THE BLACK CHURCH
What has been made evident in undertaking this project is that while the history of the Black church is being preserved, questions of its future prevail. These questions are housed in the interviews of lay members, pastors, church historians, and ministry teams. Many questioned if their church homes were built to last, while others referenced the foundation of the Church to be its saving grace. By tracing the formation of Black churches we hope to efficiently preserve that which is Black and undeniably sacred while uncovering the relevance of the Black Church amidst the many pandemics suffered by Black people throughout their lives.
Varick Memorial Church, 1818
In the Fall of 1818, 35 enslaved African Americans who desperately longed for religious freedom came under the leadership of the first Bishop of the AME Zion denomination, James Varick. Previously attending The First Methodist Church of New Haven, these enslaved persons were discouraged from taking an active role in the liturgy of the church as they were denied from taking communion on first Sundays, and made to worship in separate quarters. How- ever, upon meeting Varick along with the Reverend Jeremiah Jacobs, they established a new Methodist society. While their new space went by many names such as ‘ThThe Black Methodist Society of New Haven’, ‘ThThe John Wesley Church’, or ‘Big Zion’, they ultimately settled on the name of the denomination’s founder and driving force. ThThroughout the years, Varick Memorial often experienced instability in membership, leadership, and the “the lean years” of the Great Depression. However, the great migration of African Americans from the south to the north was a key event that transformed the size, scope, and ministry of the congregation. From 1818 to the present day, Varick’s mission stands true in its making “...disciples of all nations”.
Dixwell Avenue Congregational UCC, 1820
200 years ago, New Haven contained approximately 1,000 African Americans in its city walls. Due to them being unwelcome within many white churches, a group of 24 free men and women along with white abolitionist, Simeon S. Jocelyn, came together and formed the “African Ecclesial Society”. After renting a little frame church on Temple Street, the church grew into a haven for fugitive slaves and the newly emancipated. By 1837, now known as Dixwell UCC became a pioneer in civil rights throughout New England. Notably, under the leadership of prominent figures including the Reverend Dr. James W.C. Pennington, and the Reverend Amos G. Beman, Dixwell assisted in many abolitionist efforts. Its participation in the United States Supreme Court case, U.S. vs The Amistad is most notable. 200 years later, Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church United Church of Christ continues to uphold its mission in “...binding together followers of Jesus Christ for the purpose of the worship of God”.
Immanuel Baptist Church, 1825
As the oldest Baptist church in the state of Connecticut, Immanuel, formerly known as Third Baptist paved the way for Black worship. Throughout an era of white mob violence and enslaved uprisings, the church quickly became a beacon of hope and a space of safety for Black members. In the same spirit, Immanuel attracted great men of faith such as the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell II to advance the church in membership and impact within the New Haven community. As a result, the church catalyzed the establishment of many prominent Baptist churches in the city and remains an inspiration for community visionaries and dreamers.
Bethel AME Church, 1837
The vision of African American Methodist’s late founder, Bishop Richard Allen, was to set the denomination on a path of growth in New England. Subsequently, Allen sent Black preachers to cities that had more than 100 African Americans including the first pastor of Bethel AME-New Haven, Reverend Eli N. Hall. It was with his vision coupled with the Civil War and Reconstruction era where the Bethel congregation saw great developments in the membership of newly freed African Americans. With God’s grace, the church continues to carry out the spirit of the Free African Society (FAS), an organization in which the AME church evolved, in their commitment to “Save the lost, and serve the needy”.
St. Luke Episcopal Church, 1844
With Alexander Dubois, W.E.B Dubois’s grandfather, as one of its founders, St. Luke Episcopal Church committed itself to social ministry from the start. With its foundation coinciding with the abolishment of slavery, St Luke played a crucial role not only in its inclusion of the newly freed but assisting with the assimilation of Caribbean immigrants within New Haven society. As a result of their activist culture, the church housed some of the greatest activists of their time, including Constance Baker Motley, the first African American woman to sit on the Federal Bench at the U.S. District Court in New York. While the church experienced severe hardships, the history of St. Luke’s reflects the many organizations and civil rights efforts that confront food scarcity, housing insecurity, and educational injustice within Connecticut and across the nation.
St. Matthews UFWB Church, 1918
In 1915, after migrating from the south, a small group of African Americans came together in the desire for Black Christian fellowship. Upon forming a prayer band on 148 Henry Street, the group eventually became chartered as Saint Matthew’s United American Free Will Baptist Church. It was with the late Mother Matilda Gorham’s financial provision that paved the progression of St. Matthews into a community whose history uplifts the sacredness of Black worship.
Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church, 1923
After baptizing her husband in their bathtub, Rosa B. Andrews and Elder Walter birthed Beulah Heights into the world. While only having 12 members, Mother and Elder Andrews preached the infilling of the Holy Ghost until the church saw steady growth in the 1930s. As a result, Beulah generated robust ministries in the fields of Christian education, youth, and music. Under the leadership of great men and women of faith, the church also led efforts in transforming neighborhoods experiencing substance abuse, crime, and dilapidated housing. Enriching the New Haven community during a time of Black renaissance and resurgence has allowed the legacy of Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church to flourish across many arenas and many generations.
St. Martin De Porres, 1942
In 1936, at the request of Mrs. Della Gomes, the Reverend John McLaughlin, pastor of St. Brendan’s Church (New Haven, CT), came to organize “The Blessed Martin de Porres Confraternity for Colored Catholics''. While the community was not initially proposed for worship, their building was later remodeled to incorporate a church named after the Peruvian lay brother of Black and Spanish heritage, Martin de Porres Velasquez. As a result, the new St. Martin De Porres church sought to epitomize the values of its patron saint by establishing a credit union for low-income families, and a parochial school taught by the sisters of Notre Dame de Namur which exists to this day.
Community Baptist Church, 1945
It was on March 10th where a small group of parishioners assembled in the parsonage of the Immanuel Baptist Church to discuss new possibilities. On that day, the Reverend John B. Pharr, a native of Louisiana, was elected to lead a new worship setting entitled Community Baptist. It was three months later when the church convened for the first time with their new pastor and an excited congregation of one hundred and six. While their presence was already prominent in the New Haven area, Community Baptist established their physical habitation by purchasing a building (formerly a Greek Orthodox church) on Shelton Avenue. As time continued, Community has installed seven pastors, each of whom exponentially advanced the congregation, ministry efforts, and the social and economic health of New Haven. Presently, the church continues to be “...a people transformed by God; shining God’s light throughout the community”
Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, 1962
Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church (“CTBC”) held its first service of worship on July 8th, 1962. Under the leadership of Yale Divinity School graduate, Reverend Allen H. Smith, CTBC received steady growth in its congregation, making a new church building of the utmost importance. Despite economic racism pervading throughout the nation, and the challenge of acquiring a mortgage note, CTBC moved into their new home in 1963. As the ‘60s were a crucial time for Black civil rights across the nation, Christian Tabernacle glorified God through community cohesion, the strengthening of healthy family units, and providing housing for the homeless. Decades later, the church further experienced new heights through the exceptional leadership of men and women such as the Rev. Harry Riggs and the Rev. Benita Grubbs.
Shiloh Baptist Church, 1970
After attending the first service at the Church on the Green (New Haven, CT), the Rev. George W. Hampton Sr. felt convinced to start Shiloh Baptist Church. In addition to the church’s beginnings, the Rev. Hampton was prompted by the Holy Ghost to initiate a march in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King. Seven months later, Shiloh hosted both “The Love March”, which celebrated the efforts of civil rights activists and hosted their very first worship service. Over the following years, the church has deeply transformed the lives of generations; providing them “...the tools and shelter to survive the storms of life.”
Black Church at Yale, 1972
Amidst social unrest of the ’70s, the Rev. Samuel Slie and Allen Smith (both graduates of Yale Divinity School) joined a group of undergraduate students in the desire for a new church. It was their vision to provide a space rich in African-American religious tradition, ensuring spiritual self-growth through familiarity and comfortability. Ultimately, the committee chose the name, ‘Black Church at Yale’ in order to reflect the focus and heritage that the community would celebrate. However, BCAY’s mission aimed to transcend social constructions of race by incorporating a variety of cultures and ethnicities. 48 years later, the church continues to “...reach students with the Gospel” and “...helping students grow in their commitment to God”.
Mt. Calvary Revival Center, 1972
In the summer of 1970, Bishop James Perkins, a young spirited-filled minister, was tasked by his Senior Bishop to go back home (New Haven, CT) and open up a storefront church. With faith and vision, Mt. Calvary Revival Center held its first service two years later. Ultimately, however, Bishop Perkins along with his wife, Dr. Tanzella Perkins aimed to foster a sense of belonging not only for locals but for Black Americans nationwide. As a result, Mt. Calvary expanded its worship setting to host State and national services for the Pentecostal denomination. 50 years later, the church continues to aid the physical, mental and spiritual wellness of its congregants with depression and anxiety awareness days, outreach efforts, and preaching the word of God.
First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 1986
On the second Sunday of June 1986, First Calvary Missionary Baptist hosted its very first church service in New Haven’s Holiday Inn hotel. Two years later, the church finally settled into its home on Dixwell Avenue and their presence was rooted in the lives of locals from the beginning. Founded by the Reverend Dr. Boise Kimber of Alabama, First Calvary not only believes in the education, employment, health, and housing of African Americans but by way of Jesus’s ministry, they have established a wide range of advocacy initiatives. From the 1980s, a time of which an upsurge of Black and womanist theology came into being, to now, the church has remained steadfast in embodying the very essence and definition of “the Black church”.