The Block Church - Port Richmond — Attraction in Philadelphia

I attended The Block Church for a season and truly wanted to call it home. I was baptized here and met people who impacted my walk with God. Unfortunately, my experience also included hurtful treatment that I cannot ignore. During worship, Brittani Toole, a program director and leader, asked me to move to the back because I had my trained therapy dog, Kingsley, with me. She told me it looked “silly” on the livestream cameras and later suggested my dog could be the reason someone “doesn’t get saved.” As someone with documented mental health needs, those comments felt deeply ableist and stigmatizing. Kingsley has attended services, prayer nights, and events many times before without issue. He sits quietly on my lap and supports me. To be told my presence with him was “silly” was humiliating. When I tried to address this with Brittani and later Pastor Xavier, I hoped for accountability and understanding. Instead, I felt dismissed. Brittani denied her comments, focused on excuses, and asked me for instant grace and forgiveness without showing responsibility. Xavier explained it was about sound feedback, which made sense, but if that were the case, I should have been told that clearly in the first place. The word “silly” revealed more concern with church image than with inclusivity. He excused her behavior by saying she’s ‘busy’ on Sundays. However, if someone cannot balance their responsibilities without being discriminatory toward others, then perhaps church leadership is not the right role for them. What also concerned me was the worship and school of leadership “contracts.” Members are asked to sign agreements that go beyond scheduling and expectations, they dictate personal lifestyle and behavior in ways that feel more controlling than Christlike. Serving God should come from love and free will, not out of fear of breaking rules or losing your place on a team. I also saw similar treatment of others. My friend saw a family with a disabled child asked to sit in the back. I have heard inappropriate comments made from various leaders. I also noticed leadership supporting divisive and conservative political voices, which contradicts the message of love and unity taught by Jesus. This isn’t about perfection, no church is perfect. But it is about accountability and whether people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, or marginalized groups feel safe and included. In my case, I did not. I left services feeling more hurt and excluded than uplifted. This church feels controlling. The idea of people signing up to become ‘members’ and sign contracts comes across as restrictive and cult-like. I am grateful for the good I experienced here, but I cannot stay where image, control, and performance seem prioritized over compassion, accountability, and radical inclusion. I will forever advocate and not turn a blind eye. Jesus welcomed everyone, especially the marginalized. Sadly, I did not feel that same...

I had been in Español for almost a year. My experience is, if the pastors like you, you’re good, but if they don’t, you will know it. And if they feel intimidated by you? You would be neglected and out of mind.

These pastors don’t care to do follow ups, but of course, that’s if they don’t like you. My opinion, they run the church as a business only wanting numbers. They lack a lot in understanding that their responsibilities also lies in building trust in relationships and being concerned with individuals going through hardships and the salvation for the whole congregation, but of course this again is only if they care for you.

They also don’t like corrections nor questions directed to them about how they run the church. They can’t take it when someone disagrees with them. My thought? They seem to be a couple or leaders who run the church under potential cult.

I don’t need arrogant pastors, I need pastors who know how to lead. Who depends totally on God. I need pastors who whether they like you or not, lay down their life for the sheep and in return they will receive honor, respect and love. A humble pastor works towards helping the congregation to be also humble. In Español, all I saw was arrogant pastors, who drove me in with open arms until they knew …I had pastored. I think other pastors know what I am...

I'm all for praising Jesus and not an atheist at all. This is not a fight against God but your building and it's rude participants. This is a quiet friendly neighborhood until Friday and Sunday. The parking hanging off corners and causing accidents has got to stop please. No one that lives in a two block radius can even leave on a Sunday morning because you come home to cars park practically on top of each other or hanging off corners. When the actual residents try to speak kindly and ask them please do not park there we get rude responses. It's unsafe when a person with a dog or a child has to walk around a car and into the street of oncoming vehicles just to go by. This has been an ongoing situation now for over a year. We are tired of the loud music on crodays with your young adult night and Sundays are just out of hand. And I know that the pastors of this particular building both know and should do a little better. If you want to valet cars or need parking than you should of bought a building with a packing lot. Please do better. It's unsafe for our kids , pets, and other...