Famous history of Rochester revisited: Roots of Revival & Reformation

“I Am Rochester,” a full-length documentary produced by LifeTree Media & Movement, is about the spiritual and social history of the Rochester region. Directed by Pastor Garrett Wendt, and written by Pastor Mark DuPre and Wendt, this locally produced film has been nearly four years in the making. It premiered April 24 at Bethel Christian Fellowship in Rochester, and will be released on select streaming platforms on May 1.

“Our goal is to remind everyone living here that Rochester has an identity of its own that sets it apart,” says Wendt. “We had the most transformative and powerful Christian revival in American history take place here with the Rev. Charles Finney, and we’re also the home of world renown reformers, Frederick, Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. But there is so much more that sets us apart, from the unification of the Haudenosaunee Nations to the great William Morgan and Sam Patch scandals to the rise of Mormonism and Spiritualism. Rochester has always been a hotbed religiously, and has been an influential center for unity, abolition, and the elevation of women. It’s time to recognize and reclaim the identity that God’s given us.”

The film features reenactments of some of the more important moments in Rochester’s history, as well as interviews with many local and even national leaders, such as Rev. Dr. Alveda King (niece of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.), Kenneth B. Morris (great, great, great grandson of Frederick Douglass), Chuck Pierce, and Dutch Sheets to name a few.

For information on the film or to see movie’s trailer, go to www.iamrochester.com. 

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