How about a building that has lived multiple lives? Here stands Green Pastures Baptist Church. It is more than just a place of worship. It is a testament to community and transformation.
Green Pastures Baptist Church wasn’t always a Baptist church. Once, it was Chevra Linas Hazedek. This was a Jewish congregation. The congregation built this home between 1928 and 1932. Paul Lubroth, a Polish-born Bronx architect, designed it.
Imagine the surprise of New Yorkers. They discovered these decorations a short subway ride from Manhattan. Yet, they were mostly unknown.
Let’s step inside Green Pastures Baptist Church. Notice the interior. It is covered in rich scagliola. This is polished and colored plaster. It looks like marble or granite. Admire the Art Deco decorative painting. See the theatrical Jazz Age lighting.
Stencils border the windows. A handsome Decalogue displays the Ten Commandments. Fierce lions flank them above the altar. Rows of bulbs march around the balcony. They circle a roundel window. Fluted light fixtures feature stylized tulips. Magen David motifs dot the surfaces. Chandeliers hang in Moderne glory. The interior of Green Pastures Baptist Church is truly a sight to behold.
Look at the opalescent stained glass windows. They depict symbols of Jewish holidays. They also show events from the Torah. See the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Find the zodiac signs for the months of the Hebrew calendar.
The most unusual feature is the Jerusalem Temple depiction. It is a stepped pyramid. It combines Near Eastern forms with Art Deco design. The artist filtered these ideas. It seems like Cecil B. DeMille could have held the lens. He filmed biblical epics for a Hollywood Studio. Think of his King of Kings released in 1927. The synagogue image looks like a ziggurat. It has Assyrian-inspired decoration. Many Art Deco Manhattan architects were also trying this style.
One views the Temple through a painted arcade. Painted twisted columns support it. These columns seem to refer to a medieval tradition. This tradition believed the Hellenistic twisted columns in Saint Peter’s Church in Rome originally came from Solomon’s Temple. There is no historical basis for this.
Rev. Roger Hambrick gave tours. He shared the church’s history. His father also presided here. Rev. Hambrick created a nationally recognized choir. The church preserves wall paintings. It keeps the stained glass windows. It also has dedicatory and memorial plaques from the Jewish congregation.
Rev. Hambrick’s choir performs with Jewish singer Neshama Carlebach. They released the CD Higher and Higher in 2009.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy damaged the church badly. The damaged roof leaked. This caused more damage to the sanctuary. The wall paintings and windows were mostly unaffected. Money was raised to fix the roof. An evangelical church in Texas helped. Much work is still needed. The sanctuary needs repair, conservation, and restoration. This will address both gradual deterioration and the sudden damage from the roof failure.
Today, Green Pastures Baptist Church is a community-centered religious organization. It offers a welcoming space. People come together for worship, fellowship, and spiritual growth. The Green Pastures Baptist Church focuses on spreading love. It serves the local community. It offers various religious services and programs. These support and uplift its members and neighbors.