About Madison Avenue Baptist Church Our History

1848: Stately beginnings in the Gilded Age

In 1848, Rose Hill Church was founded in the Rose Hill neighborhood in Manhattan, famous for its flowers, summer residences, and many stately homes, including the J. P. Morgan mansion and the boyhood home of Theodore Roosevelt.
In 1849, the church changed its name to the Lexington Avenue Baptist Church and erected a building at Lexington Avenue and 30th Street. In the early 1860s, Jeremiah Milbank (developer of canned milk with inventor Gale Borden) and other congregational leaders decided to rebuild a spectacular new structure on five lots at 31st Street and Madison Avenue, renamed Madison Avenue Baptist Church.

Madison Avenue Baptist Church - Left: Year unknown. Center: c.1905. Right: c.1920.

1930s: Big Changes Rebuilding the church as part of the hotel

The church survived the Civil War, flourished in Gilded Age Manhattan, and endured the upheaval of the First World War, while continuing to serve its members and the larger community. In 1929, however, the Trustees made a bold decision to tear the original church structure to the ground and rebuild a commercial hotel on the site – the Roger Williams Hotel – with a new sanctuary, including the historic Zettler stained glass windows, reconstructed inside the hotel.

Music at the Church Championing musicians from the beginning

Our music program has historically served as a focal point of our worship. In fact, we hosted the first performance of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971. Today, the Madison Avenue Baptist Church hosts a sextet of Broadway and off-Broadway singers led by our Minister of Music Aza Sydykov. Our music ranges from plainchant and classical to gospel and Bruce Springsteen.

Groups in the Parish House of the Madison Avenue Baptist Church, 1913 and 1907.

Left: MABC exterior, 1948. Right: Interior, year unknown.

1980s & 90s: Building Community A different kind of Baptist church

Madison Avenue Baptist Church continued to meet the needs of the moment with courage and compassion. In the 1980s, MABC opened and hosted an onsite homeless shelter. During the AIDS crisis of the 1990s, the church was one of the few who actively ministered to those affected throughout New York City, including through a partnership with the Bellevue Hospital Chaplains’ Office. In 1993, MABC became a Charter Member of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, publicly affirming the full inclusion of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity—long before many churches were willing to do so.

Learn More About AWAB(this link opens in new window)

Today, we continue our mission as a place of worship that honors inclusion and welcomes everyone

During the past twenty years, Madison Avenue Baptist Church has embraced bold changes in service of a timeless mission.

From major property redevelopment, sanctuary reconstruction, financial and organizational restructuring to pioneering digital ministry with one of the earliest church websites and podcasts, MABC has continually looked for new ways to reach people with hope, compassion, and connection.

Today, we continue that mission as a joyful, justice-minded community where all are welcome. We strive to be a church that reflects the radically inclusive love of Jesus—a gospel rooted in joy and hope, not judgment and shame. Through worship, Bible study, extraordinary music, and active community partnerships, we seek to redefine what people think a Baptist church can be.

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