Tapestry founders Kyle Brooks (left) and Bernard Emerson prepare for the first service Sunday. Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle
Black, white Oakland churches to merge into one
"One pastor is black, an Oakland native with a congregation of African American families in East Oakland. The other pastor is white, an Oakland transplant with a congregation of predominantly white young singles new to the East Bay city.
The two men met a couple of years ago at a community meeting of clergy and became fast friends, occasionally attending each other’s church functions. They saw more similarities than differences.
“One day we got the bright idea and asked what would it look like for us to be one church,” said Bernard Emerson, 48, pastor of the Way church in East Oakland, which he founded nearly four years ago and has about 30 parishioners."