The Greater Universal Baptist Church

In the spring of 1954, the Rev. Robert Woolbright, Bro. Otis Harley (the first ordained Deacon), Sis. Sadie Turner (the first Deaconess), Sis. Queen Ester Grant (the first musician) and a few others prayed for God’s direction in organizing a church in a storefront on West 124th Street and 8th Avenue, to be called Universal Baptist Church.

From 1956 to 1957, the church relocated to 131 West 133rd Street, then to 123 West 135th Street, both in Manhattan, before moving to 270 East 150th Street and finally to our current location 253 East 153rd street, both in the Bronx. The move to our current location took place on Palm Sunday with a grand march in 1957 that included the Officers of the United Missionary Baptist Association and the original members of Universal Baptist Church: Deacon Otis Harley, Deacon Clarence Turner, Deaconess Sadie Turner-Harley, Deaconess Mary Turner, Sis. Julia Flemings, Sis. Eartha Heatley, Bro. Charles Lawrence, Sis. Thelma Lawrence, Sis. Ruth Johnson, Evangelist Morise Peterson, Bro. Charles Flemings, Deacon Jack Wright, Sis. Ells Woolbright, Sis. Riva Thompson and Sis. Juanita Hartwell.

October 8, 1966, Rev. Woolbright called a general church meeting wherein the members voted to incorporate the church and change the name to Greater Universal Baptist Church. The original certificate of incorporation was filed with the Bronx County Clerk’s office on October 21, 1966.