The History of Gethsemane Baptist Church: 1929 – 2018
Gethsemane began as a mission in the home of Mother Florence Felder with a group of nine baptized believers in Jesus Christ. The nine were Reverend and Sister McClotton, Deacon and Sister Archie Hopkins, Sister Sadie Beal, Brother Willie Floyd, Brother George Williams, and Deacon and Sister Honeycutt.
Sister Sadie Beal gave Gethsemane its name thinking of the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before his crucifixion. The members moved from the home of Mother Felder to 3777 Third Avenue, Bronx, New York which was a store front. Gethsemane called Reverend Ernest William Ghee, an Associate Minister of Thessalonia Baptist Church, pastored by Reverend L. J. Johns, to pastor Gethsemane in 1929. He was a native of Lunenburg County, Virginia.
The storefront building on Third Avenue was very small. It had only one aisle. It had one entrance, one exit, one vent for ventilation and no baptismal pool. The First Union Baptist Church, Bronx, New York extended us a standing invitation to baptize in the pool on the third Wednesday evening of each month. An old ice box was Gethsemane’s pulpit.
Although the rent on the storefront was then only $40.00 per month, there were times when we could not meet the payments. At those times, the landlord would padlock the door, but by Sunday, Pastor Ghee and the preeminent Deacons of that day (Deacons Lee Young, James Ford, A.J. Wyatt, Taft Miller, James Branch and Jethro Phinizy) would find a way through the goodness of God to open the church for service.
In June 1940, Gethsemane became an incorporated church body. The witnesses were Pastor Ghee, Deacons; A.J. Wyatt, J. R. Phinizy and James Ford.
In 1944 we purchased the building at 1389 Washington Avenue, Bronx, New York for $21,000.00 and remained at the location until the city requested the site for city developments. By that time, our membership had grown to 1,500. Pastor Ghee and the Deacons of Gethsemane then arranged for the purchase of the building where we are presently assembled.
A fire destroyed the building one week before the scheduled move-in date delaying our occupancy of the new premises for a time. But God was good and blessed us with a temporary place to hold our services while we were awaiting its renovation. The Methodist Church at 165th Street and Washington Avenue, allowed us to worship in its sanctuary in the afternoon and until our first service at 771 Fairmount Place.
Sister Lucy Ghee and Deacon J.R. Phinizy were the first members of the Senior Choir, Deaconess Mary Branch was the first President of the Missionary Circle, and Deacon Lee Young was the first President of the Usher Board. Every Friday night was Prayer Meeting night and Sister Lucy Ghee was the leader.
Pastor Ghee passed this life on August 17, 1964.
Some laudable accomplishments of Reverend Taft Miller are as follows: the formation of Gospel Chorus Number 1 in 1962, the creation of Gospel Chorus Number 2 in 1967, the organization of the Hospitality Club in 1967, and the Male Chorus of our Brotherhood Club in 1973.
On August 9, 1964 Reverend Miller ordained four Deacons: Clarence Flemming, Eugene Sligh, Herbert Wingo, and Nathaniel Devine. From March 1, 1964 through February 11, 1976, 741 members joined the church on their Christian Experience, 404 came by baptism and 10 by letter. In 1976 Gethsemane gave birth to nine ministers: Reverend Charles Britt, Pastor of Greater Zion Baptist Church, Bronx, New York; Reverend Julius Sasportas, Pastor of Co-op City Baptist Church; Reverend Timothy Jones; Reverend Jessie Woodhouse, Pastor of the Lord’s Mission Bible Church, Bronx, New York; Reverend William Pierce; Reverend Willie Green; Reverend Emmanuel Jones; Reverend Roy Smithwick, Pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church, Wise, North Carolina; and Reverend Godfrey Campbell.
Pastor Taft Miller passed this life on February 11, 1976.
Reverend Milton A. Cephous of Tarboro, North Carolina was installed as Pastor of Gethsemane on Sunday, March 14, 1977. He had previously been the Assistant Pastor of the St. Paul Baptist Church, New York, New York, Pastor Reverend Earl B. Moore.
Pastor Cephous ordained 10 Deacons during his pastorate: John Phinizy, the Lewis Ligon, Joe Underwood, Walter Hutton, Melvin Miller, George Manuel, Walter Mizell, James Wimberly, William Harris, and Alphonso Smith.
Reverend Cephous was pastor Gethsemane from March 13, 1977 to October 10, 1980.
Gethsemane was without a Pastor from October 10, 1980 until March 6, 1983. During that period Deacon John Phinizy, Chairman of the Board of Deacons, assumed a prominent leadership role helping to guide Gethsemane through that difficult period.
The officers, members and the associate ministers worked closely with Deacon Phinizy and felt confident that he was working for the benefit of the church. The guidance of Reverend Charles Britt and Attorney Lawrence Bailey helped hold the church together. Some of the accomplishments: 110 new members joined the church; Reverend Walter Hutton was ordained; $30,000.00 mortgage was paid off in one payment to the Carver Federal Loan and Savings bank.
