Sixth Avenue Baptist Church

Stepping back in time to 1872, a group of members left Hanson Place Baptist Church to form their own spiritual home. This became the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. They first gathered in a simple frame building, intended as a Sunday school mission. Their initial journey was bumpy. Disagreements arose between the first pastor, Reverend Joseph Bradford Cleaver, and the trustees, leading to his departure. After a year without leadership, Reverend R. B. Kelsay of Albany, New York, answered the call. His arrival marked a period of growth for the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. As Park Slope flourished, so did the congregation, quickly outgrowing their modest frame building. In 1880, the church building was relocated to the southeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Lincoln Place, making way for a new edifice. The new Sixth Avenue Baptist Church was designed in a blend of Gothic and Romanesque styles, constructed with blue stone foundations, Trenton pressed brick, and detailed with Berlin stone trim. The main sanctuary, designed in an amphitheatrical style, could accommodate 600 worshippers. The building plans also included a spacious lecture room and Sunday school area in the east wing, complete with classrooms and church parlors. This wing was ready for use by September 1, 1880. The completed Sixth Avenue Baptist Church was dedicated on December 28, 1880. Interestingly, the original plans mentioned a tall steeple, which appears never to have been built. A year later, in 1881, another special event graced Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. A magnificent organ, crafted by J.H. & C.S. Odell, was installed in the loft. This mechanical action organ, with its colorful facade pipes, was no small addition. It cost $2,500, a substantial sum in those days. Remarkably, the organ was purchased through contributions from the children of the Sunday school. It was presented to Sixth Avenue Baptist Church on June 26, 1881. The occasion was part of the semi-annual meeting of the R. B. Kelsay Missionary Society, named in honor of the church’s pastor. The organ was restored in 1996 by Chris Ballad, ensuring its music continues to resonate within the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.