Abyssinian Baptist Church

The Abyssinian Baptist Church is among the most famous of the many churches in Harlem, New York City.

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The church moved to West 138th Street in Harlem from midtown Manhattan in 1923, under the direction of Senior Pastor Adam Clayton Powell, Sr.. By the time Powell senior handed the reins of the church to his son, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., in 1935, the Abyssinian Baptist Church was largest Protestant congregation in America.

Related Topics:
1923 - Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. - Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

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It was an important location for non-secular music in the Harlem Renaissance, and remains a center for the Harlem gospel tradition. Among many important events there, the church conducted the funeral of "The Father of Blues," W.C. Handy in 1958.

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Today, under the direction of Rev. Calvin O. Butts, the church is a vital political, social, and religious institution in New York.

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