First Baptist Church in Tarentum to host roving MLK memorial service

The Rev. Helen Burton believes there has never been a better time to preach Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages of unity.

“He was always teaching about love and caring for others,” said Burton, pastor at First AME Church in Clairton.

“These days, it appears to be every person for themselves, and we have to change that. We have to go back to the landmark of love.”

Burton will be the guest speaker at the annual roving MLK memorial service celebrated at the start of Black History Month.

First Baptist Church of Tarentum will host the event at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5. The church is at 410 Third Ave. The service is open to all.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Felicia Brock, said she is excited for the chance to celebrate and recognize King’s legacy.

“We think it’s really important to pause and take time to recognize icons like him,” Brock said.

Sponsored by the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, the event serves as a fundraiser for the group’s MLK scholarships awarded each year to local high school seniors.

A freewill offering will be accepted, with proceeds benefiting the scholarship fund.

More than 200 teens have been awarded scholarships since the program’s inception.

Karen Snair, AVAC executive director, said the memorial service has been held every year since the civil rights leader was assassinated in 1968.

The 55th service Sunday will focus on King’s message of hope, with a majority of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech read aloud.

The service usually draws about 100 people.

It is the first time in two years the church service will be in person after being streamed on Facebook during the pandemic. Snair hopes the in-person worship will attract a packed crowd.

Burton, a preacher for nearly five decades, jumped at the chance to return to the Alle-Kiski Valley, where she spent her first years behind the pulpit at Bethel AME in Tarentum.

“I love that area, and I’m elated to come back and be in the midst of people of the Valley,” Burton said. “My message will be something uplifting to help people take a look at where we came from and where we’re heading.

“We’ve come a long way since Dr. King gave his life, but we have a long way to go.”