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| Abyssinian Baptist Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| 40°49′0″N 73°56′30″W / 40.81667°N 73.94167°W | |
| Location | New York City |
| Country | USA |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Associations | National Baptist Convention, USA and American Baptist Churches USA |
| Website | abyssinian |
| History | |
| Founded | 1808 |
| Founder(s) | Thomas Paul |
The Abyssinian Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch located at 132 West 138th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Lenox Avenue in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA and American Baptist Churches USA.[1]
The Abyssinian Baptist Church congregation traces its history to 1809, when seamen from the Ethiopian Empire (then known as Abyssinia) helped lead a walk-out protest against racially segregated church seating, and its congregation began to meet independently. Thomas Paul was an early minister of the church. During the 20th and 21st century, prominent ministers of the church included Adam Clayton Powell Sr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Samuel DeWitt Proctor,[2][3] and Calvin O. Butts. The church has served as an influential place for African-American spirituality, politics and community.
The church worshiped in several places before building the present church structure Its present building was built in 1922–23 and was designed by Charles W. Bolton & Son in Gothic Revival and Tudor Revival styles – it has also been described as "Collegiate Gothic".[4] It features stained glass windows and marble furnishings. The church and its associated community house were designated a New York City Landmark on July 13, 1993.[5]
- ^ "Find A Church". ABCUSA. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
fromatozwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 543. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
- ^ Moore, Christopher and Dolkart, Andrew S. "Abyssinian Baptist Church and Community House Designation Report"[permanent dead link] New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (July 13, 1993)