Zion Baptist Church builds on a North Broad Legacy
Zion Baptist Church, which peaked at 6,000 members under civil rights leader and social activist Leon H. Sullivan, is typical of a congregation that is struggling to build upon the legacy of a larger-than-life figure who put the church on the map. Located on North Broad in the Nicetown/Tioga neighborhood, the church wants to use its annex to foster optimism.
By Constance Garcia-Barrio
Wharton-Wesley offers a beacon to Cobbs Creek.
Built in 1906, Wharton-Wesley United Methodist Church in Southwest Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek neighborhood once had a congregation of 600, though today, that number hovers between 150 and 200. Many current members commute to attend services. “We have to reboot ourselves,” says the church’s community pastor and Temple University professor Reverend David W. Brown.
By Constance Garcia-Barrio
The Philadelphia Masjid in Mill Creek: a place to learn, gather, live.
Community involvement is akin to prayer at the Philadelphia Masjid in Mill Creek. “Our religion requires community outreach,” says Aazim Muhammad, 60, president and CEO of Sister Clara Muhammad Community Development Corporation.
By Constance Garcia-Barrio