Madison Avenue Baptist Church - New York City, NY - Baptist Churches on Waymarking.com

The Madison Avenue Baptist Church is an American Baptist congregation in midtown Manhattan.

Madison Avenue Baptist Church was first chartered in 1848 as Rose Hill Baptist Sunday School/Church, on 30th Street between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue. Rose Hill was a house church with twelve members. In 1849, Rose Hill Baptist became Lexington Avenue Baptist Church with twenty-eight members at 154 Lexington Avenue and 30th Street in a new Lombardian Romanesque-style edifice, which is now the First Moravian Church. In 1860-62, prominent baptist Jeremiah Milbank (developer of condensed milk with inventor Gail Borden) and other congregational leaders (including the Colgate family) decided to move the church east of Fourth Avenue in order to avoid the falling cinders emitted by the nearby Third Avenue elevated railroad. Five lots at 31st Street and Madison Avenue became the site of a grand new structure. In 1885, following the death of Jeremiah Milbank, his wife Elizabeth Lake Milbank donated a memorial of stained glass windows depicting the life, healing ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus by F. X. Zettler of Germany (sculptor of Infalbert's Angel of the Gospel statue), which were installed behind the pulpit.

In 1903 the Ordination of Harry Emerson Fosdick (the most prominent liberal Baptist minister of the early 20th Century and author of the hymn "God of Grace" and "God of Glory") was held at MABC. Fosdick was later the minister of the Park Avenue Baptist Church (today's Central Presbyterian Church at 593 Park Avenue) and the Riverside Church.

In 1929, the church replaced its original external structure with the Roger Williams Hotel (named for the pioneer American baptist/founder of Rhode Island). The original church sanctuary has been retained within the hotel structure. New stained glass was added depicting the Gospel Writers and their symbols: Matthew/Cherub, Mark/Lion, Luke/Ox, and John/Eagle.

In 1971, the first performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar" was held at MABC on April 4 and in 1978 the Parish House was home to the Bel Canto Opera Company.

In the early 1980s, MABC began the Sunday Afternoon Meal for Seniors (free meals for the midtown elderly) and also a Shelter for the Homeless, and in 1992 the church began ministries to persons with AIDS at Bellevue Hospital sponsored by the Bellevue Chaplains' Office.

In 1993, MABC became a Charter member of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists made up of American Baptist Churches and Organizations desiring to be inclusive of gays and lesbians.

The church continues today with an active ministry

More info at (visit link)

Date Built: 01/01/1906 Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source Service Times: Sunday 11am Website: [Web Link] Church Address: 30 e. 31st New York City, NY USA 10016

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/27/2012 fatcat161 visited it