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Bethel A.M.E. in Tarentum builds community connections through fish fry | TribLIVE.com
Valley News Dispatch

Bethel A.M.E. in Tarentum builds community connections through fish fry

Tawnya Panizzi
Tawnya Panizzi
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Tawnya Panizzi | Tribune-Review
Troy Rowe drops fish into the fryer during the second of two annual fish fries at the Bethel A.M.E. Church in Tarentum.
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Tawnya Panizzi | Tribune-Review
Tom Pendergast (left) picks up fish dinners from Reuben King during the annual fish fry at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Tarentum.
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Courtesy of Reuben King
George Poole (left) and Bobby Rowe, organizers of the church fish fry, at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Tarentum.
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Tawnya Panizzi | Tribune-Review
Jarrett Coleman Boxley shows off a fish dinner, one of hundreds sold during the annual fish fries, at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Tarentum.

Tom Pendergast knew better than to procrastinate ordering his fish dinner from Bethel A.M.E. Church on Saturday.

“It’s always good,” said Pendergast, a Brackenridge resident who has patronized the sale for years. “And it always sells out.”

More than 100 people flocked to the church along West Seventh Avenue in Tarentum between noon at 4 p.m. last Saturday, the second weekend date of its annual pre-Lenten fish fry. The first event was Feb. 5.

“We are very fortunate that a lot of people stop in, whether they are members of the church or not,” said Troy Rowe, whose father, Bobby, organizes the annual Men’s Day fundraiser with fellow member George Poole.

Rowe has volunteered his cooking skills for years, and it shows.

He manned the bank of sizzling deep fryers like a professional, dunking the fillets with precision. Inside the small church kitchen, Rowe boiled a stockpot full of corn on the cob while simultaneously frying hush puppies and stirring a vat of baked beans.

“We have it down to a system,” he said with a laugh.

For $10, patrons got a takeout dinner that included three sides. Fish sandwiches and coleslaw went for $8.

Bethel A.M.E. has offered the February fish fries since the early 1990s. Proceeds benefit church operations, Rowe said.

The church, at the corner of West Seventh and Western avenues, marked its 100th year of service in 2017.

Founded by the Rev. Lula Moore, the church prides itself on the mission of inclusion.

Reuben King was brought up in the church, where his great-grandmother was a member. King talked about the church’s legacy while he bagged fish dinners during the fundraiser.

“Something like the fish fry helps bring people in who aren’t familiar with the church,” he said. “It puts a face to what we are trying to do and builds a connection.”

Bethel A.M.E. boasts about 50 members. It’s a close-knit family environment, said parishioner Jarrett Coleman Boxley.

“We have multiple generations that attend, but we also try to provide for the community,” he said. “We want to build new connections.”

Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.

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Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch
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