Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Information | |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Dedicated | December 4, 1870 |
| Minister(s) | Andrew F. Connors, pastor Kate F. Connors, youth director John C. Walker, minister of music |
| Contact particulars | |
| Address | 1316 Park Avenue Baltimore, MD 21217 |
| Country |  United States |
| Phone | +1 410-523-1542 |
| Website | http://www.browndowntown.org |
Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church of Baltimore, Maryland, United States, also known as Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church, is a large, Gothic Revival-style Presbyterian church located at Park and Lafayette Avenues in the city's Bolton Hill section. The church is noted for its ornate stained glass windows by the renowned artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, soaring vaulted ceiling, and prominent persons associated with its history. Maltbie Babcock, who was the church's pastor 1887–1900, wrote the familiar hymn, This is My Father's World.[1] Storied virtuoso concert performer Virgil Fox was organist at Brown Memorial early in his career (1936–1946).[2]
Called "one of the most significant buildings in this city, a treasure of art and architecture" by Baltimore Magazine, the church underwent a $1.8 million restoration between 2001–2003.[3][4]
Contents |
[edit] History
The Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church building was dedicated on December 4, 1870, in memory of George Brown, son of investment firm founder Alexander Brown and one of the founders of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1827.[5] Construction was funded by a gift of $150,000 from his widow, Isabella McLanahan Brown, an amount which would be equivalent to several million dollars today.[6] George Brown was described by a Baltimore historian as a successful businessman and civic leader who "regarded religion as preeminent above all other things and loved his church with all the ardor of his noble nature".[7] John Sparhawk Jones was the church's first pastor, between 1870–1884.[8]
The sanctuary was enlarged in 1905 with the addition of a transept and several Tiffany windows.[6] Further development occurred in 1931 with the addition of the current chancel designed by notable architect Ralph Adams Cram, along with the present 4-manual E.M. Skinner pipe organ.[9]
T. Guthrie Speers had a popular ministry at Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church from 1928 to 1957. He began an outreach program to Baltimore's Jewish community, occasionally exchanging pulpits with local rabbis. He also abolished racial segregation at the church and supported the installation of the church's pipe organ by Ernest M. Skinner in 1931.
After Speers' retirement in 1957, John Middaugh was minister from 1958 to 1968. Middaugh was a regular panelist for ten years on the weekly television program To Promote Goodwill, an interfaith discussion of social and religious issues produced by WBAL-TV and broadcast worldwide on the Voice of America.[10] He was also in the forefront of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Along with William Sloan Coffin and dozens of other clergymen and civil rights activists, Middaugh was arrested in a clash with police at Baltimore's Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in July 1963 over efforts to desegregate the popular attraction.[11][12]
Membership peaked at 1,336 in 1952 but subsequently declined in the late 1950s as much of the city's population migrated to the suburbs. In response, a portion of the congregation decided in 1956 to build a church in the suburban Woodbrook area north of Baltimore. Others members wished to remain at the Bolton Hill location, prompting a decision to operate one church at two locations, with a shared ministerial staff. This arrangement continued until 1980, when the congregations of the two churches voted for separation. The original Bolton Hill church was subsequently referred to as "Brown Memorial Park Avenue", to distinguish it from "Brown Memorial Woodbrook".[9]
The immediate past minister of the church is Roger J. Gench, pastor from 1990 to 2002, who is now pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C..
