ATLAH World Missionary Church

ATLAH World Missionary Church
ATLAH World Missionary Church
Location38 West 123rd Street
Harlem, New York City, 10027
CountryUnited States
DenominationIndependent
Previous denominationIndependent Baptist
Membership600 (2007)[1]
100 (2011) estimated[2]
History
Former nameBethelite Community Baptist Church
FoundedJune 10, 1957 (1957-06-10)
FounderMillard Alexander Stanley
EventsMother Keturah Breakfast Program[3]
C.I.A. Columbia Obama Sedition and Treason Trial 2010[4]
"No Dew! No Rain!"[1]
Architecture
Designated1888-89
ArchitectLamb & Rich[5]
Architectural typeClub
StyleQueen Anne
Specifications
Materialsred brick and terra cotta
Clergy
MinisterElizabeth Sarah Manning
Senior pastorJames David Manning

ATLAH World Missionary Church (formerly Bethelite Missionary Baptist Church) is a Christian church and ministry located in Harlem, New York. James David Manning is the chief pastor.[6] The church campus is the site of the unaccredited ATLAH Theological Seminary, where classes are offered on preaching and prophecy.[7] The church also has a studio that Manning uses for his Internet radio program The Manning Report.[8][9] The church's YouTube channel had over 72,000 subscribers as of March 2018[10] but was shut down by YouTube later that year.[11]

History

The church was founded and organized in Harlem on June 6, 1957, by the Reverend Millard Alexander Stanley as the Bethelite Community Baptist Church.[6]

In early June, just a few days before the first worship service was held, Stanley was sitting in front of a storefront on 8th Avenue in Harlem. A local heroin addict spoke to him and said, "If y’all gonna be a church, you better 'Be-The-Lite.'" Thus, the mission was formed and named Bethelite.[6]

In 1981, James David Manning replaced Stanley as chief pastor. Under Manning's leadership, the church name changed to ATLAH ("All The Land Anointed Holy"), and ministries were established.[12]

Newest Ministries – The Temple Hour of Prayer May 29, 2008; and The Manning Report August 25, 2008.[12]

  • ATLAH Men's Business Association: Men's group established in 2003.
  • ATLAH Superior: Started as a group of 70 women in 2003 for the establishment of a specialty food service supermarket in New York.
  • ATLAH Theological Seminary: Established in 1994 as an adult-education, Bible, business, and social studies institution.
  • ATLAH World Ministries: Established in 1992 as a half-hour Christian teaching radio, expanded to a weekly TV broadcast heard on several networks, and currently on YouTube and several other venues.
  • Great Tomorrows Elementary/Middle School and ATLAH High School: The school was established in 1994 for the purpose of educating young people from elementary to high school focused upon a private Christian education founded on the M.A.D. Curriculum. The school is not registered and has been pending since about 2013.[13]

This building was erected in the 1890s as the Harlem Social Club. Father Divine (c.1876–1965) and his International Peace Mission Movement were located here during the 1930s.[14]

Controversy and finances

The messages on the church letter board used anti-gay epithets and stated a Christian imperative to kill gay people by stoning. They gained notice on several websites, including some that promote gay rights and oppose hate speech.[15]

In early 2014, the church posted a series of messages on its letter board sign that asserted that Barack Obama is a Muslim and that he is not legally president. Example messages that were documented on the websites include:

  • Obama has released the homo demons on the black man. Look out black woman. A white homo may take your man.[16]
  • Many of these homos moving into Harlem looking for some black meat[17]

In March 2014, local lesbian and transgender activist Jennifer Louise Lopez knocked on the church door to ask for her stoning.[18]

In August 2014, Manning promised that President Vladimir Putin of Russia would release information collected by the KGB that would prove that President Obama is homosexual.[19]

In November 2014, Manning claimed in a video presentation that Starbucks was "Ground Zero" for Ebola. He warned people to stay away from Starbucks if they did not want to get Ebola.[20]

On November 5, Manning claimed that in "a few days' time," there would be no homosexuals in Harlem and Starbucks would close."[21]

