St. Martin’s Church: A Parish History
Entry Type
Article and Website
Related Churches
Summary
Article from the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association (MMPCIA) website published May 2014, with history on St. Martin’s as well as an appeal for donations for roof repairs. A brief history from 1928, when the EDNY organized the congregation as a mission for congregants of African descent, to the campaign to raise funds for church repairs. This was so the sound of the historic forty-two bell carillon could ring again. It should be noted that in 1937, the St. Martin was the first church to establish a Federal Credit Union. The founder, Reverend John H. Johnson made it possible for blacks to obtain mortgages and acquire real property, thus empowering them in a segregated society.
Since 2018 references to disagreements, regarding the closing and renovations of the church, between some members of St. Martin’s congregation and the Episcopal Diocese of New York were publicized in the following New York Times article and independent website publications.
- The Bells of St. Martin’s Fall Silent as Churches in Harlem Struggle – The New York Times-September 30, 2018
- The Eight Commandments in Harlem The Shocking Attempt to Steal Saint Martin’s Church, Theft Disguised as Help! Published in The Medium, an online open platform where readers find dynamic thinking, and where expert and undiscovered voices can share their writing on any topic -published August 7, 2018.
- St. Martin’s Episcopal Church on Lenox Avenue in Harlem in Restoration Published in Lynn Lieberman’s GothamToGo website content includes the church’s history and commentary on the renovation through November 2021. “GothamToGo is the Web Nest of Lynn & Ben Lieberman. Follow us through all five boroughs of NYC, discovering art & culture in the City that never sleeps”
[May 2024]