The full list of senior ministers from 1870 to present is:
| Minister | Years of appointment |
|---|---|
| John Sparlock Jones | 1870–1884 |
| Frank Wadeley Gunsaulus | 1885–1887 |
| Maltbie Babcock | 1887–1900 |
| John Timothy Smith | 1900–1915 |
| John McDowell | 1915–1921 |
| G. A. Hulbert | 1921–1928 |
| T. Guthrie Speers | 1928–1957 |
| John Middaugh | 1958–1968 |
| Ian Wilson | 1968–1973 |
| Charles Erhardt | 1975–1980 |
| David Malone | 1980–1990 |
| Roger J. Gench | 1990–2002 |
| Andrew Foster Connors | 2004–present |
| Sources: Jane T. Swope, A History of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church 1870–1995[9] and church website[13] |
|
[edit] Current ministry
The current pastor of Brown Memorial Park Avenue Church since 2004 is Andrew Foster Connors.[13] A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, he received his B.A. from Duke University and a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2001. He is a recipient of the prestigious David H. C. Read Preaching Award, named after the renowned author and Prebyterian clergyman David H. C. Read, at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City.[14]
His wife, Kate Foster Connors, whom he met while both were student interns for U.S. Representative David Price, is also an ordained minister and serves as youth director at Brown Memorial. The Connors have two children.[13]
Under the pastorate of Andrew Foster Connors, the church’s historic leadership continues in social justice issues including national peace efforts, a statewide campaign for marriage equality, and local efforts to rebuild blighted neighborhoods, to support after school programs for children, and to invest in the youth of Baltimore. Connors has also taken an active role in dialogues between the Jewish and Christian faith communities.[14]
[edit] Music ministry
.jpg/180px-John_Walker_(organist).jpg)
The minister of music at Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church since 2004 is internationally renowned concert organist and CD recording artist John Walker. Formerly director of music and organist at Riverside Church in New York City (1983–1992) and Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1992–2005), he has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stanford University.[15] Walker is a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), the highest level of certification granted by the organization, and sits on the AGO Board of Examiners.[16] He is also on the Organ Department faculty of Baltimore's renowned Peabody Institute.
The 4-manual Ernest M. Skinner pipe organ has 2,939 pipes and remains essentially the same today as when it was installed in 1931 and tonally finished by G. Donald Harrison, as Skinner's opus 839.[17] Virgil Fox gained considerable fame as a concert virtuoso and recording artist while organist at Brown Memorial early in his career (1936–1946).[2] The organ underwent a complete restoration between 2002–2005, with all original 45 ranks of the instrument fully preserved. A 99-memory level Capture System was added to the organ in 2005.[18]
[edit] Programs and activities
In addition to regular worship services on Sundays and holy days, Brown Memorial Park Avenue Church offers various programs of enrichment and outreach, such as concerts, lectures, and study forums. The "Tiffany Series" presents distinguished speakers at the church, such as Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, who spoke on Children in Peril: What Does Our Faith Require of Us? on March 16, 2008.[19] "Wednesday Nights at Brown" offers dinner speakers for adults, such as John Walker's Christian Hymnody and the Theology Behind It, and arts or music activities for children.
The church is active in numerous missions, both locally and on the national and world scenes. High school and college age youth participate in "Share", an annual summer missions trip to El Salvador.[19][20] The church also has a longstanding outreach program with the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.[21]
[edit] Stained glass windows
Among the considerable number of stained glass windows, those crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1905 are especially prized for their vibrancy and exceptional depth:[22] During the restoration survey in 2000, various stained glass experts praised the extent and craftsmanship of the church's collection of Tiffany windows.[4] As part of the church's $1.8 million restoration project between 2001-2003, all of the stained glass windows were releaded and restored to their original lustre.[3][23]
- The Annunciation to the Shepherds – the birth of the infant Christ is announced by angels to shepherds tending their flocks. Tiffany employed a confetti glass technique for the flames of the shepherds' bonfire as the star of Bethlehem gleams with etched glass.[22]
- The Baptism of Christ – portrays Jesus with John the Baptist at the River Jordan. Mottled glass is used for the area around the water, with a layer of wavy glass over Christ's left foot to create the illusion of looking through water.[22]
- Christ Blessing the Children – the Lord holds a child in his lap, whose face is that of the boy for whom this window was donated as a memorial by his grieving parents.[22][23]
- I am the Way – Jesus walks on tempestuous seas surrounded by storm clouds. Opalescent glass is used to create a glow of light around the figure of Jesus.[23]
- Christ in Gethsemane – portraying Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, surrounded by trees made of stippled glass.[23]
- The young David – the future Israelite king is pictured.
