Church was first erected and now stands was a gift from Mr. Jacob Lachmann, the principle owner of the West Indian Sugar Factory. The deed to the propeerty, located in Estate Bethlehem, was signed on November 27, 1925 by Karl Lachmann, jacob's nephew, states: “The Gift is made of the said African Methodist Episcopal Zion church and for edificies for religious purposes solely...”
The Bethlehem village, a thriving community in its days, was the site of the West Indian Factory, which owned and operated sugar plantations on about one-third of the island of St. Croix. Many persons have expressed the pleasant memories of the times spent at the Bethlehem Village on Sunday's following church when the baseball and cricket fields were bustling with activities and families would enjoy lunch on the Beulah Church grounds. Also, the Christmas cantatas were something to behold.
Hurricane Hugo devastated the island of St. Croix on September 17 and 18, 1989, and severly damaged the historic Beulah Church building. Unfortunately, the church officials at the time did not see the wisdom in restoring the historic structure and it was completely demolished. The only thing salvaged was the church bell which now sits in front of the present church building. The church was rebuilt with the addition of classrooms and dedicated on September 15, 1991.
A Short History of African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
The AME Zion church was officially born October 1796, the new Black denomination was chartered in 1801 and firmly established in 1820 when the leaders voted themselves out of the White Methodist Episcopal Church. The next year, church founders agreed to call the church the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America. But to distinguish the New York-based group from the Philadelphia Black Methodist movement which emerged about the same time, the word "Zion" was added to the title during the church's general conference in 1848. With its identity problems resolved, the AME Zion Church made the salvation of the whole person--mind, body and spirit--its top priority. At the crux of its ministry lay racial justice, peace and harmony, thus earning it the title, the Freedom Church.
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Devoted to religious, educational and social causes, the AME Zion Church and its members have been instrumental in many of the freedom struggles of this nation, dating back to the days when former slaves Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman led the first wave of Black social activism. Since that time, AME Zion members have made other significant contributions. AME Zion Bishop Alexander Walters, along with Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, helped to found the NAACP. Bishop Walters was also a pioneering member of the Pan-African Congress. And many of the denomination's clergy and lay people were active participants in the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s. ”
Enough history...
This is what you are looking for... a tubular cache, not visible from outside the gate. You have permission to enter onto the property and look around. If the gate is close, you can pull it open, but please close it upon leaving.
If the church is in session, you are welcome to join the congregation. They welcome everyone but, the only one that know about the cache is the Minister of the church.
The cache was initially populated with:
- “Rescued Canadian Key Chain” Travel Bug
- Couple of “Income for Life” business cards
- A piece of Crucian coral
- A log sheet.
FTF: Congratulation colonjm, a newcomer to geocaching. Welcome to a world of fun.