Seven Acres and a Church

Seven Acres and a Church is an urgent call to action following Ms. Georgia Benton, a community matriarch, as she leads the fight to preserve First Bryan Baptist Church—the oldest continuous Black Baptist church in America—and the heart of her Yamacraw community. Yamacraw Village, the predominantly Black, low-income neighborhood surrounding the church, is slated for demolition after decades of systemic neglect. The historic congregation fears the destruction and subsequent erasure of the church in Savannah, Georgia. “My fear is, they will pin us in till we die,” warns Pastor Pittman, the twenty-first pastor in the church’s 237 years. This documentary unpacks the high-stakes battle for faith, heritage, and survival, revealing the devastating consequences of erasure and the resilience of a community refusing to be forgotten.