ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
The Second Baptist Church of Santa Ana celebrates its 100th year of service and endeavors to remain a beacon of hope and unity within the bitterly divided American landscape.

SYNOPSIS
The film will document The Second Baptist Church of Santa Ana (SBC) throughout 2023 as it celebrates its 100th year of service as the oldest historically Black church in Orange County, CA. Having endured segregation, untimely leadership changes, and brutal violence, SBC endeavors as a beacon of hope, meeting a renewed call to forge unity within the bitterly divided American landscape.

The story begins with the planning of the official 100th Anniversary in February 2023. Second Baptist Church, a predominantly Black church, nestled in the midst of a predominantly Latino and Asian community, has been anticipating this event for some time. The anniversary will introduce us to the current congregation which is increasingly diverse. It’s about 85% African American but there is a growing number of Latino, Asian and white members, due to the extensive work of its energetic leader Pastor Ivan S. Pitts.

The nonlinear storyline will shift between the church’s early years and the Senior Pastor’s current efforts to promote unity within the community. SBC was founded in 1923 by a small group of black residents with financial and spiritual support from First Baptist Church of Santa Ana, a white congregation. Today the church’s Pastor, Dr. Ivan Pitts is forging a model of tolerance and inclusiveness that is increasingly absent in mainline Christian communities. In the 1960’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. observed that 11:00 am on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America. Unfortunately, his words still ring true today. However, SBC remains dedicated to changing this reality.

The film will also touch on the church's response to police violence and disparities of health care and mental health, a taboo subject within the African American Community, brought to the fore by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Allen Burnett
PRODUCER Braelan Murray

WEBSITE 100yearsofhope.org

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