Members Fight to Restore New Central Baptist Church's Legacy

Members of New Central Baptist Church, Fight to Preserve the 118-Year-Old Fitler Square Church!

New Central Baptist Church officially organized in May 1905 in a store front at 21st and Market Streets. It is listed on the Philadelphia Registry of Historic Places. The present site was chosen in 1922 when groundbreaking ceremonies were held and the erection of the current church began. In 1925 the members witnessed the completion of the deep basement with a baptismal pool, functional rooms and an auditorium with pulpit. The total completion of the structure became a financial impossibility during the Great Depression. The present structure wasn’t fully completed until 1963, with the church holding a “thanksgiving and mortgage burning service” on May 3, 1963. For more than four years, a conflict over control of New Central Baptist Church near Fitler Square has prevented many members of the congregation from attending services there, or even entering the historic house of worship. New Central Baptist Church stands as a proud reminder of African American heritage and culture in a highly-gentrified area of Philadelphia. Property values have quadrupled in recent years. Today many churches have been sold to developers for adaptive reuse. What was once a thriving working and middle class African American neighborhood is now populated with multi-million dollar condos. The church is presently empty as it is in need of serious repair. The goal is to restore the church so the congregation can return and grow, and to re-purpose parts of the building for arts, culture and community purposes. It has a 700-seat sanctuary with a large stage, a large commercial kitchen and dining area in the basement, and numerous classrooms. It has already been the site of public programs such as a film series in partnership with a nearby private school, and a health and wellness fair which featured numerous organizations from all over the city of Philadelphia. Neighbors have expressed their desire to support the church to serve as a center for civic engagement and the arts. Saving this gem in this community for worship and serve as a place for programs for children and families; rather than another apartment building. Claudia Sherrod, a New Central parishioner for more than 80 years and other members have fought to regain control of the. church to restore it to its glory. “We need a whole new roof, four doors in the front, and to tighten up all the bricks. Inside, we have four holes in our ceilings, and we’ve got some other areas that have been ruined because of the water that went down the side walls,” Sherrod said.

The Members ask for your support! Help us bring this church back to glory! Save Our Church!