The First Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The First Cathedral |
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| The First Cathedral – A Church for all people | |
Lancet window in The First Cathedral Sanctuary
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| Location | 1151 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, Connecticut |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Website | The First Cathedral |
| History | |
| Founded | April 12, 1968 |
| Founder(s) | Rev. Edward R. King |
| Dedicated | September 4, 1999 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | TMA Architects/Russell & Dawson Architecture and Engineering of East Hartford, Connecticut |
| Style | Post-Modern Cathedral |
| Years built | 1997–1999 |
The First Cathedral is a large Black Baptist church located in Hartford, Connecticut. It was first known as First Baptist Church.
This church is one of the oldest historically Black churches in Hartford. It is also the third church to be called First Baptist Church of Hartford. Its main leader is Archbishop LeRoy Bailey, Jr.
Contents
The Story of The First Cathedral
The First Cathedral has a rich history. It started small and grew into a very large church. Many important events have happened over the years.
Important Moments in Time
- 1968: On April 12, the church began. It was founded by Rev. Edward R. King and 100 people.
- 1970: Rev. Thomas Tate served as a temporary pastor.
- 1971: Rev. Dr. LeRoy Bailey Jr. became the second pastor.
- 1971: The church started its own radio show.
- 1972: The church joined important Baptist groups.
- 1977: In September, the church moved to a bigger building. It became known as The First Baptist Church of Hartford.
- 1981: The church began a school to train church leaders.
- 1987: The first of two apartment buildings for older people was built. The second one was finished in 1990. These were called Cathedral Manors.
- 1988: The church started its yearly Christmas show. It included plays and singing.
- 1989: The church opened a bookstore.
- 1993: A mission project was started in Kenya.
- 1997: The Praises of Zion, one of the church's choirs, released their first music album.
- 1997: The church began building its main Cathedral building.
- 1999: In September, the church moved into the new Cathedral building.
- 2001: In October, Bishop LeRoy Bailey Jr. became a consecrated Bishop. This gave him leadership over churches in North America and the Caribbean.
- 2003: Bishop Bailey published a book called "A Solid Foundation: Building Your Life from the Ground Up."
- 2004: Sports fields were completed on the church's campus.
- 2004: The church helped 16 churches in Bangladesh.
- 2006: Bishop LeRoy Bailey Jr. became Archbishop. He is now known as Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr.
- 2007: The church built three churches in Peru and one more in Bangladesh.
- 2007: The church built 15 water wells in Bangladesh. These wells helped about 30,000 to 50,000 people.
- 2008: The church built an orphanage in Uganda.
- 2008: The Praises of Zion choir released their third album.
- 2009: A new broadcast called "Discovering your Power" began. It aired locally and across the country.
- 2015: The Praises of Zion choir released their fourth album.
About Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr.
LeRoy Bailey Jr. became the second pastor of the First Baptist Church in February 1971. Before this, he was an assistant minister in Memphis, Tennessee. He started preaching in 1958.
He studied at The College of the Bible and Howard University. While at Howard, he won an award for his preaching.
When he came to Hartford, Bailey took on many leadership roles. He worked with different church groups and community organizations.
In 1972, Bailey helped the church buy its first building. He also helped it join national Baptist groups. He started a radio show for the church.
In 1975, Bailey led efforts to buy a former temple building. This building had been damaged. Bailey raised money to buy it and then to fix it up. The repairs cost much less than expected because of the church's efforts.
From 1986 to 1999, Bailey led campaigns to build housing and the new First Cathedral building.
In 2006, Bailey started the American chapter of The International Bishops Conference.
Under Bailey's leadership, the church has grown a lot. By 2005, it had over 11,000 members. This made it the largest church in the New England area.
Church Activities and Groups
The First Cathedral has many different groups and activities. These groups help people in various ways.
- 2002: Churches Covered and Connected in Covenant (C4) started. This group helps churches from different backgrounds connect.
- 2004: A health and wellness group began. It is called The Good Life Wellness Center.
- 2006: A Christian catering service started. It is called First Harvest.
- The church has a group that helps with different languages. This includes Sign language for people who are deaf.
- They hold an Annual Multicultural month to celebrate different cultures.
- The Praises Of Zion is a choir that has won awards for its Gospel Music.
Yearly Events
The church holds several special events each year:
- Covenant Conference
- Churches Covered and Connected in Covenant Conference (started in 2001)
- Gospel explosion (started in 2007)
- Pastoral anniversary celebration: This happens every March.
- Annual Christmas Production: This show has been happening since 1988.
- Winterfire: This event is hosted by Pentecostal groups every year.
Church Partnerships
The First Cathedral works with several other ministries and groups:
- Churches United in Global Mission: This is a group from Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.
- Connecticut Coalition of Churches
- Pastors in Covenant
- Churches Covered and Connected in Covenant
- The Capital Region Conference of Churches
The Cathedral Building
In 1998, the church began building its first custom worship place. It was built on a 40-acre plot of land in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The money for building it was raised over twelve years.
After two years, the first part of the building was finished. It was 120,000 square feet. The church planned to keep the name First Baptist Church of Hartford. However, people started calling the ministry The First Cathedral because of the new building. So, the church officially became known as The First Cathedral.
The Cathedral building looks very different from most churches in New England. Those churches often use older styles like Greek Revival. The First Cathedral has a more modern design.
The First Cathedral is meant to be the church's final home. It is full of special meanings and symbols. Church leaders worked with architects to make a building that shows important religious ideas.
Building Design and Symbolism
The First Cathedral building is shaped like a dove. This shape reminds people of the Baptism of Jesus. This event is described in the Bible.
Outside the Building
- The Foundation: The foundation of the Cathedral represents the dove's feet. It is very large and helps spread the building's weight evenly.
- The Structure: The building has three main levels:
- The first level has two commercial floors. One represents earth, and the second represents Heaven.
- The second level is within the second commercial floor. It has two balconies that represent Heaven.
- The third level is the Cupola. This is an eight-sided tower with stained glass windows. It symbolizes God's throne room in Heaven.
- Exterior Walls: The outside walls are covered with a material called Dryvit. The way it was installed reminds people of the story of Nehemiah. He rebuilt the city walls of Israel. The building's sandstone color also reminds people of the Ancient Israelites' journey in the wilderness before reaching their Promised Land.
Inside the Building
Inside the dove-shaped building, there are three main parts: The Grand Lobby, The Grand Concourse, and The Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is designed like Solomon's Temple from the Bible.
The Grand Lobby
The Grand Lobby is the main entrance area of The First Cathedral. It has several symbolic features:
- The Entrance: The entrance has double doors. These doors save energy. They also remind people of the main entrance to an ancient city. City gates were part of the city's defense.
- Stained Glass Mosaic: There is a beautiful stained glass picture. It shows people of all races and backgrounds with their hands raised in praise.
- Fountain: The fountain is shaped like a tomb. Water shoots out of it in the shape of a cross. This symbolizes new life coming from death.
