According to PlanPhilly, after the implosion of the Norman Blumberg Apartments last Saturday, a nearby church now looks to the future. Miller Memorial Baptist, located on North 22nd Street since 1926, has had a long and storied history in the community and has seen its own share of adversity; in the 1960s, it survived a destructive fire just days before Christmas.

Over the years the church has witnessed the neighborhood change and families move, but now there is a renewed hope that the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s neighborhood transformation plan will grow the community and strengthen Memorial Baptist’s congregation.

Following the implosion of the Blumberg apartment buildings, thousands of residents have been displaced and the church has felt the repercussions.

“Some of our members lived in Blumberg. They had to relocate. They were very active… Now they’ve moved all over the city. Unless our van goes to pick them up the transportation is limited. So not only is the environment changing but it’s changing the culture of our church,” Sunday School Superintendent Rhoda Chasten told PlanPhilly.

Cynthia Fisher, a trustee 66-year member of the church, is optimistic for the future of the church, saying, “I’ve seen a lot of changes. I know when this was the area to be in. We’ve seen some changes happen. We’re seeing multiple changes before us now, as we walk around, drive around, the new construction going up and I think it’s for the better of the community.”