Metropolitan Baptist Church (Philadelphia)


The Metropolitan Baptist Church is a Baptist church located in Powelton Village, Philadelphia, in the United States.

History

For the majority of its history, the church was home to a Presbyterian congregation. The congregation was founded as the First Presbyterian Church of Mantua in 1837. While another building was present, future growth caused a search for a new home, and the plot on 35th and Baring was secured in January 1871. The cornerstone was laid on September 16, 1873. On September 29th, 1875, the name was changed to the Northminster Presbyterian Church. The new building was constructed in 1875, designed by architect Thomas Webb Richards. It was dedicated on November 11 of that year. The roof of the church was finished and reset in 1887. The building was originally covered with Serpentine.
It was later home to the Princeton Presbyterian Church. The Baptist congregation was formed during the Great Depression, and later acquired use of the building in 1955. The Presbyterian congregation moved to Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

List of rectors

Presbyterian Church

Pre-move

  • Pastor Robert S. Drysdale
  • Pastor Charles S. Renshaw
  • Pastor Thomas S. Johnston
  • Pastor H. Augustus Smith

Post-move

Baptist church