History
On January 8, 1821, The Rev. Dr. William Patton and his wife invited four other persons to their home on Elm Street, now called Lafayette Street, and founded Central Presbyterian Church. These four were Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Donaldson, Mr. John Proctor, and the Rev. William Gray. Interest in the church grew rapidly, and a site was soon purchased for the new church on the north side of Broome Street. The cornerstone was laid in September, 1821, and the building was opened for religious services in May, 1822, with Dr. Patton its first pastor. Dr. Patton was a progressive voice in the city and the denomination and was instrumental in founding both New York University (1831) and Union Theological Seminary (1836). He was succeeded by the Rev. Dr. William Adams, considered the most forceful and eloquent preacher in the city, and the church grew rapidly, but the Broome Street location became a liability as the city expanded to the north and it found itself surrounded only by businesses. In 1869, a site was purchased for the congregation on 57th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue, and when Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church decided to move from 5th Avenue and 19th Street to its present location on 55th Street, they donated their 19th Street edifice to Central Church. Moved brick by brick and pew by pew to its new location, the old 5th Avenue structure became Central's new home. Here Central Church continued as a progressive voice in local and world affairs, with energetic and broadminded preaching, and strong missionary outreach. Branches of Central Church were opened in Hyden, Kentucky (1894) and Hwai Yuen, Anhui Province, China (1901), where a hospital was also established. In December, 1904, the Big Brother movement was started at a men's association meeting. The church was known for its outreach to underprivileged children and its sponsorship of numerous clubs for young people providing social and educational activities. At this time in its history, it was one of the outstanding churches in the Presbyterian denomination.In 1915, an unusual transaction occurred in which the Madison Avenue Reformed Church on the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and 57th Street bought Central Church (the old 5th Avenue edifice), and in exchange, Central bought the Madison Avenue structure, moving the congregation to the Upper East Side where many of its members were now living. A long and distinguished pastorate of 31 years in the person of the Rev. Dr. Wilton Merle-Smith ended with his retirement in 1920 and his death on October 3, 1923, concluding a significant era in the church's history.
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By this time, the Rev. Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick had become embroiled in theological controversy and was accused of heresy by William Jennings Bryan among others. The most eloquent and popular preacher of his day, he was also a prolific Christian writer, read by millions around the world. When he was finally forced by the General Assembly to leave the pulpit of First Presbyterian Church on Fifth Avenue at 12th Street, he was invited to 593 Park Avenue, a Baptist church which had been built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1920, but the church simply could not contain the numbers of churchgoers who would now flock to hear this famous, liberal homilist. Crowds arrived early and tied up the avenue traffic, becoming a neighborhood nuisance every Sunday. Mr. Rockefeller consequently built the commodious Riverside Church on Morningside Heights for Mr. Fosdick, and a grateful Central Church sold their 57th Street building to commercial interests and bought the Park Avenue gem, holding their first service in the present neo-gothic sanctuary on September 22, 1929.
Since moving to Park Avenue, the church has continued its traditions of sound, liberal preaching, outreach to underprivileged children, and its distinguished reputation for great music. Central Church founded New York's only permanent professional choir, Musica Sacra, as well as the 50-voice volunteer choral society, the Central City Chorus. The Reginald Lindsey Sweet Memorial Organ was dedicated on October 10, 1950, and is a musical masterpiece. Nearly every major organist in the world has played at its console. The annual event, Broadway Sings on Park Avenue, brings Broadway performers to the church and benefits the Marcia Shew Fund. Most recently, the church has hosted cabaret in the Coleman Fellowship Hall.
A charitable bequest from Alfred and Natalie Cornell has allowed Central Church to be generous to a wide variety of organizations aiding underprivileged children. We have continued to reach out to needy children around the globe through Surgeons of Hope Foundation, providing life saving and life altering heart surgery to children who would otherwise have no access to health care, and we fund projects closer to home through grants to churches, schools, camps, and service organizations. Two distinguished academic institutions, Garden House School and Geneva School, nest in our spacious facility. The Deacons of Central Church reach out to the community, administering a summer homeless feeding program and supporting the congregation through visitation and specialized care.
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In all, we are a congregation with a rich history, a glorious sanctuary, and a unique building. We envision a bright future of social and theological diversity. No one will ever be automatically excluded from our community or our leadership for any reason. We believe that God accepts us as we are while always challenging us to be the best that we can be. We have witnessed God's power working among us, and in our lives and relationships, in prayer and worship, we try to express our most profound gratitude.
The Ministers of Central Church
William Patton 1821 - 1834
William Adams 1834 - 1853
August A. Woods 1853 - 1860
James T. Dunn 1864 - 1868
James T. Wilson 1869 - 1888
Wilton Merle-Smith 1889 - 1920
Dwight Witherspoon Wylie 1920 - 1935
Theodore Cuyler Speers 1936 - 1958
Robert A. Edgar 1961 - 1975
Charles P. Henderson 1978 - 1986
William Hall Pindar 1989 - 1998
David Elliott Hipp III 2000 - 2002
Douglas Grandgeorge 2003 - present
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