New York, NY

Mother AME Zion Church
DESCRIPTION: Similar to the AME congregation, in 1796, James Varick and 30 other members splintered from the Methodist Episcopal Church due to racism; they chose not to join the AME Church headquartered in Philadelphia, due to procedural differences; members built their own edifice in 1801 under the name John Street Methodist Church now affectionately called “Mother Zion” for short; the church continued to be led by a white minister until 1820; Mother Zion served as an Underground Railroad station and counted Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass as members; current edifice designed by George W Foster, Jr.

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 140 West 137th Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-234-1545

WEBSITE: http://www.motherafricanmethodistezchurch.com

Abyssinian Baptist Church
DESCRIPTION: Segregation in a white Baptist church led Ethiopian merchants and one white to found this church in 1808; they named it after ancient Ethiopia; the church moved from lower Manhattan to Greenwich Village to West 40th Street to this location; current edifice was designed by Charles W Bolton and opened in 1923; Powerful civil rights leaders Samuel Proctor, Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. held the pulpit before Dr Calvin O. Butts, III

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 9a & 11a

ADDRESS: 132 West 138th Street (Odell Clark Place)  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-862-7474

WEBSITE: http://www.abyssinian.org

Saint Phillip’s Protestant Episcopal Church
DESCRIPTION: founded 1809, it was the first African American church to move into Harlem; the current edifice was built in 1911 with New York’s earliest black architects -- Vertner W Tandy and George W. Foster, Jr.; the Greater Metropolitan Baptist Church is now located here

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 204 West 134th Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-678-4284

WEBSITE: http://www.stphilipsharlem.dioceseny.org

Salem United Methodist Episcopal Church
DESCRIPTION: Began as a mission under St Marks Methodist Episcopal Church in 1881; Salem was split from the church in 1902 when it moved to a 232 West 124th Street, but a fire soon destroyed it; growth of church congregation forced them to move in 1908 to 102-104 W 133rd St; continuing its growth pattern, in 1924 the church had to move to a its current edifice; the church features four choirs

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 2190 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-678-2700

WEBSITE: none

Second Canaan Baptist Church
DESCRIPTION: the late Rev. John Polite Ladson was instrumental in building the infrastructure of the church to this day and leading the congregation here in 1956

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 10 Rev. John P. Ladson Place (Malcolm X Blvd)  MAP

TRANSIT: at 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-722-7080

WEBSITE: http://www.secondcanaanbaptistchurch.org

Muhammad’s Mosque #7
DESCRIPTION: Shortly after Malcolm’s assassination by a handful of NOI members, the original mosque at 113 Lenox Ave was set ablaze by arsonists in retaliation; consequently, the replacement mosque opened at this location is the northeast headquarters for the Nation of Islam

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 106 West 127th Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-865-1200

WEBSITE: http://www.mosque7.org

 

Greater Refuge Temple

DESCRIPTION: the Mother Church of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith (COOLJC) with more than 700 Pentecostal churches worldwide in 33 countries

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 2081 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr Blvd  MAP
TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-663-4959
WEBSITE: link

 

Metropolitan Baptist Church

DESCRIPTION: an old Baptist congregation in Harlem

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 151 West 128th Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-663-8990
WEBSITE: none

 

Mount Calvary United Methodist Church

DESCRIPTION: Oldest United Methodist Church in Harlem

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 10a

ADDRESS: 116 Edgecombe Ave  MAP
TRANSIT: near B & C subway lines

PHONE: 212-281-1658

WEBSITE: none

 

Convent Avenue Baptist Church

DESCRIPTION: a Christian fellowship founded in1942 by Dr. John W. Saunders; the church retired its mortgage after only 3 years; under Rev. Saunders, the church established a youth center, nursery, scouting programs, vacation bible school, after school classes, a Junior Church. Under his leadership, the church acquired three nearby townhouses

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 8a, 11a, 6p

ADDRESS: 116 Edgecombe Ave  MAP
TRANSIT: near A, B, C & D subway lines

PHONE: 212-281-1658

WEBSITE: http://www.conventchurch.org

 

ATLAH World Missionary Church

DESCRIPTION: organized in 1957 by the late Reverend Millard Alexander Stanley, this church has a large following and one of the most remarkable sanctuaries in Harlem; ATLAH means, the land where the people shall walk barefoot, because the land is holy ground

SATURDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 36 West 123rd Street  MAP
TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-427-2839
WEBSITE: http://atlah.org

 

First Corinthian Baptist Church

DESCRIPTION: Though founded in 1933, it is a growing 3,000-member congregation in Harlem

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 8a & 11a

ADDRESS: 1912 7th Avenue  MAP
TRANSIT: near B, C, 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-864-5976 

WEBSITE: http://www.fcbcsermons.com

 

United House of Prayer For All People

DESCRIPTION: Charistmatic congregation that is an NYC off-shoot of the main one founded by Bishop Daddy Grace in 1919

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 2320 Frederick Douglass Blvd  MAP

TRANSIT: near A, B, C, D subway lines

PHONE: 212-531-4418

WEBSITE: http://www.tuhopfap.org/index2.html

Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation
DESCRIPTION: A rare congregation of Black Jews in America

SATURDAY WORSHIP:

ADDRESS: 1 West 123rd Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-534-1058 (not working)

