The First Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The First Cathedral |
|
|---|---|
| The First Cathedral – A Church for all people | |
Lancet window in The First Cathedral Sanctuary
|
|
| 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, once known as First Baptist Church, is a large church in Hartford, Connecticut. It is a Black Baptist congregation. It is one of the oldest Black churches in Hartford. Its main leader is Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr.
Contents
The History of The First Cathedral
How The Church Grew Over Time
- 1968: On April 12, the church started with Rev. Edward R. King and 100 first members.
- 1971: Rev. Dr. LeRoy Bailey Jr. became the second pastor.
- 1971: The church began its radio show.
- 1972: The church joined the American Baptist Convention and National Baptist Convention.
- 1977: In September, the church moved to a bigger building.
- The church became known as The First Baptist Church of Hartford.
- 1981: The church started its school for ministry.
- 1987: The first apartment building for older people was built. The church helped manage it. A second building was finished in 1990.
- 1988: The church started its yearly Christmas show. It included plays and singing.
- 1989: The church opened a bookstore.
- 1993: A mission project began in Kenya.
- 1997: The Praises of Zion, one of the church's choirs, released their first music album.
- 1997: The church started building the main Cathedral building.
- 1999: In September, the church moved into the new Cathedral building.
- 2001: Bishop LeRoy Bailey Jr. became a leader in the International Bishops Conference.
- 2003: Bishop Bailey published a book called "A Solid Foundation: Building Your Life from the Ground Up".
- 2004: Sports fields were finished on the church's land.
- 2004: The church helped 16 churches in Bangladesh.
- 2006: Bishop LeRoy Bailey Jr. became Archbishop.
- 2007: The church built 3 churches in Peru and one more in Bangladesh.
- 2007: The church built 15 water wells in Bangladesh. These wells helped many people get clean water.
- 2008: The church built an orphanage in Uganda.
- 2009: The church's TV show, "Discovering your Power," started broadcasting.
Meet Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr.
In February 1971, LeRoy Bailey Jr. became the second pastor of the First Baptist Church. He had been an assistant minister in Memphis, Tennessee. He started preaching in 1958.
Bailey studied at The College of the Bible and Howard University. He earned degrees in Social Science and Practical Theology. While at Howard, he won an award for his preaching.
When he came to Hartford, Bailey took on many important roles. He worked with different church groups and community organizations.
In 1972, Bailey helped the church move from a small house to its first real building. He also helped the church join bigger Baptist groups. He started a radio show for the church.
In 1975, Bailey led the church to buy a former temple building. This building needed a lot of work. Bailey raised money to buy the building.
From 1976 to 1977, Bailey led the church in fixing up the building. The repairs cost much less than expected.
From 1986 to 1999, Bailey led projects to build homes and buy more land. He also led the building of The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, Connecticut.
In 2006, Bailey started the American part 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
Special Ministries
- 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, including Sign language.
- They have 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
- Covenant Conference
- Churches Covered and Connected in Covenant Conference (started 2001)
- Gospel explosion (started 2007)
- Pastoral anniversary celebration, held every March
- Annual Christmas Production (started 1988)
- Winterfire (hosted by Pentecostals every year)
Church Connections
The First Cathedral works with several other groups:
- Churches United in Global Mission - 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 started building its first custom church home. It was built on a 40-acre plot of land in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Money for building 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 its old name, First Baptist Church of Hartford. But people started calling the church "The First Cathedral" because of the new building. So, the church officially changed its name.
The First Cathedral building looks very different from most churches in New England. Those churches often use older styles like Greek Revival.
The First Cathedral is full of special meanings and symbols. Church leaders worked with architects to make a building that shows many ideas from the Bible.
What the Building Looks Like
The First Cathedral building is shaped like a dove. This shape reminds people of the Baptism of Jesus, which is in the Bible.
Outside Symbols
The Foundation The foundation of the Cathedral represents the dove's feet. The foundation is very large. It helps spread the building's weight evenly because it is built on land that used to be a swamp.
The Structure The Cathedral building has three main levels:
- The First Level has two commercial floors. The first floor represents earth, and the second represents Heaven.
- The Second Level is within the second commercial floor. The two balconies here represent Heaven.
- The Third Level is the Cupola, a dome-like part at the top. It has 8 sides and stained glass windows. This part symbolizes God's throne room in Heaven.
Exterior Walls The outside walls of the Cathedral are covered with a material called Dryvit. The way the walls were built reminds people of Nehemiah rebuilding the city walls in the Bible. The building's sandstone color also reminds people of the Ancient Israelites' journey through the wilderness before reaching their promised land.
Inside Features
Inside the dove-shaped building 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 parts:
- The entrance way has double doors. These doors help 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 - This artwork shows people of all races and backgrounds. They are shown 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 life coming out of death.
