On the second Sunday of August, the congregation of Berean Baptist Church in Brooklyn was dressed in white. After the opening prayer, on a series of large screens flanking the altar, appeared the first installment of a six-part short documentary series on the church’s history, “The Audacity of Faith: Freedom From Freedom To.” Archival photographs and animated images brought to life a vision of Berean’s founders, who, in 1850, built 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.
From the balcony, 27-year-old filmmaker and drummer Jahleel Hills rolled the first frame. Hills, who runs his own production company, Hype Man Hills Productions, and has directed comedy specials on Amazon Prime and live performances of up-and-coming musicians, produced “The Audacity of Faith” under the guidance of Berean’s elders.
“It didn’t feel like a gig at all,” he said. “It really just feels like I’m a part of this history. Every Sunday I walk into this church and feel that. Using my gifts for the service and for the glory of God, it’s beautiful.”
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Hills is a sixth-generation member of Berean on his father’s side and fourth generation on his mother’s. His parents married in the church, and he and his three siblings grew up in its youth group and ministries, learning, under its roof, to play drums, worship and serve.
Antionette Nelson, 69, a second-generation Berean member, deacon, stalwart of the history committee and co-founder of the independent music label 1990 Records, got the idea for a docuseries to enshrine the church’s history for its 175th anniversary. For months leading up to the August 10 anniversary, Nelson and the committee had been combing through the church archives, assembling a script with church historian, and Nelson’s sister, Louise. But she knew they needed someone who could breathe motion and music into history.
“I could just hear the music in the background, see the images,” Nelson said. “I needed someone to pull it all together. So, I asked Jahleel, ‘Can you be the point person? Can you take the lead?’”
Nelson had known of Hills’ connections in the music and entertainment industry, as he often came to her after church for advice on contracts, negotiations and industry know-how. She recognized his skill set and, when the church began envisioning producing something fresh and different, his name came to mind.
Hills agreed without hesitation. “I think it’s important to keep telling and retelling these stories,” Hills said. “I think it’s important, too, to always tell young people where we came from.”
The six-part documentary series will trace the history of Berean Baptist Church from its founding in 1850 to the present day. It will highlight pivotal moments in the church’s legacy, from serving as a station on the Underground Railroad, to opening a credit union for members in 1950, to developing a senior living center and affordable housing units in the 2010s that continue to operate in Brooklyn today.
Each episode, running two to five minutes, will be released monthly over the next six months. Nelson hopes to publish the series on the church’s social media platforms and share it with local cultural and historical centers, ensuring it reaches beyond the congregation.
According to national literacy statistics, 54% of adults between the ages of 16 and 74 read below a sixth-grade level. Nelson said this statistic strongly influenced her decision to tell Berean’s story on film.
“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.
Hills said he feels a responsibility to use his talents to uplift the church he grew up in and to collaborate with the people he was raised around, many of whom he considers mentors. While researching his family history, Hills discovered his great-great-uncle, Coyal McMahon, was a Broadway performer in the 1950s.
“Learning history, it really gives you a sense that I could do anything,” Hills said. “It showed me that my ancestors and relatives were doing amazing things before I was even a thought. It gives me encouragement to keep doing what I’m doing.”
For Nelson, the hope for “The Audacity of Faith: Freedom From, Freedom To” is simple but lasting.
“I hope to get out of this as much excitement and respect and passion about Berean’s history, to see it as an institution that younger people see is worth preserving because now it’s connected to them, connected to who they are, is connected to their identity,” Nelson said. “If I can leave anything to the next generation, it’s that legacy, that this is who you are.”
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