Founded In 1796, Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is recognized as the oldest Black church in the city. Two after closing its doors due to the pandemic, the historic church has reopened for in-person services.
In Mother Zion's 226-year history, the list of members who have called it home is a lesson in Black history all by itself: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Madam C.J. Walker, and Paul Robeson, to name a few.
Byrd became church pastor in the summer of 2019 but eight months into his tenure, Mother Zion was forced to close its doors when New York City became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. The church lost nearly two dozen of its members during the pandemic. But on Sunday, March 13, Fox 5 News was there as Mother Zion welcomed back its members in person for the first time since the pandemic, exactly two years to the day.
"We have been out of the building for two years and I was so happy to come in and praise the Lord for this Sunday, our first Sunday back," parishioner Lovell Jackson said. As Mother Zion reopens its doors to the community, Byrd said among the priorities is making sure the church's legacy as a spiritual safe haven continues to be shared across Harlem, the city, and the world.
Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church | 140 W. 137th St., New York, N.Y. 10030 | 212-234-5700
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