Church leader finds hope after vandalism
When Pastor Ouemonde Brangman found out that vandals had destroyed eight antique windows at the tiny church he tends on Route 9 near Milton, he found opportunity reflecting in the shards of glass.
The faith leader didn't despair, but instead turned to his architectural skills and started sketching.
For years, Brangman has been working to upgrade New Zion AME Church, a simple building that was built in the 1920s, one of Sussex County's earliest community centers. Grand plans of a new entrance and steeple had been tucked away, until one April day when renovations were forced on the church.
Insurance covered most of the $10,000 associated with replacing the old windows, which were drafty and outdated, Brangman said. The new windows are energy-efficient, as well as bronze-tinted, providing a hint of the proposed makeover for the building.
In addition to replacing the windows, Brangman said there's an opportunity to build a new entrance with a ramp for people with disabilities, a new foyer, replace the building's siding, and, if enough funding is raised, erect a steeple on the small house of worship.
“The vandalism forced me to rethink,” he said. “If we're going to start it, we might as well finish it.”
All of the renovations come with a price tag of nearly $30,000, Brangman said, which is a lot to raise for the small congregation – which sees about a dozen or more weekly worshippers. He said about $2,800 is needed for surveying and permitting alone.
In the seven years that Brangman has led the church, he renovated downstairs offices and the foundation, and he recently completed a new kitchen to assist in New Zion's shelter services. New Zion AME was the first unofficial Code Purple shelter established in the area, Brangman said.
“We may be a small church, but we do a lot for the community,” he said. New Zion regularly houses homeless men in the colder months, as well as providing food, clothing and financial assistance to local families in need.
Brangman said he and church members are planning in-house fundraising events, but will truly need the community's support to raise enough money to renovate the church.
“We would definitely appreciate the support,” Brangman said. So far, about $3,000 has been raised.
New Zion AME Church was one of two Cape Region churches vandalized the morning of April 10. White's Chapel United Methodist Church had 11 windows and its front door broken, while eight windows were broken at New Zion AME. Delaware State Police spokesman Master Cpl. Gary Fournier said the investigation of the vandalism is going, and no arrests have been made.
The first fundraising event will be held at the church during a prayer breakfast at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 29. New Zion AME is at 28594 Lewes-Georgetown Highway in Milton. Donations are $7. The next fundraiser will be held Saturday, Oct. 24.
For more information or to make a donation, call Brangman at 302-249-6783, go to www.gofundme.com/ejxcb7ns or mail to PO Box 236, Harbeson, 19952.