WEBSITE: none

Riverside Church
DESCRIPTION: Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "Beyond Vietnam" protest speech on 4 April 1967 at this huge church; the speech elevated his status in the anti-war movement and caused many African Americans to re-think their position on the war; unfortunately, the speech also moved him up on the disgraceful J. Edgar Hoover’s Cointelpro list of undesirable Black leaders

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 10:45a

ADDRESS: 490 Riverside Drive  MAP

TRANSIT: near the 1 subway line

PHONE: 212-870-6700‎

WEBSITE: http://www.theriversidechurchny.org

Faith Temple Deliverance Church of God in Christ
DESCRIPTION: features 4 choirs and community outreach programs for hungry, homeless, youth counseling and unwed parents

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 12a and 4:30p

ADDRESS: 206 Malcolm X Blvd   MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-534-7018

WEBSITE: none

Malcolm Shabazz Masjid
DESCRIPTION: This orthodox Muslim mosque honors El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, aka Malcolm X; though it was the formerly the Lenox Casino, in 1954 Elijah Muhammad assigned Malcolm X to build up the original Nation of Islam Mosque#7 at 113 Lenox Ave (now called Malcolm X Blvd); at the nearby corner of 116th and Malcolm X Blvd, Malcolm gave several famous outdoor speeches that attracted thousands of listeners; the same corner hosts the current orthodox Islamic mosque and several small businesses

FRIDAY WORSHIP

ADDRESS: 102 West 116th Street  MAP

TRANSIT: at 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-662-2200

WEBSITE: none

Canaan Baptist Church of Christ
DESCRIPTION: The warmth inside and the community impact of this church belie the lousy exterior; former pastor Wyatt Tee Walker was a former aide to Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.; 5 outstanding gospel choirs

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 10:45a

ADDRESS: 132 West 116th Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 3 subway lines

PHONE: 212-866-0301

WEBSITE: http://www.canaanmail.org

Brooklyn, NY

Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church
DESCRIPTION: Founded 1848 and the oldest remaining church in Brooklyn founded solely by African Americans; pastor Rollin Dareduze; today they include Spanish & Creole sermons

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 8:30a

ADDRESS: 2530 Church Ave  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2 & 5 subway lines

PHONE: 718-469-5900

WEBSITE: none

First AME Zion Church
DESCRIPTION: Founded 1885; this church remains a positive force in the community with Zion Academy and pre-school programs

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 54 McDonough Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near A & C subway lines

PHONE: 718-638-3343

WEBSITE: none

Bridge Street AME Church
DESCRIPTION: Founded 1766 by a mixture of races; the church incorporated in 1818 when it began following the AME direction; boy & girl scouts, after school, senior community programs extend its reach well beyond its 2,000 member congregation

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 8a & 11a

ADDRESS: 277 Stuyvesant Ave  MAP

TRANSIT: near A & C subway lines

PHONE: 718-452-3936

WEBSITE: http://www.bridgestreetamechurch.org

First Baptist Church of Crown Heights
DESCRIPTION: Pastor Clarence Norman is known for his inspirational sermons

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 10:30a

ADDRESS: 450 Eastern Parkway  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2, 3, 4 & 5 subway lines

PHONE: 718-778-1200

WEBSITE: http://firstbaptistcrownheights.org

Plymouth Church of the Pilgrim
DESCRIPTION: Considered by some to be the “Grand Central Station” of the Underground Railroad

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 75 Hick Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near 2, 3, A & C subway lines

PHONE: 718-624-4743

WEBSITE: http://www.plymouthchurch.org

Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church
DESCRIPTION:Founded in 1860 by abolitionists and a major Underground Railroad station; annual spring gospel concert, fall Jazz concert founded by pianist Eubie Black and now organized by pianist Billy Taylor, and Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, a publishing house

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 85 South Oxford Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near G & C subway lines

PHONE: 718-625-7515

WEBSITE: http://www.lapcbrooklyn.org

Queens, NY

Allen AME Church
DESCRIPTION: Former US Congressman and pastor, Floyd Flake, practically wrote the book on how to lead a congregation and community to economic empowerment and revitalization through this church

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 6:30a, 8:30a & 11a

ADDRESS: 111-54 Merrick Blvd  MAP

TRANSIT: none close by

PHONE: 718-526-3510

WEBSITE: http://www.allencathedral.org

 

Newark, NJ

Clinton Memorial AME Zion Church
DESCRIPTION: Constructed in 1874, the building was purchased by the oldest AME Zion congregation of New Jersey in 1930; National Registrar of Historic Places

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 10:30a

ADDRESS: 151 Broadway  MAP

TRANSIT: near Newark-Broad Street Stations for NJ Transit and Light Rail

PHONE: 973-481-6142‎

WEBSITE: none

Bethany Baptist Church
DESCRIPTION: Established in 1871, it is the oldest and one of the largest Black congregations in Newark; this church provided many of Newark’s African American leaders and the welcome center for many African Americans migrating from the South after the Civil War; it was home to the local branch of the NAACP, Urban League, both the Colored YMCA and YWCA; the church was very active during the Civil Rights Movement

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 8a & 11a

ADDRESS: 275 West Market Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near Norfolk Street Light Rail Station

PHONE: 973-623-8161

WEBSITE: http://www.bethany-newark.org

Summit, NJ

Wallace Chapel AME Zion Church
DESCRIPTION: Florence Spearing Randolph, one of the first women licensed to preach in New Jersey, served as pastor here between 1925-1946

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11a

ADDRESS: 140 Broad Street  MAP

TRANSIT: near NJ Transit Summit Station

PHONE: 908-277-0574

WEBSITE: none