Abyssinian Baptist Church
Church in Manhattan, New York
About
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.
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, and Calvin O. Butts. The church has served as an influential place for African-American spirituality, politics and community.
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