[5] The congregation began after an incident in 1808,[6] when visiting Ethiopian seamen and free African-American parishioners left the First Baptist Church in protest over being restricted to racially segregated seating.

[6] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the future prominent German theologian, anti-Nazi activist and martyr, arrived in New York in 1930 - then a young student doing postgraduate study at the Union Theological Seminary.

He observed, "Here one can truly speak and hear about sin and grace and the love of God... the Black Christ is preached with rapturous passion and vision."

The younger Powell became the first black Congressman from New York City, and served 14 terms in the United States House of Representatives.

[4][2] Powell's "charisma, power, and notoriety", as well as his "spellbinding" preaching[4] were the driving force behind the church's significant influence in the African American community at the time.

James Baldwin wrote of attending his father's funeral in his most famous essay, 1955's Notes of a Native Son.

[17] Among many important events, the church conducted the wedding of Nat King Cole and his bride Maria,[18] and the funeral of "The Father of Blues", W.C.

It has created $500 million in development, including the first new high school in Harlem in 50 years, the first large supermarket, a retail center, and housing.

[21] The group purchased the neighboring historic but dilapidated Renaissance Ballroom and Casino in 1993 promising to restore it, but they held the property before selling it to BRP Development Corporation for $15 million.