First Presbyterian Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)

Building erected in 1822.

From the description of Records, 1822-1920. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 155450053

The First Presbyterian Church, Newtown (founded in 1652) and the First Presbyterian Church, Jamaica (founded in 1662) were the first organized Presbyterian churches in what is today New York City. Located in the present-day borough of Queens, the original churches faced religious suppression when they were forced to take on Anglican pastors by the ruling Anglican colonial governors. After years of religious persecution, including the imprisonment of the Presbyterian preacher and father of American Presbyterian Francis Makemie, the church eventually was able to expand when the First Presbyterian Church, Manhattan was founded in lower Manhattan in 1716. Soon after, in 1717, another church was organized in Staten Island and in 1822, the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn was formed in what is today the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights.

During the American Revolutionary War, many church members became known for their revolutionary activities against the British. It was also during this period that the church expanded its membership by opening schools and Sunday schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Beginning in the 1830s, the issue over slavery eventually led to a split in the Presbyterian Church when the Southern Presbyterian Church was created in 1861. Anti-slavery churches, such as the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn faced mob violence during the time leading up to the rupture of the church. Following the Civil War, the church turned its attention to missionary work and social reform. In Brooklyn, the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church sent the first Presbyterian missionary to Korea.

The Presbyterian Church in America faced more challenges during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the heresy trial of New York City born theologian and scholar Charles Augustus Briggs. Briggs was one of the early proponents of Higher Criticism, a movement within the church that stressed that the Bible contained errors that should be interpreted as stories and not as facts. This split in doctrine led to what would become the Modernist-Fundamentalist controversy within the American Presbyterian Church, as well as in other Christian denominations in America.

In 1983, the split in the Presbyterian Church that occurred during the Civil War was mended when the church was reunited to form the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America.

From the guide to the Presbyterian Churches of Brooklyn collection, 1831-1984, (Brooklyn Historical Society)

The First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn (commonly referred to as First Church) was founded in 1822. Its building on Cranberry Street, featuring a distinct 120-foot clock tower, was the first church to be built in Brooklyn Heights. In 1846, First Church's building was purchased by Plymouth Church, and First Church moved to a property on Henry Street between Pierrepont and Clark Streets.

First Church had a number of distinguished pastors throughout the 19th century. One such pastor was Dr. Samuel Hanson Cox, who served from 1837 to 1854. Cox led First Church through a period known as the "Presbyterian schism," in which controversy erupted among American Presbyterians over a number of theological issues, the prospect of merging with the Congregationalists, and the moral implications of slavery. Cox, regarded as "Brooklyn's first abolitionist," asserted that God's salvation was open to all regardless of race and allied himself with the more progressive Presbyterian sect known as the New School. Cox's stance aroused suspicion from more traditionalist members of First Church, many of whom subsequently withdrew to join other churches or establish their own (most notably the Church of the Pilgrims). Still, membership at First Church under Cox's leadership remained strong.

Dr. Charles Cuthbert Hall, who served as pastor from 1877 to 1897, is also a notable figure in the history of First Church, having been largely responsible for revitalizing the church in a time when it faced declining membership and severe debt. Hall brought in over 800 new members, increased revenues beyond expectations, made significant changes to the interior of the church, brought in the gifted organist and choir director Raymond Huntington Woodman (who served for over 70 years), and generally established First Church to a place of prominence in the Brooklyn community. Hall later became President of Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan.

Despite varying periods of decline in the 20th century brought on by dwindling finances, low membership, and unstable economic and social conditions, First Church persisted and established a unique identity in the Brooklyn community. It underwent several architectural renovations and additions, embraced its role as a shelter for the sick and needy, engaged in social action, and fostered an increasingly multicultural congregation. As of 2010, First Church continues to serve the Brooklyn community from its Henry Street location and is led by Reverend Stephen Phelps, who is serving in the capacity of Interim Senior Pastor.

From the guide to the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn collection, 1822-1992, (Brooklyn Historical Society)