Our History

OUR STORY

Faithfully Serving Since the Beginning

For over seventy years, First Baptist Church of Crown Heights has been a people on the move — shaped by faith, sustained by community, and called forward by God. What began in a Brooklyn living room has grown into one of Crown Heights' most enduring spiritual institutions. This is our story.

The Founding — 1953

On March 4, 1953, twenty men and women of faith gathered at the home of Sis. Bessie Herbert on Reid Avenue in Brooklyn to organize a Baptist mission. They opened with the hymn "He'll Understand and Say Well Done," and Clarence Norman was chosen as their spiritual leader. On April 30, 1953, the New Hope Baptist Association officially recognized the congregation as the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, and Clarence Norman was ordained and appointed Pastor.

Finding a Home — 1953-1967

The early years of First Baptist were marked by growth and perseverance. The congregation relocated from a storefront on Throop Avenue to Moore Street, which they eventually purchased — only to be displaced when the City of New York acquired the property for a housing project.

Undeterred, on April 2, 1962, the church purchased the former Classon Avenue Presbyterian Church building at the corner of Classon Avenue and Monroe Street for $97,000. After just eight months in their new home, a fire destroyed most of the building on December 23, 1962, leaving only the gymnasium and Sunday School room. On January 7, 1963, the congregation returned to worship in what remained of the structure at 1 Monroe Street, continuing there for five years while searching for a permanent home.

In the summer of 1967, that search ended when First Baptist purchased 450 Eastern Parkway — the former Park Manor Catering Hall — and officially moved in on July 1, 1967. In August 1969, the church was renamed First Baptist Church of Crown Heights.

A Ministry in Full — 1967–2015

It was at 450 Eastern Parkway that the ministry of Rev. Dr. Clarence Norman, Sr. reached its greatest expression. Under his leadership, the congregation grew from twenty founding members to more than 2,000. 

His vision extended far beyond the pulpit — in 1987, he founded the Local Development Corporation of Crown Heights, which built or renovated over 800 units of affordable housing and launched programs ranging from Meals on Wheels to youth education and job development. First Baptist became one of the most civically influential congregations in New York State, with members simultaneously holding positions in the State Assembly, Senate, Brooklyn Democratic County Leadership, and the New York State Supreme Court.

Beside him, through every season was First Lady Ellen Norman, whose faithful presence was woven into the very fabric of this congregation. Their legacy is so enduring that the City of New York co-named the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Rogers Avenue in their honor: Rev. Dr. Clarence Norman, Sr. and Ellen Norman Way. Rev. Dr. Clarence Norman, Sr. passed away on July 8, 2015, after 62 years of faithful service.

A Season of Transition — 2015–2020

Following Pastor Norman's passing, the congregation called his Assistant Pastor, Rev. Dr. Daryl G. Bloodsaw, to serve as Senior Pastor. Rev. Bloodsaw had served alongside Pastor Norman since 2011, and his ministry was marked by socially conscious preaching, community engagement, and a commitment to preparing the church for 21st-century ministry. He served faithfully until September 2019, when he answered a call to pastor Ebenezer Baptist Church West in Athens, Georgia.

A New Season — 2020 to Present

In January 2020, First Baptist called the Rev. Dr. Rashad Raymond Moore — a Brooklyn native and scholar-pastor — as its third Senior Pastor. Installed on January 18, 2020, Dr. Moore led the congregation through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with creativity and pastoral imagination, building a robust hybrid ministry and launching new initiatives that kept the congregation connected and growing. This season has been marked by revival, renewal, and momentum — including new ministries, a $1.5 million Capital Campaign to renovate the church's home, and a deepening commitment to affordable housing and community organizing through East Brooklyn Congregations.

From a living room on Reid Avenue to the corner of Eastern Parkway and Rogers Avenue, First Baptist Church of Crown Heights has never stopped moving forward — anchored in its past, alive in its present, and leaning with hope toward its future.