- If I Be Lifted Up – Christ is portrayed in the clouds, with light radiating from behind His head as the penetrating eyes seem to follow the viewer around the nave. An extra layer of mottled glass behind the clouds was used by Tiffany.[24]
- Lead, Kindly Light – placed to catch the rays of the afternoon sun, the cross is made of etched glass.
- The Holy City – St. John's vision on the isle of Patmos of the "New Jerusalem", as described in Revelation 21:2. Brilliant red, orange, and yellow glass is etched for the sunrise, with textured glass used to create the effect of moving water. Said to be one of the two largest windows (along with The Annunciation to the Shepherds) ever made by the Tiffany Studios, this 58-panel stained glass window honors Maltbie Babcock.[24]
- Gabriel – the archangel Gabriel in the clouds, with feathers individually fashioned from opalescent glass by Tiffany.
- John, the Visionary – Wearing a red cloak and having an intense expression, St. John is portrayed by Tiffany in the style of the 17th c Flemish painter Reubens. The window is made of drapery, opalescent, and mottled glass.[24]
- The New Creation – located at the rear of the church, it is based on the description in Revelation 22:1-2, with stained glass depictions of trees, mountains, and streams of Living Water. At the top is a star morphing into a cross, with rays made of nuggets.[22]
 The Annunciation to the Shepherds, by Tiffany |
 The Baptism of Christ, by Tiffany |
 The New Creation, by Tiffany |
 Interior details |
 The Good Shepherd, by Wilbur Burnham, and the organ |
[edit] References
- ^ Maltbie Davenport Babcock — 1858-1901. cyberhymnal.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ a b (2001) Virgil Fox (the Dish) — An Irreverent Biography of the Great American Organist. New York: Circles International. ISBN 0-9712970-0-2.
- ^ a b Elizabeth Evitts (April, 2003). "Window to the Future", Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
- ^ a b Tricia Bishop. "Illuminated by a jewel", The Baltimore Sun, 2003-04-07. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
- ^ Dilts, James D. (1993). The Great Road. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2235-8.
- ^ a b A Brief History. Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ George M. Howard, Monumental City – Its Past History and Present resources.
- ^ Several of John Sparhawk Jones' collected sermons were later published in such books as Seeing Darkly, The Invisible Things, and Saved by Hope.
- ^ a b c Jane T. Swope, A History of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church 1870–1995.
- ^ Thomas H. O'Connor, Baltimore Broadcasting from A to Z, Baltimore, Md. (1985)
- ^ "283 Integrationists, Many Clerics, Arrested At Gwynn Oak Park", The Baltimore Sun, July 5, 1963.
- ^ "March on Gwynn Oak Park" (July 13, 1963). Time magazine.
- ^ a b c Staff. Brown Memorial Park Avenue Church. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ a b Rev. Andrew Foster Connors (biography). Baltimore: Brown Memorial Park Avenue Church, 2008.
- ^ John Walker profile. Peabody Institute (2007).
- ^ "Summary of AGO Certification Requirements" (January, 2008). The American Organist 42 (1): 19.
- ^ Opus 839: Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. Aeolian-Skinner Archives. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
- ^ The Skinner Organ. Brown Memorial Park Avenue Church. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ a b "The Tidings" (pdf) (March 2008). Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church.
- ^ Santa Maria Marde Del Los Pobres. Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ The Hau Kola Partnership. Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ a b c d e L. Irving Pollitt, A History of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church 1870–1945.
- ^ a b c d Tiffany Stained Glass Windows. Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ a b c Joan S. Feldman, Sacred Glass: The Tiffany Windows of Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church. Baltimore: Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church (2005).
