| Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church | |
|---|---|
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  Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church | |
| 40°45′43″N 73°58′30″W / 40.7620°N 73.9751°W | |
| Location | Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church (USA) |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Protestantism |
| Membership | 2,088 (2012)[1] |
| Website | fapc |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Cedar Street Presbyterian, Duane Street Presbyterian, Presbyterian Church in the Fifth Avenue at the Corner of Nineteenth Street |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | June 28, 1808 |
| Consecrated | May 9, 1875[2] |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 286 ft (87 m) |
| Administration | |
| Synod | Synod of the Northeast |
| Presbytery | Presbytery of New York |
| Parish | Fifth Avenue |
| Clergy | |
| Minister(s) | Senior Pastor: Scott Black-Johnston Executive Pastor: Jonah So Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Outreach: Werner Ramirez Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adult Ministries: Sarah Speed Associate Pastor Emeritus: Oscar McCloud Associate Pastor Emeritus: Randolph Weber Parish Visitor: Kate Dunn and Helen Jackson[3] |
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) church in New York City. The church, on Fifth Avenue at 7 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, has approximately 2,200 members and is one of the larger PCUSA congregations.[1] The church, founded in 1808 as the Cedar Street Presbyterian Church, has been at this site since 1875.[2][4]
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (FAPC) has long been noted for its high standards in preaching and music and has been at the forefront of many movements, from the development of the Sunday school in the 19th century to its current leadership in homeless advocacy. In 2001, the church successfully sued the City of New York for the right to shelter homeless individuals on its front steps.[5]
In 1884, the joint funerals of the mother of President Theodore Roosevelt and of his first wife, Alice, were held here. In 1910, the church's historic sanctuary was the site of the wedding of TR's son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., an event attended by the former president, and 500 of his former Rough Riders.[6] It was also the site of the 1965 recording of A Concert of Sacred Music by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, broadcast nationally by CBS television in 1966,[7] and of dance legend Frankie Manning's "rollicking three-hour memorial service" in 2009.[8]
Architecturally and historically, “Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is famed for its sloping auditorium, its fine acoustics, its old gas brackets and reflectors. Instrumental in founding Princeton Theological Seminary, Presbyterian Hospital (now New York Presbyterian Hospital) and many a mission church, this grand house of God is often called the Cathedral of Presbyterianism.”[9]
- ^ a b "Year At A Glance: Overview". Presbyterian Church Research Services. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "History". Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
- ^ "Pastors and Staff". Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ "Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church". Tom Fletcher's New York Architecture. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
- ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (May 14, 2008). "Judge Says Homeless Can Stay, but Only on Church's Steps". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
- ^ "Books: In T.R.'s Footsteps". Time. June 8, 1959.
- ^ "Churches: Excitement on the Tube". Time. January 28, 1966.
- ^ Collins, Glenn (May 22, 2009). "Honoring the Man Who Helped Make the Lindy Hop". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- ^ "Call to Fifth Avenue". Time. March 18, 1935. Retrieved March 17, 2020.