On March 6, 1983 Reverend Torrence Robinson, the Assistant to the Pastor of the Mount Sinai Baptist Church, Bronx, New York, pastored by the Reverend William O. Gullette, became the 4th pastor of Gethsemane. Under his leadership the church’s history has been filled with challenges, changes and new directions for the church. As he was led by the Spirit of God, Gethsemane has grown spiritually, theologically, numerically, and financially. During his tenure, thousands of members have walked to the front of the church to recommit or give their lives to Christ.
Christian Education and community involvement have been high priorities for our church during his pastorate. We now have an established and developing Prison Ministry, an anti-substance abuse ministry for families known as Freedom Only Comes under Surrendering Ministry (F.O.C.U.S.); a Diaconate Ministry, which in accordance with the 16th chapter of Romans and the Baptist doctrine of equality for all believers is inclusive of women who have been ordained as Deacons; Mother Board consisting of all our elderly Deaconesses; structured Men’s Fellowship and Ministry; Board of Christian Education; Food Pantry Ministry, which was overseen by Deacon Eugene Sligh and Deacon Walter Mizell; Thanksgiving Day Dinner, serving families of our community begun by Deacon Walter Mizell; Transportation Ministry; Women’s Ministry was organized by Sister Martha Singleton and a Youth Church was established for the training of children between the ages of 4 to 18 years old.
In 2005, The First Lady’s Ministry was established. The Ministry was led by Sister Jada Thorpe and they had their first celebration in March 2006 on the Saturday preceding of our Pastor’s Anniversary celebration. The most recent ministry added to the church was the Health Ministry headed by Minister Kim Osorio and Deacon Elizabeth Gadson in January of 2012. The goal is to have a healthier congregation of believers teaching them to care for their temple physically and mentally. In the Fall of 2012, the Zumba Dance Ministry began and was led by Minister Korrin Mitchell. The Power of Written Word Ministry (POWW) began in 2014 and was led by Minister Corretta Hall.
With an eye toward the future and a realization that where there is no vision the people perish, Reverend Robinson has been leading the church towards the rebuilding and expansion of its present sanctuary to include affordable housing, day care, and universal pre-kindergarten.
Because the direction of any church depends upon its primary and its secondary leadership, Reverend Robinson has prepared and ordained four ministers: Reverend Dr. Marilyn Oliver, Reverend Ruth Burns, Reverend Latifa Reed, and Reverend Dr. Robert Walton. He has also licensed 24 ministers; Dorothy Ellington, Bruce Alston, Latifa Reed, Kim Brewer, Laurie Smith, Leroy Eaddy, Louis Riddle, John Davis, Sr., Kenneth Alston, Bryon Jon-Baptiste, Kim Osorio, Leither Ligon, Martha Singleton, Jean Hill-Francis, Hazel Robinson, Yoruba Chillus-Holmes, Leslie Jennings, Darryl Thorpe, Michael Horton, Rita Abass., Korrin Mitchell, Robin Smith, William Holmes, and Porsha Bruno.
In addition to developing a Ministerial staff, Reverend Robinson has ordained 33 deacons: Kenneth Alston, Saundra Baker, Odessa Chestnut, Lucinda Coleman, Jean Hill-Frances, Lorraine Harrison, Lashaun Houston, Kim Dee James, Henry Jennings, Keith Shivers, Bobby Marlow, Isaiah Kelly, Henry Gunther, Ernest Moss, Eric Ligon, Leither Ligon, James Oliver, Channie Sasportas, Lottie Phinizy, Lois Eagan, Robert Eagan, Elizabeth Gadson, Johnny Gadson, Bertha Yeadon, and Harry Yeadon.
The church began ordaining women as deacons in November of 1992. The first women deacons were Jean Hill-Frances, Lucinda Coleman, Bertha Yeadon, and Elizabeth Gadson. On July 28, 2013, six more deacons were ordained; William Marcus Holmes, Margaret A. Shivers, Richard Neal, Jr., Linda Denise Smith, Tammy Brunson and Lulu Powell.
Deacon Keith Shivers stepped down as Chairperson of the Deacon Board in September of 2013 and Deacon Bobby Marlow became Chairperson of the Diaconate Ministry.
The Gethsemane Baptist Church Sunday School has been served by the following superintendents: Brother William Luke, Deacon Jethro Phinizy, Reverend Jessie Woodhouse, Sister Sarah Williamson, and Sister Adell Bell who served for over 35 years.
Deacon Elizabeth Gadson became superintendent of the Sunday School in January of 2014. Two new Sunday School classes were added to the Sunday School department; The Young Adult class and our Gifted and Talented class taught by our First Lady Beverly Robinson and Sister Angela Gadson-Floyd.
In 1993, the late Deacon Walter Mizell was named as Chairman Emeritus. In 2001, Deacon John Phinizy became Chairman Emeritus of the Diaconate Ministry.
Over the past 31 years we have changed the structure of the Music Ministry of the church. We established the Angelic Voices, Senior Citizen Choir, Men’s Fellowship Choir, and a combined church choir “Voices of Gethsemane.” There are times when the world and communities need to see a church music ministry united. We often call upon the Mass Choir of Gethsemane to carry the ministry of music into various fellowships both in and outside the church.