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Convent Avenue Baptist Church was founded on February 4, 1942 by Dr. John W. Saunders and a group of faithful Christians known as the “Kingdom Builders.†The Kingdom Builders, with a $50,000 mortgage, purchased the sanctuary of the former Washington Heights Baptist Church and on February 4, 1942, walked up 145th Street to occupy what is now the Convent Avenue Baptist Church.
Under the leadership of Rev. Saunders, Convent Avenue Baptist Church established itself as a leader in the Harlem community. Rev. Saunders started the J.W. Saunders Youth Center, a day nursery to assist young parents, scouting programs, vacation bible school, release-time classes and the Junior Church. Under his leadership, the church acquired three townhouses – 418 W. 145th Street, 354 and 356 Convent Avenue. Howard Ruthus Mann became the Church’s Minister of Music, where he served for 42 years and created an extraordinary ministry of music rivaled by few churches anywhere.
The church now has six musical choirs, plus a spoken word Scripture Choir called the Living Word Ministry.
Under the leadership of Rev. Saunders, Convent Avenue Baptist Church established itself as a leader in the Harlem community. Rev. Saunders started the J.W. Saunders Youth Center, a day nursery to assist young parents, scouting programs, vacation bible school, release-time classes and the Junior Church. Under his leadership, the church acquired three townhouses – 418 W. 145th Street, 354 and 356 Convent Avenue. Howard Ruthus Mann became the Church’s Minister of Music, where he served for 42 years and created an extraordinary ministry of music rivaled by few churches anywhere.
The church now has six musical choirs, plus a spoken word Scripture Choir called the Living Word Ministry.
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In 1955, after Dr. Saunders suffered a debilitating stroke Rev. Mannie L. Wilson served as interim pastor for the next five years. After a faithful struggle, Rev. Saunders died in February 1961 at the age of 92. Three months later the church called Rev. Wilson as the second pastor of the Convent Avenue Baptist Church.
The church continued to grow under Rev. Wilson, especially its Sunday Church School, which grew to serve 1,500 students. The church membership grew to 3,000. With this strong base, the church purchased 425 W. 144th Street, a large six-story structure that now serves as the John W. Saunders Education Building. The church also purchased two more townhouses, 402 West 145th Street and 348 Convent Avenue.
Rev. Wilson was active in the larger Harlem community, the nation and the world. To serve the growing Hispanic community in Harlem, he helped organize the Washington Heights Spanish Baptist Church and housed its worship in 354 Convent Avenue. Convent was also instrumental in the birth and support of local congregations, such as
Abundant Life and Powerhouse Ministry. Under Rev. Wilson’s leadership, the church organized the Hamilton Grange Senior Citizens Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. He served on the board of the Harlem YMCA.
Rev. Wilson was the first African American Protestant to preach in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the first African American pastor to preach in the White House. He was a board member of the Baptist World Alliance, Union Theological Seminary, Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, the National Conference of Black Church Men and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and American Baptist Churches (USA). He was the first African American to serve as president of the American Baptist Churches (USA).
On the global front, Rev. Wilson led the church to support mission work in Liberia, Nigeria and Guyana. In Guyana, there is a chapel named in his honor.
From 1970 to 1982, Rev. Clarence P. Grant, assisted Rev. Wilson as Minister of Christian Education and as pastor in the Junior Church. He implemented the federal Harlem Juvenile Diversion Program aimed at deterring youngsters from the justice system, the Academic Achievement Center, the NYC/Convent Home Attendant
Program, the Harlem Restoration Project, the Harlem Employment and Learning Project, Project Help for school drop outs, the New York Vocational Exploration Program, the Food Pantry, the John W. Saunders Group Home and the IMCR Dispute Center.
The church continued to grow under Rev. Wilson, especially its Sunday Church School, which grew to serve 1,500 students. The church membership grew to 3,000. With this strong base, the church purchased 425 W. 144th Street, a large six-story structure that now serves as the John W. Saunders Education Building. The church also purchased two more townhouses, 402 West 145th Street and 348 Convent Avenue.
Rev. Wilson was active in the larger Harlem community, the nation and the world. To serve the growing Hispanic community in Harlem, he helped organize the Washington Heights Spanish Baptist Church and housed its worship in 354 Convent Avenue. Convent was also instrumental in the birth and support of local congregations, such as
Abundant Life and Powerhouse Ministry. Under Rev. Wilson’s leadership, the church organized the Hamilton Grange Senior Citizens Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. He served on the board of the Harlem YMCA.
Rev. Wilson was the first African American Protestant to preach in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the first African American pastor to preach in the White House. He was a board member of the Baptist World Alliance, Union Theological Seminary, Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, the National Conference of Black Church Men and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and American Baptist Churches (USA). He was the first African American to serve as president of the American Baptist Churches (USA).
On the global front, Rev. Wilson led the church to support mission work in Liberia, Nigeria and Guyana. In Guyana, there is a chapel named in his honor.
From 1970 to 1982, Rev. Clarence P. Grant, assisted Rev. Wilson as Minister of Christian Education and as pastor in the Junior Church. He implemented the federal Harlem Juvenile Diversion Program aimed at deterring youngsters from the justice system, the Academic Achievement Center, the NYC/Convent Home Attendant
Program, the Harlem Restoration Project, the Harlem Employment and Learning Project, Project Help for school drop outs, the New York Vocational Exploration Program, the Food Pantry, the John W. Saunders Group Home and the IMCR Dispute Center.