“We realized that in order to be relevant and capture people’s attention, we have to do something a little bit different,” Nelson said. “For those who might not be able to sit and read a book, you have to find other ways to share information.”
Nelson described the project as “an intergenerational collaboration” between Hills and the history committee — elders contributing wisdom and younger members offering technical expertise.
“All the youth want is permission,” Nelson said. “They don’t want to feel like they’re imposing themselves on an institution. They just want you to create space for them, space to figure out how they can fit in. And that’s where we, as seniors, have to create those spaces.”
A 2021 Pew Research Center study found that nearly half of young Black Americans — 49% of Black Millennials and 46% of Black Gen Zers — say they “rarely” or “never” attend religious services. Berean’s membership has declined since the 1960s, when hundreds filled the pews each week; today, Sunday attendance averages about 100 to 150 people.
Berean’s longtime pastor, the Rev. Arlee Arkofa, who has led the church for 36 years, hopes the docuseries can help reverse that decline. “Especially in a time when so many of our young adults are leaving New York City, and understandably so with the cost of living here, persons like Jahleel are bringing their talents back to Brooklyn, and we are excited about being able to support him and his dreams,” Arkofa said.
An image of Brooklyn’s Berean Baptist Church from a documentary about its history, titled, “The Audacity of Faith: Freedom From Freedom To.” (Image courtesy of Jahleel Hills)
