History of our church

The Church of the Redeemer, Presbyterian (USA) has the unique distinction of having been one of the few African-American communities of faith in the former Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination in Washington, DC. The Church was born during a time of tumultuous race relations in American history. The congregation was organized in October 1958 near the beginning of our country's civil rights movement. Its first services were held at the historic Anthony Bowen YMCA on Twelfth Street, NW. Later a site was acquired in the Brookland section of Washington, D.C., at the corner of 15th and Girard Streets, N.E.  After a period of great struggle and commitment, a modern edifice was constructed and dedicated in April of 1962.

Redeemer has always viewed involvement in social issues and community outreach as an integral part of its Christian mission. It therefore has always been positioned at the cutting edge of social activism. In the 1960's the congregation sponsored monthly Community Forums on Sunday afternoons. The forums focused on social and political issues of the day, consistently drawing capacity crowds to the Church's Fellowship Hall. Stokely Carmichael, newsman Howard K. Smith, Benjamin E. Mays, and Arthur Ashe are but a few of the luminaries who spoke at Redeemer during those early years. It was also during this time that the congregation forged a strong alliance with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In fact, the church was a site for many of the meetings held by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and SCLC to plan for the 1963 March on Washington and the 1968 Poor People's Campaign. The forums examined issues such as the relationship between African-Americans and Jews, statehood for the District of Columbia, the then current state of race relations, and the challenge of serving the homeless.

The Church of the Redeemer has maintained its rich legacy of Christian service through a variety of educational programs for all age levels. For approximately 20 years, the Church sponsored an enrichment program for elementary school children from the community. The Church had a partnership with Taft Junior High School and provided scholarships, mentoring and tutorial assistance to its students. Teenagers from the Church and the community enhanced their leadership and oratorical skills by participating in ZOLAS. Our youth placed first in national oratorical contests and participated in annual seminars for youth at the United Nations. Adults provide and receive social and theological commentaries at the Adult Sunday School class, and explore the latest literary works at the monthly Fannie B. Robinson Black Author’s Discussion Group. These are but a few of the many educational programs the Church of the Redeemer sponsors.