In January 2016, a state judge ordered ATLAH Worldwide Church to be sold at a public foreclosure auction after failing to pay creditors more than $1.02 million, court records show.[22] The Church maintains they are afforded tax exempt status by the New York Supreme Court and are not liable for the fines[23] citing the Court's ruling in December 2004.[24] The Ali Forney Center announced their interest in acquiring it for the purposes of an LGBT youth homeless services center, and raised $200,000 in two weeks from a fund-raiser to achieve that goal.[25][26] A temporary stay on the sale was granted pending a full hearing on April 21, 2016. Carl Siciliano of the Ali Forney Center planned to use the time to research the property.[27] In September the judgment of foreclosure was vacated.[28]

In 2019 the Southern Poverty Law Center added ATLAH Church to the national Hate Group List.[29]

Staff

References

  1. ^ a b Altman, Mara (April 3, 2007). "Do the Dew: Prophet Loss in Harlem". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  2. ^ Feeney, Michael J. (August 25, 2011). "Harlem pastor James David Manning preaches 'Obama Is Evil' on church signs, angering local residents". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 26, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ^ "Mother Keturah Breakfast Program Today". ATLAH Media Network. November 18, 2012. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  4. ^ Weigel, David (March 12, 2010). "Obama on Trial". washingtonindependent.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  5. ^ "Bethelite Community Baptist Church originally the Harlem Club". New York Architecture. Archived from the original on May 11, 2004. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c "Our Mission Statement". November 1, 2010. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  7. ^ "Seminary page". Archived from the original on October 25, 2010.
  8. ^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  9. ^ "ATLAH Media Network | the Manning Report Live and 24/7 Encore Presentations". Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  10. ^ ATLAH Worldwide profile on SocialBlade.com
  11. ^ https://atlah.org/amn4/2018/09/11/banned-on-youtube-and-facebook-snowflake-generation/ "Banned on YouTube and Facebook: Snowflake Generation"
  12. ^ a b "Pastor James David Manning Bio". ATLAH Media Network. June 2, 2010. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  13. ^ Klein, Rebecca (April 29, 2019). "The Harrowing Inside Story Of A Harlem School Run By A Hate Group". HuffPost Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  14. ^ From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship (illustrated ed.). Columbia University Press. 2004. p. 124.
  15. ^ Nichols, James (March 20, 2014). "Jennifer Louise Lopez Asks Anti-Gay Harlem Church To Stone Her". HuffPost. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  16. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (February 27, 2014). "'Obama Has Released the Homo Demons,' Church Sign Warns". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  17. ^ Diaz, Arnold (June 9, 2015). "Neighbors confront controversial Harlem pastor over 'hateful' church sign". WPIX-TV.
  18. ^ Nichols, James Michael (March 20, 2014). "Watch What Happens When A Lesbian Asks This Anti-Gay Church To Stone Her". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  19. ^ Putin Will Out Obama As Gay Within 100 Days. YouTube. August 6, 2014.
  20. ^ Stay Away From Starbucks. YouTube. October 28, 2014.
  21. ^ Starbucks Using Sodomites' Semen In Lattes. YouTube. November 5, 2014.
  22. ^ Otis, Ginger Adams (January 28, 2016). "Controversial church in Harlem may go up for public auction". NY Daily News. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  23. ^ "Court Rules ATLAH Church Water And Sewer Tax Exempt". The Manning Report. February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  24. ^ Supreme Court, New York County, New York (December 28, 2004). "IN RE: BETHELITE COMMUNITY CHURCH". caselaw.findlaw.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "LGBT Group Eyes Purchase Of Anti-Gay Church Building In Harlem". newyork.cbslocal.com. CBS New York. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  26. ^ Ellefson, Lindsey (February 9, 2016). "Activists Achieve Goal of Raising Enough Money to Buy Church With Famous Homophobic Signs". Mediaite. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  27. ^ Duffy, Nick (February 22, 2016). "Closure of 'Jesus would stone homos' church delayed amid legal challenge". www.pinknews.co.uk.
  28. ^ Clark, Dartunorro (September 1, 2016). "Controversial ATLAH Church Avoids Foreclosure Once Again". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  29. ^ "Hate Map by State". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved June 18, 2022.

40°48′22″N 73°56′46″W / 40.8062°N 73.9462°W / 40.8062; -73.9462

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