All Angels' Church
Encyclopedia
All Angels' Church is located on 251 West 80th Street in New York City. It is a member of the Episcopal Church
in the United States and the Anglican Communion
worldwide.
. It was intentionally established as a mission-focused church, with the goal of ministering to residents living in Seneca Village
, an area which would later become a part of Central Park. The first church building was wooden and housed a racially mixed congregation, including freed African American slaves and recent European immigrants. In 1856 All Angels' relocated to her new building—constructed two years later—on West End Avenue and 80th street. The main church building was used until 1979, when it was knocked down because the congregation grew small and the church was financially strained. Services were moved to the parish house nearby, and have been held there ever since.
. The evening service invites homeless individuals from the community to join in worship. Following the service, the community shares in a meal together as a continuation of their Eucharist celebration. The church also holds a Sunday evening shelter, staffed by volunteers from the congregation. In addition to the community meal every Sunday, There is also a weekly program called Pathways, which provides showers, clothing, as well as social, medical, and psychiatric services for individuals who need them .
Besides large gatherings, All Angels' has a number of "house churches," located all throughout Manhattan, which foster community growth through sharing meals, studying Scripture, and group prayer. In many respects, these small group gatherings mirror the experiences of early Christian worship.
The ministry of the church also has children and youth programs. The Children's Ministry includes Sunday School, a separate worship service, as well as events throughout the year such as "Footsteps to the Cross" (a dramatic re-enactment of the events of Holy Week), and the Christmas Pageant. The Youth Ministry consists of a youth group for children in grades 6 through 12 to grow in fellowship with each other, other church members, and also with the community and wider world through social justice and outreach projects.
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
in the United States and the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
worldwide.
History
All Angels' was founded in 1846 by St. Michael's Episcopal ChurchSt. Michael's Church, New York City
St. Michael's Church is a historic Episcopal church at 225 W. 99th Street in New York City. It was founded in January 1807; the present Romanesque building was built in 1890 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996....
. It was intentionally established as a mission-focused church, with the goal of ministering to residents living in Seneca Village
Seneca Village
Seneca Village was a small village on the island of Manhattan, New York, founded by free blacks. Seneca Village existed from 1825 through 1857, when it was torn down due to the construction of Central Park....
, an area which would later become a part of Central Park. The first church building was wooden and housed a racially mixed congregation, including freed African American slaves and recent European immigrants. In 1856 All Angels' relocated to her new building—constructed two years later—on West End Avenue and 80th street. The main church building was used until 1979, when it was knocked down because the congregation grew small and the church was financially strained. Services were moved to the parish house nearby, and have been held there ever since.
Ministry
The church holds morning and evening worship services every Sunday, with Holy EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. The evening service invites homeless individuals from the community to join in worship. Following the service, the community shares in a meal together as a continuation of their Eucharist celebration. The church also holds a Sunday evening shelter, staffed by volunteers from the congregation. In addition to the community meal every Sunday, There is also a weekly program called Pathways, which provides showers, clothing, as well as social, medical, and psychiatric services for individuals who need them .
Besides large gatherings, All Angels' has a number of "house churches," located all throughout Manhattan, which foster community growth through sharing meals, studying Scripture, and group prayer. In many respects, these small group gatherings mirror the experiences of early Christian worship.
The ministry of the church also has children and youth programs. The Children's Ministry includes Sunday School, a separate worship service, as well as events throughout the year such as "Footsteps to the Cross" (a dramatic re-enactment of the events of Holy Week), and the Christmas Pageant. The Youth Ministry consists of a youth group for children in grades 6 through 12 to grow in fellowship with each other, other church members, and also with the community and wider world through social justice and outreach projects.
Staff
Currently, All Angels' is led by Reverend Milind Sojwal. Rev. Sojwal was born and educated in India, where he attended seminary. He received further schooling in theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and came to All Angels' in 2000.Vision
Motivated by the profound implications of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, All Angels' hopes to nurture not only a deep spirituality through worship and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, but also a heart for selfless service and hospitality to others in need of healing. Because of this, the church has never strayed very far from its historical roots as a mission-focused congregation. The vision of All Angels' Church is outlined in greater detail at the church's website, but is also cited here:
The vision of All Angels' is to see people transformed by the gospel,
formed into the image of Christ,
and empowered for missional living.