First time at Middle Church?
The diversity of our congregation and staff looks like a New York City subway but it feels like a home full of love. Welcome to church like you’ve never experienced it before.
Our Story
Who We Are
Middle Church is where therapy meets Broadway; where art and dance meet a gospel revival; where old time religion gets a new twist. We are Bach, Beatles, and Beethoven; we are jazz, hip-hop, and spirituals. We are inspired by Howard Thurman, Ruby Sales, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Martin Luther King. We are on-your-feet worship and take-it-to-the-streets activism. We feed the hungry and work for a living wage; we fight for LGBTQ+ equality and march for racial/ethnic justice. We stand up for the stranger and the immigrant; we care for women’s lives and Mother Earth.
We’ve been to the border, we’ve rebuilt in Puerto Rico; we’ve been arrested while fighting for health care and supporting survivors of sexual violence. From Trayvon to Mike to Sandy to Eric—we know that when Black Lives Matter, all lives will matter.
Middle Collegiate Church and The Collegiate Church of New York is co-affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Reformed Church in America.
Our Vision
God’s Reign. Right Now.
Middle Church is a multicultural, multiethnic, intergenerational movement of Spirit and justice, powered by fierce, revolutionary Love, with room for all. Following in the Way of Jesus’ radical love, and inspired by the prophets, Middle Church is called by God to do a bold new thing on the earth. We aim to heal souls and the world by dismantling racist, classist, sexist, ethnocentrist, ableist, cisheterosexist and other systems of oppression.
Because our God is still speaking in many languages, we work in interreligious partnerships to uproot injustice, eradicate poverty, care for the brokenhearted, nurture our planet, and build the Reign of God on earth. This activism is fueled by our faith; our faith is expressed in art; our art is an active prayer connecting us with the Holy Spirit. Middle Church affirms the transformative power of moral imagination, reclaiming and reframing Christianity inside our walls, on the street, and in virtual spaces around the globe.
Our Work
We believe in the power of Love. Period.
Through Love, we are each created in God’s image and filled with the Divine Spark. No matter whom we love, no matter how we look, no matter where we are on our journey, God’s imprint is in every person of every race/ethnicity, every gender, and every sexual orientation. We believe God speaks many languages and is calling us on many paths to peace—Shalom. We believe that Love put on flesh—brown, poor, Jewish baby flesh—and came to live among us. We believe God lives among us still; we are the living body of Christ. We are the hands, feet, and heartbeat of God. We believe the Spirit of God calls us to freedom, and we are not free until all of us are free.
We are committed to these norms within Middle Church’s community and spaces we hold together:
We listen to understand until the speaker has finished and we do not interrupt
We ask clarifying questions (I’m so glad you share that, do you mind if I ask you a clarifying question)
We do not cross-talk (Thank you for your perspective, here’s my point of view/take on that/I have a different thought VS I think you are wrong or I disagree or That is so stupid)
We speak for ourselves, not our cohort, our group, or anyone else
We use “I statements” as often as possible. (When I am interrupted I feel frustrated and find it difficult to stay engaged VS You interrupt me and it makes me frustrated)
We keep confidentiality in our groups
We do not make triangles, we say what needs to be said to the person who needs to hear it.
We tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Lying is disrespectful and anti-community. We know there might be more than one truth in a system but we try to tell ours and own it.
We step up and step back to allow all voices to be heard.
Zoom participants will adhere to demonstrating Revolutionary Love at all times. If a participant’s behavior is deemed inappropriate by the meeting host, they will be removed. Inappropriate behavior includes but is not limited to harassment, threats and bigotry of any kind. If you experience behavior that feels inappropriate, we invite you to remind the participant of this covenant and also message the host.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Sundays
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Mondays – Fridays
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Due to the fire, our physical facility is closed until further notice. But no fire can stop revolutionary love! Visit our event calendar for all the ways you can join us.
MAP & DIRECTIONS
112 Second Avenue
(Between 6th & 7th Streets) | New York, NY 10003
Join
Do you yearn to not just belong, but be celebrated for exactly who you are? Do you want a community of folks committed to radical love and justice? Wherever you live, you can call Middle Church home.
Give
This movement needs you! We need your time and talent, but we also need your resources. Make a contribution today and help us be midwives to love and justice.