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Historic Baptist church's future at center of neighborhood change

The Rev. Terrence Griffith, pastor of the oldest black Baptist church in Pennsylvania, was sweating in the early-morning heat. Alone in the cavernous sanctuary of First African Baptist Church, he lamented the lack of air-conditioning. Outside, a chain-link fence protected pedestrians from a church wall that he said could collapse at any moment.

The church was founded in 1809 and is the oldest black Baptist church in Pennsylvania. Its current building lacks historical protection.
The church was founded in 1809 and is the oldest black Baptist church in Pennsylvania. Its current building lacks historical protection.Read more
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