ATLANTA — Black churches across metro Atlanta bid farewell to 2023 during their annual “Watch Night Services.”
The service is a chance for congregations to come together and celebrate the new year right before midnight.
E. Dewey Smith, Jr., the Senior Pastor at the House of Hope Atlanta, told WSB Tonight’s Larry Spruill that Watch Night Services are a staple in the black church.
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“Even though it’s not as connected to history as I think it should be, I do still think it promises freedom. Those who have been bound from past hurt and past trauma. A new year, a new calendar, and hope,” Pastor Smith said.
Smith said the service dates back to 1862 when slaves gathered in anticipation of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, which was set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 1863.
“Watch night service is unique to African Americans,” he said. “The slaves would gather in worship and prayer in hoping and expectation that that document would be signed.”
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This year, Smith has stepped up a notch with the help of a gas pump and a motorcycle on stage.
“Tonight’s whole theme is about refueling. Our theme for 2024 is reset,” said Smith.
It’s a message Pastor Smith said many can use in 2024.
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